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Susceptibility of central Red Sea corals during a major bleaching event

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Abstract

A major coral bleaching event occurred in the central Red Sea near Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, in the summer of 2010, when the region experienced up to 10–11 degree heating weeks. We documented the susceptibility of various coral taxa to bleaching at eight reefs during the peak of this thermal stress. Oculinids and agaricids were most susceptible to bleaching, with up to 100 and 80 % of colonies of these families, respectively, bleaching at some reefs. In contrast, some families, such as mussids, pocilloporids, and pectinids showed low levels of bleaching (<20 % on average). We resurveyed the reefs 7 months later to estimate subsequent mortality. Mortality was highly variable among taxa, with some taxa showing evidence of full recovery and some (e.g., acroporids) apparently suffering nearly complete mortality. The unequal mortality among families resulted in significant change in community composition following the bleaching. Significant factors in the likelihood of coral bleaching during this event were depth of the reef and distance of the reef from shore. Shallow reefs and inshore reefs had a higher prevalence of bleaching. This bleaching event shows that Red Sea reefs are subject to the same increasing pressures that reefs face worldwide. This study provides a quantitative, genus-level assessment of the vulnerability of various coral groups from within the Red Sea to bleaching and estimates subsequent mortality. As such, it can provide valuable insights into the future for reef communities in the Red Sea.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Red Sea Research Center at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, with logistical support from the Coastal and Marine Resources Core Lab. The authors thank A Baird, M Pratchett, and B Riegl for helpful discussions of the study; A Baird and J Veron for assistance with taxonomy; G Williams, N Price, M Johnson, and S Sandin for guidance in statistical analysis; and two anonymous reviewers for comments on the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0202, USA

    K. A. Furby

  2. Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Jeddah, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    J. Bouwmeester & M. L. Berumen

  3. Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 266 Woods Hole Rd, Woods Hole, MA, 02543-1050, USA

    M. L. Berumen

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  1. K. A. Furby
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Correspondence to K. A. Furby.

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Furby, K.A., Bouwmeester, J. & Berumen, M.L. Susceptibility of central Red Sea corals during a major bleaching event. Coral Reefs 32, 505–513 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-012-0998-5

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