On the paradox of thriving cold-water coral reefs in the food-limited deep sea
The deep sea is amongst the most food-limited habitats on Earth, as only a small fraction (<4%) of the surface primary production is exported below 200 m water depth. Here, cold-water coral (CWC) reefs form oases of life: their biodiversity compares with tropical coral reefs, their biomass and me...
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2023
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Online Access: | https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/on-the-paradox-of-thriving-cold-water-coral-reefs-in-the-food-lim https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12976 |
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ftunivwagenin:oai:library.wur.nl:wurpubs/621142 2024-01-21T10:08:00+01:00 On the paradox of thriving cold-water coral reefs in the food-limited deep sea Maier, Sandra R. Brooke, Sandra De Clippele, Laurence H. de Froe, Evert van der Kaaden, Anna Selma Kutti, Tina Mienis, Furu van Oevelen, Dick 2023 text/html https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/on-the-paradox-of-thriving-cold-water-coral-reefs-in-the-food-lim https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12976 en eng https://edepot.wur.nl/641934 https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/on-the-paradox-of-thriving-cold-water-coral-reefs-in-the-food-lim doi:10.1111/brv.12976 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Wageningen University & Research Biological Reviews 98 (2023) 5 ISSN: 1464-7931 carbon climate change cold-water coral reef ecosystem engineer food web nitrogen organic matter recycling loop respiration trophic interaction info:eu-repo/semantics/article Article/Letter to editor info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2023 ftunivwagenin https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12976 2023-12-27T23:12:50Z The deep sea is amongst the most food-limited habitats on Earth, as only a small fraction (<4%) of the surface primary production is exported below 200 m water depth. Here, cold-water coral (CWC) reefs form oases of life: their biodiversity compares with tropical coral reefs, their biomass and metabolic activity exceed other deep-sea ecosystems by far. We critically assess the paradox of thriving CWC reefs in the food-limited deep sea, by reviewing the literature and open-access data on CWC habitats. This review shows firstly that CWCs typically occur in areas where the food supply is not constantly low, but undergoes pronounced temporal variation. High currents, downwelling and/or vertically migrating zooplankton temporally boost the export of surface organic matter to the seabed, creating ‘feast’ conditions, interspersed with ‘famine’ periods during the non-productive season. Secondly, CWCs, particularly the most common reef-builder Desmophyllum pertusum (formerly known as Lophelia pertusa), are well adapted to these fluctuations in food availability. Laboratory and in situ measurements revealed their dietary flexibility, tissue reserves, and temporal variation in growth and energy allocation. Thirdly, the high structural and functional diversity of CWC reefs increases resource retention: acting as giant filters and sustaining complex food webs with diverse recycling pathways, the reefs optimise resource gains over losses. Anthropogenic pressures, including climate change and ocean acidification, threaten this fragile equilibrium through decreased resource supply, increased energy costs, and dissolution of the calcium-carbonate reef framework. Based on this review, we suggest additional criteria to judge the health of CWC reefs and their chance to persist in the future. Article in Journal/Newspaper Lophelia pertusa Ocean acidification Wageningen UR (University & Research Centre): Digital Library Biological Reviews 98 5 1768 1795 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Wageningen UR (University & Research Centre): Digital Library |
op_collection_id |
ftunivwagenin |
language |
English |
topic |
carbon climate change cold-water coral reef ecosystem engineer food web nitrogen organic matter recycling loop respiration trophic interaction |
spellingShingle |
carbon climate change cold-water coral reef ecosystem engineer food web nitrogen organic matter recycling loop respiration trophic interaction Maier, Sandra R. Brooke, Sandra De Clippele, Laurence H. de Froe, Evert van der Kaaden, Anna Selma Kutti, Tina Mienis, Furu van Oevelen, Dick On the paradox of thriving cold-water coral reefs in the food-limited deep sea |
topic_facet |
carbon climate change cold-water coral reef ecosystem engineer food web nitrogen organic matter recycling loop respiration trophic interaction |
description |
The deep sea is amongst the most food-limited habitats on Earth, as only a small fraction (<4%) of the surface primary production is exported below 200 m water depth. Here, cold-water coral (CWC) reefs form oases of life: their biodiversity compares with tropical coral reefs, their biomass and metabolic activity exceed other deep-sea ecosystems by far. We critically assess the paradox of thriving CWC reefs in the food-limited deep sea, by reviewing the literature and open-access data on CWC habitats. This review shows firstly that CWCs typically occur in areas where the food supply is not constantly low, but undergoes pronounced temporal variation. High currents, downwelling and/or vertically migrating zooplankton temporally boost the export of surface organic matter to the seabed, creating ‘feast’ conditions, interspersed with ‘famine’ periods during the non-productive season. Secondly, CWCs, particularly the most common reef-builder Desmophyllum pertusum (formerly known as Lophelia pertusa), are well adapted to these fluctuations in food availability. Laboratory and in situ measurements revealed their dietary flexibility, tissue reserves, and temporal variation in growth and energy allocation. Thirdly, the high structural and functional diversity of CWC reefs increases resource retention: acting as giant filters and sustaining complex food webs with diverse recycling pathways, the reefs optimise resource gains over losses. Anthropogenic pressures, including climate change and ocean acidification, threaten this fragile equilibrium through decreased resource supply, increased energy costs, and dissolution of the calcium-carbonate reef framework. Based on this review, we suggest additional criteria to judge the health of CWC reefs and their chance to persist in the future. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Maier, Sandra R. Brooke, Sandra De Clippele, Laurence H. de Froe, Evert van der Kaaden, Anna Selma Kutti, Tina Mienis, Furu van Oevelen, Dick |
author_facet |
Maier, Sandra R. Brooke, Sandra De Clippele, Laurence H. de Froe, Evert van der Kaaden, Anna Selma Kutti, Tina Mienis, Furu van Oevelen, Dick |
author_sort |
Maier, Sandra R. |
title |
On the paradox of thriving cold-water coral reefs in the food-limited deep sea |
title_short |
On the paradox of thriving cold-water coral reefs in the food-limited deep sea |
title_full |
On the paradox of thriving cold-water coral reefs in the food-limited deep sea |
title_fullStr |
On the paradox of thriving cold-water coral reefs in the food-limited deep sea |
title_full_unstemmed |
On the paradox of thriving cold-water coral reefs in the food-limited deep sea |
title_sort |
on the paradox of thriving cold-water coral reefs in the food-limited deep sea |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/on-the-paradox-of-thriving-cold-water-coral-reefs-in-the-food-lim https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12976 |
genre |
Lophelia pertusa Ocean acidification |
genre_facet |
Lophelia pertusa Ocean acidification |
op_source |
Biological Reviews 98 (2023) 5 ISSN: 1464-7931 |
op_relation |
https://edepot.wur.nl/641934 https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/on-the-paradox-of-thriving-cold-water-coral-reefs-in-the-food-lim doi:10.1111/brv.12976 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Wageningen University & Research |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12976 |
container_title |
Biological Reviews |
container_volume |
98 |
container_issue |
5 |
container_start_page |
1768 |
op_container_end_page |
1795 |
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1788698622906335232 |