Journal articles: 'Madrepora oculata'

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Maier, C., A. de Kluijver, M. Agis, C. P. D. Brussaard, F. C. van Duyl, and M. G. Weinbauer. "Dynamics of nutrients, total organic carbon, prokaryotes and viruses in onboard incubations of cold-water corals." Biogeosciences Discussions 8, no. 2 (April 14, 2011): 3829–61. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bgd-8-3829-2011.

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Abstract. The potential influence of the cold-water corals (CWCs) Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata on the dynamics of inorganic nutrient and total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations and the abundances of prokaryotes and viruses in bottom water was assessed in onboard incubation experiments. Ammonium, nitrite, dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) and TOC concentrations and N:P ratios were typically higher in incubation water with corals than in controls, whereas nitrate concentrations did not reveal a clear trend. Mucus release (normalized to coral surface) was estimated by the net increase rate of TOC concentrations and averaged 23 ± 6 mg C m−2 h−1 for L. pertusa and 21 ± 8 mg C m−2 h−1 for M. oculata. Prokaryotic and viral abundance and turnover rates were typically stimulated in incubation water with corals. This prokaryotic stimulation averaged 6.0 ± 3.0 × 109 cells m−2 h−1 for L. pertusa and 8.4 ± 2.9 ×109 cells m−2 h−1 for M. oculata, whereas the viral stimulation averaged 15.6 ± 12.7 × 109 particles m−2 h−1 for L. pertusa and 4.3 ± 0.4 × 109 particles m−2 h−1 M. oculata. Our data suggest that prokaryotes and viruses are released from corals and that nutrient and mucus release enhanced prokaryotic and viral production. The result of this stimulation could be a fuelling of bottom water in CWC reefs with nutrients and organic matter and consequently an enhancement of microbe-mediated processes.

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Maier, C., A. de Kluijver, M. Agis, C. P. D. Brussaard, F. C. van Duyl, and M. G. Weinbauer. "Dynamics of nutrients, total organic carbon, prokaryotes and viruses in onboard incubations of cold-water corals." Biogeosciences 8, no. 9 (September 14, 2011): 2609–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-8-2609-2011.

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Abstract. The potential influence of the cold-water corals (CWCs) Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata on the dynamics of inorganic nutrient and total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations and the abundances of prokaryotes and viruses in bottom water was assessed in onboard incubation experiments. Ammonium, nitrite, dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) and TOC concentrations and N:P ratios were typically higher in incubation water with corals than in controls, whereas nitrate concentrations did not reveal a clear trend. Mucus release (normalized to coral surface) was estimated by the net increase rate of TOC concentrations and averaged 23 ± 6 mg C m−2 h−1 for L. pertusa and 21 ± 8 mg C m−2 h−1 for M. oculata. Prokaryotic and viral abundance and turnover rates were typically stimulated in incubation water with corals. This estimated prokaryotic stimulation averaged 6.0 ± 3.0 × 109 cells m−2 h−1 for L. pertusa and 8.4 ± 2.9 × 109 cells m−2 h−1 for M. oculata, whereas the estimated viral stimulation averaged 15.6 ± 12.7 × 109 particles m−2 h−1 for L. pertusa and 4.3 ± 0.4 × 109 particles m−2 h−1 M. oculata. Our data suggest that prokaryotes and viruses are released from corals and that nutrient and mucus release enhanced prokaryotic and viral production. The result of this stimulation could be a fuelling of bottom water in CWC reefs with nutrients and organic matter and consequently an enhancement of microbe-mediated processes.

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Maier, C., P. Watremez, M. Taviani, M. G. Weinbauer, and J. P. Gattuso. "Calcification rates and the effect of ocean acidification on Mediterranean cold-water corals." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 279, no. 1734 (November 30, 2011): 1716–23. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2011.1763.

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Global environmental changes, including ocean acidification, have been identified as a major threat to scleractinian corals. General predictions are that ocean acidification will be detrimental to reef growth and that 40 to more than 80 per cent of present-day reefs will decline during the next 50 years. Cold-water corals (CWCs) are thought to be strongly affected by changes in ocean acidification owing to their distribution in deep and/or cold waters, which naturally exhibit a CaCO 3 saturation state lower than in shallow/warm waters. Calcification was measured in three species of Mediterranean cold-water scleractinian corals ( Lophelia pertusa , Madrepora oculata and Desmophyllum dianthus ) on-board research vessels and soon after collection. Incubations were performed in ambient sea water. The species M. oculata was additionally incubated in sea water reduced or enriched in CO 2. At ambient conditions, calcification rates ranged between −0.01 and 0.23% d −1 . Calcification rates of M. oculata under variable partial pressure of CO 2 (pCO 2 ) were the same for ambient and elevated pCO 2 (404 and 867 µatm) with 0.06 ± 0.06% d −1 , while calcification was 0.12 ± 0.06% d −1 when pCO 2 was reduced to its pre-industrial level (285 µatm). This suggests that present-day CWC calcification in the Mediterranean Sea has already drastically declined (by 50%) as a consequence of anthropogenic-induced ocean acidification.

