Coexistence of the reef-building coral Cladocora caespitosa and the canopy-forming alga Treptacantha ballesterosii: Description of a new Mediterranean habitat
Alèssia Pons-Fita, J. Verdura, J. Santamaría, D. Kersting, E. Ballesteros
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引用次数: 3
Abstract
espanolLos ambientes rocosos someros del Mediterraneo estan habitualmente dominados por macroalgas, no obstante, el coral colonial zooxantelado Cladocora caespitosa es capaz de formar bancos extensos en algunos lugares. Aunque es predecible que los corales con zooxantelas y las algas bentonicas compitan por la luz y el espacio cuando coinciden en el mismo habitat, hay evidencias previas de que C. Caespitosa y las algas mediterraneas no se excluyen competitivamente cuando viven juntas. En este trabajo se caracteriza un nuevo y unico habitat mediterraneo donde el coral formador de arrecifes C. caespitosa y algas erectas del orden Fucales (Cystoseira s.l.) coexisten. En este habitat nuevo C. Caespitosa alcanza coberturas del 34% y las densidades de Cystoseira s.l. (principalmente de Treptacantha ballesterosii) son mucho mayores que los valores encontrados en otros lugares. Remarcablemente, las abundancias de T. Ballesterosii y C. Caespitosa muestran una relacion positiva, sugiriendo que existe algun tipo de mecanismo de facilitacion. Este hallazgo pone en jaque la teoria de exclusion competitiva entre corales y macroalgas, a la vez que puede iniciar un amplio abanico de discusiones en las interacciones entre corales y macroalgas. EnglishShallow Mediterranean rocky environments are usually dominated by macroalgae, but the stony colonial zooxanthellate coral Cladocora caespitosa is able to build extensive banks in some particular areas. Although zooxanthellate corals and benthic macroalgae are expected to compete for light and space when overlapping in the same habitat, there is previous evidence that C. Caespitosa and Mediterranean macroalgae do not suffer from competitive exclusion when living together. Here we characterize a new and unique Mediterranean habitat where the reef-building coral C. Caespitosa and erect seaweeds of the order Fucales (Cystoseira s.l.) coexist. In this new habitat C. Caespitosa reaches 34% cover and densities of Cystoseira s.l. (mainly Treptacantha ballesterosii) are much higher than values reported from other sites. Interestingly, abundances of T. Ballesterosii and C. Caespitosa show a positive relationship, suggesting that some kind of facilitation mechanism is taking place. These findings challenge the theory of competitive exclusion between corals and macroalgae and launch a wide array of possible open discussions on coral-macroalgae interactions.
期刊介绍:
Scientia Marina is the successor to Investigación Pesquera, a journal of marine sciences published since 1955 by the Institut de Ciències del Mar de Barcelona (CSIC). Scientia Marina is included in the Science Citation Index since 1998 and publishes original papers, reviews and comments concerning research in the following fields: Marine Biology and Ecology, Fisheries and Fisheries Ecology, Systematics, Faunistics and Marine Biogeography, Physical Oceanography, Chemical Oceanography, and Marine Geology. Emphasis is placed on articles of an interdisciplinary nature and of general interest.