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Domination of mesophotic ecosystems in the Wakatobi Marine National Park (Indonesia) by sponges, soft corals and other non-hard coral species

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 October 2018

J.J. Bell ,
J. Jompa ,
A. Haris ,
S. Werorilangi ,
M. Shaffer  and
C. Mortimer
J.J. Bell*
Affiliation:
Victoria University of Wellington, School of Biological Sciences, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand
J. Jompa
Affiliation:
Research and Development Centre on Marine, Coastal and Small Islands, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia
A. Haris
Affiliation:
Research and Development Centre on Marine, Coastal and Small Islands, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia
S. Werorilangi
Affiliation:
Research and Development Centre on Marine, Coastal and Small Islands, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia
M. Shaffer
Affiliation:
Victoria University of Wellington, School of Biological Sciences, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand
C. Mortimer
Affiliation:
Victoria University of Wellington, School of Biological Sciences, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand
*
Author for correspondence: J.J. Bell, E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Mesophotic ecosystems have been relatively poorly studied in the Indo-Pacific and in particular within the Coral Triangle region. Here we used a mini-ROV to explore the changes in major benthic groups at two sites (~200 m apart) in the Wakatobi Marine National Park, SE Sulawesi, Indonesia spanning shallow water coral reefs (5 m) to deeper water mesophotic ecosystems (80 m). We found very similar patterns at both sites where coral cover peaked at 15 m, declined rapidly by 30 m, and was virtually absent at 50 m. As coral declined there was a marked increase in sponges, soft corals and other encrusting organisms (including ascidians, bryozoans, tubeworms, gorgonians and molluscs). Importantly, our results differ from most previous studies in other geographic locations where hard corals extend much deeper. It is unclear what drives this difference but it may be related to higher levels of turbidity and therefore reduced light penetration in the Wakatobi compared with other areas, which limits the vertical extent of coral development.

Keywords

Mesophotic coral reefsmesophotic ecosystemsPoriferaspongeWakatobi
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 99 , Issue 4 , June 2019 , pp. 771 - 775
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2018 

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