Spatial variation in the benthic community structure of coral reefs of Hsiaoliuchiu, Taiwan

10.29926/PLATAX.201712_2017.0004

Tung-Lin Yang；Sonny Tuan Meng Lee；Pei-Yun Tsai；Chih-Jui Tan；Tung-Yung Fan

algae ； coral ； coral reef ecology ； marine protected area ； phase shift ； upwelling

Platax

2017卷（2017 / 12 / 01）

62 - 81

英文

Hsiaoliuchiu, a coral reef island located off southern Taiwan, was characterized by high coral cover in the 1970s but shifted from a coral- to an algal-dominated system 20 years ago. That being said, there is little information on the ecology of the coral reefs around Hsiaoliuchiu, nor do we know what drove this dramatic decline in live coral cover. In this study, comprehensive benthic community surveys were carried out at 36 sites around Hsiaoliuchiu between 2010 and 2012, and four of these sites were surveyed in greater detail to understand depth-related differences in benthic structure (to 30 m). Turf algae dominated the benthic communities at most sites around the island (% cover ranging from 35 to 81%). However, at Houshi fringing reef, which was located at the southeastern side of the island, hard coral cover was still 23.8 to 54.2%. At this site, encrusting Montipora spp. colonies dominated the shallows, while plating and massive corals were most common on the deeper reefs. Also, at Houshi fringing reef, coral cover increased with depth, while cover of macroalgae and turf algae were relatively rarer in deeper waters. Based on these data, we recommend that Houshi fringing reef be legally designated as a marine protected area in order to conserve these remaining coral communities of Hsiaoliuchiu.