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Temperature shocks and ecological implications at a cold-water coral reef

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 July 2012

Damien Guihen ,
Martin White  and
Tomas Lundälv
Damien Guihen*
Affiliation:
Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland Damien Guihen is now at the British Antarctic Survey
Martin White
Affiliation:
Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
Tomas Lundälv
Affiliation:
Sven Lovén Centre of Marine Sciences-Tjärnö, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: D. Guihen, Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Continuous long-term measurements of temperature, salinity and current velocity, have been recorded over 44 months at the Tisler Reef. The Tisler Reef is a 2 km long cold-water coral reef on the sill of the Kosterfjord, located in the north-eastern Skagerrak, Norway. The reef comprises principally Lophelia pertusa, at depths between 70 and 160 m, and is an important habitat for sponge, crustacean and fish species including a number of species of commercial importance. Analysis of the current velocity data has identified a number of features such as flow reversals. These reversals in flow direction are often associated with significant changes in bottom temperature. During the autumn months of 2006 and 2008, a series of large and rapid increases in bottom temperature were observed, with temperatures seen to rise by approximately 4°C in a 24 hour period on both occasions. The occurrence of the 2006 and 2008 events corresponded with the observation of mass mortality in the long-lived sponge Geodia baretti. Historical temperature records from the region suggest that these temperature shocks are uncharacteristically high. The temperatures observed at the reef exceed the typical short-term physiological limits of L. pertusa thus future temperature shock events may have a swift and negative impact on the cold-water coral reef ecosystems of the Skagerrak.

Keywords

cold-water coralTisler Reeftemperature shockLophelia pertusaGeodia barrettiSkagerrak
Type
Research Article
Information
Marine Biodiversity Records , Volume 5 , August 2012 , e68
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2012

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