Abstract
This study documents the effects of two consecutive disturbances on coral community structures in the Gulf of Oman (United Arab Emirates); Cyclone Gonu in June 2007 and the Cochlodinium polykrikoides harmful algal bloom (HAB) that persisted from August 2008 until May 2009. Coral cover, colony densities, size class frequency distributions, and geometric growth rates derived from size class transition probability matrices were used to assess the post-Gonu and post-HAB recovery trajectories at four sites. The net effects of these disturbances were fourfold: (i) storm damage caused >50% losses of live branching and tabular coral cover by fragmentation and dislodgment of pocilloporid and acroporid colonies; (ii) Pocillopora damicornis colonies that survived the cyclone experienced mass mortality during the first 3 months of the HAB, resulting in localized extirpation of this species; (iii) variable Acropora mortality during the HAB indicated individual colony, rather than taxa-wide, susceptibility; and (iv) massive colony coral taxa were resistant to both disturbances.
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Acknowledgments
We thank the following for their continued participation on this project: Dr. Bernhard Riegl (NCRI) for project support; the management and staff of Dibba Marine Centre of the Ministry of Environment and Water, Dibba-Fujairah Municipality, Fujairah Municipality, Fujairah Marina Club and Nomad Ocean Adventures for their logistics support and use of their boats and dive equipment; and Debra Rein for diving support.
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Communicated by T. L. Goulet.
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Foster, K.A., Foster, G., Tourenq, C. et al. Shifts in coral community structures following cyclone and red tide disturbances within the Gulf of Oman (United Arab Emirates). Mar Biol 158, 955–968 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-010-1622-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-010-1622-2