Marine colonization and biodiversity at Ascension Island and remote islands
Little is known about colonization of remote island coasts by marine invertebrates, other than corals. The structure of hard substrata assemblages was investigated across Ascension Island's littoral zone in comparison with other sites. Arrays of acrylic panels were deployed at two sites for 2 y...
Published in: | Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom |
---|---|
Main Author: | |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
2015
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315415001526 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0025315415001526 |
id |
crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0025315415001526 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0025315415001526 2024-09-15T17:46:55+00:00 Marine colonization and biodiversity at Ascension Island and remote islands Barnes, David K.A. 2015 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315415001526 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0025315415001526 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom volume 97, issue 4, page 771-782 ISSN 0025-3154 1469-7769 journal-article 2015 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0025315415001526 2024-08-07T04:03:58Z Little is known about colonization of remote island coasts by marine invertebrates, other than corals. The structure of hard substrata assemblages was investigated across Ascension Island's littoral zone in comparison with other sites. Arrays of acrylic panels were deployed at two sites for 2 years at Ascension Island to measure subtidal recruitment. Colonization of panels at Ascension I. was low, though space occupation, abundance and richness varied considerably. After ~1 and 2 years Ascension panels were <17 and <37% covered by fauna and each had <22 recruits and 54 recruits (per 100 cm 2 ) respectively, amongst the lowest density of recruits reported. Recruitment rates of corals (25 m 2 year −1 ) at Ascension I. were also similar to the lowest levels reported elsewhere (e.g. at Bermuda or Midway islands). Less dispersive animal types, e.g. cheilostome bryozoans, were poorly represented. Panels immersed in Tanzania and Scotland were >30% covered, with >76 recruits per 100 cm 2 and with bryozoans well represented after 1 year. Across-littoral surveys of established macrofauna at five remote islands (Ascension I., Easter I., Azores, South Georgia and Signy I., Antarctica) revealed similar trends of a rich sublittoral and lower littoral reducing drastically up-shore; molluscs dominating abundance and species numbers, whilst polychaetes, crustaceans and echinoderms were well represented. Established sessile animals occurred patchily at a mean density of 8.26 m −2 but recruits had mortality levels >99%. Polar or remote temperate/tropical sites are typically less colonized than at non-remote, low latitudes but the lowest levels reported are at remote polar sites. Reduced colonization at Ascension island reflects remoteness. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica Cambridge University Press Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 97 4 771 782 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
description |
Little is known about colonization of remote island coasts by marine invertebrates, other than corals. The structure of hard substrata assemblages was investigated across Ascension Island's littoral zone in comparison with other sites. Arrays of acrylic panels were deployed at two sites for 2 years at Ascension Island to measure subtidal recruitment. Colonization of panels at Ascension I. was low, though space occupation, abundance and richness varied considerably. After ~1 and 2 years Ascension panels were <17 and <37% covered by fauna and each had <22 recruits and 54 recruits (per 100 cm 2 ) respectively, amongst the lowest density of recruits reported. Recruitment rates of corals (25 m 2 year −1 ) at Ascension I. were also similar to the lowest levels reported elsewhere (e.g. at Bermuda or Midway islands). Less dispersive animal types, e.g. cheilostome bryozoans, were poorly represented. Panels immersed in Tanzania and Scotland were >30% covered, with >76 recruits per 100 cm 2 and with bryozoans well represented after 1 year. Across-littoral surveys of established macrofauna at five remote islands (Ascension I., Easter I., Azores, South Georgia and Signy I., Antarctica) revealed similar trends of a rich sublittoral and lower littoral reducing drastically up-shore; molluscs dominating abundance and species numbers, whilst polychaetes, crustaceans and echinoderms were well represented. Established sessile animals occurred patchily at a mean density of 8.26 m −2 but recruits had mortality levels >99%. Polar or remote temperate/tropical sites are typically less colonized than at non-remote, low latitudes but the lowest levels reported are at remote polar sites. Reduced colonization at Ascension island reflects remoteness. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Barnes, David K.A. |
spellingShingle |
Barnes, David K.A. Marine colonization and biodiversity at Ascension Island and remote islands |
author_facet |
Barnes, David K.A. |
author_sort |
Barnes, David K.A. |
title |
Marine colonization and biodiversity at Ascension Island and remote islands |
title_short |
Marine colonization and biodiversity at Ascension Island and remote islands |
title_full |
Marine colonization and biodiversity at Ascension Island and remote islands |
title_fullStr |
Marine colonization and biodiversity at Ascension Island and remote islands |
title_full_unstemmed |
Marine colonization and biodiversity at Ascension Island and remote islands |
title_sort |
marine colonization and biodiversity at ascension island and remote islands |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315415001526 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0025315415001526 |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica |
op_source |
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom volume 97, issue 4, page 771-782 ISSN 0025-3154 1469-7769 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0025315415001526 |
container_title |
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom |
container_volume |
97 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
771 |
op_container_end_page |
782 |
_version_ |
1810495351163977728 |