Water flow influences the mechanisms and outcomes of interactions between massive Porites and coral reef algae

Negative interactions between corals and algae often are implicated in preventing the recovery of coral-depauperate reefs. However, few studies have explored the effects of environmental conditions on the mechanisms underlying the outcomes of coral–algal interactions. We examined the influence of wa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marine biology 2015-02, Vol.162 (2), p.459-468
Main Authors: Brown, Anya L, Carpenter, Robert C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algae
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Coral reefs
Corals
Distribution
environmental factors
Freshwater & Marine Ecology
Life Sciences
Marine
Marine & Freshwater Sciences
Marine algae
Marine biology
Microbiology
microhabitats
Ocean currents
Oceanography
Original Paper
physiology
Porites
Turbinaria ornata
Water flow
Zoology
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Summary:Negative interactions between corals and algae often are implicated in preventing the recovery of coral-depauperate reefs. However, few studies have explored the effects of environmental conditions on the mechanisms underlying the outcomes of coral–algal interactions. We examined the influence of water flow, a pervasive feature of reefs that is known to affect both coral and algal physiology, on massive Porites–algal interactions at different spatial and temporal scales with two types of algal competitors. Outcomes of coral–algal interactions were influenced by both water flow and algal type. Algal turfs outcompeted corals more frequently in low flow conditions, where microbial concentrations were higher, than in higher flow areas. Turbinaria ornata outcompeted massive Porites more often in higher flow and consistently was associated with lower microbial concentrations. This study highlights that outcomes of coral–algal interactions are microhabitat dependent and that water flow limits the effectiveness of some mechanisms of coral–algal competition.
ISSN:0025-3162
1432-1793
DOI:10.1007/s00227-014-2593-5