| Literature DB >> 29941983 |
Alex C Bastos1, Rodrigo L Moura2, Fernando C Moraes3, Laura S Vieira4, Juan Carlos Braga5, Laís V Ramalho3, Gilberto M Amado-Filho3, Ulises R Magdalena2, Jody M Webster6.
Abstract
In major modern reef regions, either in the Indo-Pacific or the Caribbean, scleractinian corals are described as the main reef framework builders, often associated with crustose coralline algae. We used underwater cores to investigate Late Holocene reef growth and characterise the main framework builders in the Abrolhos Shelf, the largest and richest modern tropical reef complex in the South Western Atlantic, a scientifically underexplored reef province. Rather than a typical coralgal reef, our results show a complex framework building system dominated by bryozoans. Bryozoans were major components in all cores and age intervals (2,000 yrs BP), accounting for up to 44% of the reef framework, while crustose coralline algae and coral accounted for less than 28 and 23%, respectively. Reef accretion rates varied from 2.7 to 0.9 mm yr-1, which are similar to typical coralgal reefs. Bryozoan functional groups encompassed 20 taxa and Celleporaria atlantica (Busk, 1884) dominated the framework at all cores. While the prevalent mesotrophic conditions may have driven suspension-feeders' dominance over photoautotrophs and mixotrophs, we propose that a combination of historical factors with the low storm-disturbance regime of the tropical South Atlantic also contributed to the region's low diversity, and underlies the unique mushroom shape of the Abrolhos pinnacles.Entities:
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Year: 2018 PMID: 29941983 PMCID: PMC6018419 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27961-6
Source DB: PubMed Journal: Sci Rep ISSN: 2045-2322 Impact factor: 4.379
Figure 1Study area and sampling sites. (A) Map showing the Abrolhos shelf physiography and the distribution of reefs in the near-shore and mid-shelf arcs (light blue) and drilling sites (Red dots). (B) Side Scan Sonar imagery of mid and outer shelf areas, showing complex submerged reef morphologies. (C) Aerial drone image of the “chapeirões” at the Parcel dos Abrolhos (research boat is 20 m long, for scale reference); (D) Satelite image (Ikonos 2, 4 m resolution) of Abrolhos Archipelago and its adjacent “chapeirão” reef system (indicated by yellow pixels); (E) Schematic view of the 11 cores sampled from the tops and walls of the three reef pinnacles at 4, 15 and 25 m water depth (not on scale). Aerial photo by Fernando Moraes/Rede Abrolhos.
Figure 2Underwater photos of Abrolhos Bank deep pinnacle reefs in Parcel dos Abrolhos (PA) and California Reef (CR): (A) Side view of part of a mushroom shaped “chapeirão” in PA (15 m deep); (B) Lateral bottom-up view of a columnar biogenic pinnacle structure in CR (soft bottom at 33 m deep and reef top at 20 m deep); (C) Panoramic view of that pinnacle’s reef top in CR, revealing lateral expansion process by the plate coral Montastraea cavernosa (arrows). Photos: Áthila Bertoncini & Fernando Moraes/Rede Abrolhos.
Figure 3Simplified core log showing the main reef framework types, sedimentary facies, and 14C AMS age data collected from Abrolhos reef at 4 m water depth. Vertical (4V-05, 4V-06) and horizontal cores (4H-07, 4H-08) were sampled from the pinnacle’s top and wall, respectively. The stratigraphic distribution of the main reef framework building components was mapped, comprising mainly thickly encrusting cheilostome bryozoans with subordinate amounts of CCAs, corals and sediments (see Methods). The vertical and horizontal accretion rates of the pinnacles were assessed based on calibrated 14C AMS measurements from bryozoans and corals in growth position (Methods and Table 1). (A) Close-up image of a vertical core sample showing the reef framework dominated by multilayers of encrusting bryozoan colonies; (B) Petrographic image showing multilayers of the most abundant bryozoan species forming the reef framework (Celleporaria atlantica), including zooids partially filled by cementing matrix; (C) Stereomicroscope image of a multilayer colony of Reptadeonella bipartita, another important bryozoan species forming the reef framework.
Figure 5Simplified core log showing the main reef framework types, sedimentary facies, and 14C AMS age data collected from Abrolhos reef at 25 m water depth. Vertical (25V-09, 25V-10) and horizontal cores (25H-11) were sampled from the pinnacle’s top and wall, respectively. (A) Close-up image of a vertical core sample showing the recurrent pattern of interspersed bryozoans and CCAs in the reef framework. Note sediment fills overgrown by bryozoan layers and remarkable incorporation of fine grains inside the reef matrix.
Bryozoan taxa recorded as main framework reef builders from sampled cores at Abrolhos Bank mid-shelf pinnacles.
| Taxons | Drill Depth | Total Presence | Total number of species | Geographic Distribution | References for Distribution | General Shape | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 m | 15 m | 25 m | ||||||
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | Brazilian Endemic (RJ, ES, BA) | 2; 6 | Encrusting | |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | Abrolhos Endemic | Present Study | Encrusting | ||
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | Abrolhos Endemic | Present Study | Encrusting | ||
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | Abrolhos Endemic | Present Study | Encrusting | ||
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | Brazilian Endemic (RN, BA, ES, RJ) | 1; 2; 6 | Encrusting | ||
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 9 | Abrolhos Endemic | Present Study | Encrusting | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | Caribbean. Brazil (AL, BA, ES) | 1; 3 | Encrusting | ||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | Brazilian Endemic (RN, BA) | 1 | Encrusting | ||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | Abrolhos Endemic | Present Study | Encrusting | ||
| 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Brazilian Endemic (AL, BA, ES) | 1; 4 | Encrusting | ||
| 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | N/A | Erect | |||
| 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Brazilian Endemic (AL, BA) | 2; 5 | Encrusting | ||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | N/A | Encrusting | |||
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | N/A | Encrusting | |||
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | Abrolhos Endemic | Present Study | Encrusting | |
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | Global distribution (South Atlantic, Pacific, Mediterranean, Indian Ocean) | 1; 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 | Encrusting | ||
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | N/A | Erect | |||
|
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | Brazilian Endemic (PE, BA, ES) | 1; 4 | Erect | |
|
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | Caribbean. Brazil (RJ, ES, BA, AL) | 1; 4 | Erect | |
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | N/A | Encrusting | |||
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N/A, not applied. Brazilian States Abbreviations: AL, Alagoas; BA, Bahia; ES, Espírito Santo; PE, Pernambuco; RJ, Rio de Janeiro. *Species which colonies formed more than 10 layers inside cores. References for distribution cited in table are in the Supplementary Information: 1, Vieira et al., 2008; 2, Winston et al., 2014; 3, Almeida et al., 2015a; 4, Almeida et al., 2015b; 5, Vieira et al., 2016; 6, Almeida et al., 2017; 7, Canu and Bassler, 1929; 8, Marcus, 1937; 9, Osburn, 1952; 10, Liu, Yin and Ma, 2001.
Figure 6(A) World occurrence of storm track records from 1985–2015 superposed on coral richness of all reef provinces, (B) Graph showing the relationship between coral species richness and number of tropical storms/hurricanes.