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KOLBASOV, GREGORY A., BENNY K. K. CHAN, and YU-RONG CHENG. "Weltneria acanthostoma sp. nov., a burrowing barnacle (Cirripedia: Acrothoracica) from the deep-waters of the South China Sea." Zootaxa 4290, no. 3 (July 10, 2017): 591. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4290.3.12.

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A new deep water acrothoracican species, Weltneria acanthostoma sp. nov., has been discovered from the area of the Blue Ridge Seamount, South China Sea, at a depth of 534 m. A single female was found in a burrow in the scleractinian Madrepora oculata. This specimen is assigned to the genus Weltneria due to the possession of six pairs of cirri and two-joined caudal appendages. Weltneria acanthostoma differs from its congeners in the morphology of the slightly sinusoid opercular bars having hooked posterior processes and four or five curved, conspicuous, simple teeth, and by the absence of a calcareous formation of the attachment disk. The genus Weltneria exhibits a Tethyan relictual pattern in its geographical distribution. The diagnosis of Weltneria is based on symplesiomorphies and the genus may be a non-monophyletic taxon.

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ANGELETTI, L., M. TAVIANI, S. CANESE, F. FOGLINI, F. MASTROTOTARO, A. ARGNANI, F. TRINCARDI, et al. "New deep-water cnidarian sites in the southern Adriatic Sea." Mediterranean Marine Science 15, no. 2 (December 3, 2013): 263. http://dx.doi.org/10.12681/mms.558.

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Recent ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) exploration and bottom sampling in the southern Adriatic Sea (Apulian and Montenegrin margins) resulted in the discovery of cnidarian-rich deep-sea habitats in the depth range of ca. 400-700 m. In particular, ROV inspection of Montenegrin canyons reveals the existence of megabenthic communities dominated by a variety of cnidarians, including scleractinians (Madrepora oculata, Lophelia pertusa, Dendrophyllia cornigera), antipatharians (Leiopathes glaberrima) and gorgonians (Callogorgia verticillata) as major habitat forming taxa, often in association with sponges and, subordinately, serpulids. All such cnidarians are new records for the southeastern side of the Adriatic Sea. Our investigation indicates that an almost continuous belt of patchy cold water coral sites occurs along the entire southwestern margin (Apulian), basically connecting the Adriatic populations with those inhabiting the Ionian margin (Santa Maria di Leuca coral province).

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Hansson, L., M. Agis, C. Maier, and MG Weinbauer. "Community composition of bacteria associated with cold-water coral Madrepora oculata: within and between colony variability." Marine Ecology Progress Series 397 (December 17, 2009): 89–102. http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps08429.

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Orejas, C., A. Gori, and J. M. Gili. "Growth rates of live Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata from the Mediterranean Sea maintained in aquaria." Coral Reefs 27, no. 2 (December 29, 2007): 255. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00338-007-0350-7.

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Fanelli, Emanuela, Ivana Delbono, Roberta Ivaldi, Marta Pratellesi, Silvia Cocito, and Andrea Peirano. "Cold-water coral Madrepora oculata in the eastern Ligurian Sea (NW Mediterranean): Historical and recent findings." Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 27, no. 5 (March 16, 2017): 965–75. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/aqc.2751.

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Roberts, J. M. "Reef-aggregating behaviour by symbiotic eunicid polychaetes from cold-water corals: do worms assemble reefs?" Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 85, no. 4 (June 27, 2005): 813–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315405011756.

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In the north-east Atlantic, the dominant reef-framework forming coral species, Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata, form a symbiotic association with the polychaete worm Eunice norvegica. The polychaete–coral symbiosis was studied by visually observing and photographing live animals in aquaria over many months and using time-lapse video under infra-red lighting to record activity patterns. The polychaetes act as reef aggregating agents by joining coral colonies and enhancing the development of reef patches in deep water. The symbiosis was investigated using samples collected from a relatively shallow site in a Norwegian fjord and from a deeper open ocean site in the Porcupine Seabight. The potential functional roles of this symbiosis are considered. The reef aggregating behaviour of the polychaete symbiont allied with the ability of the coral host to anastomose its branches, the polychaete tubes and debris falling onto the reef structure will help to shift the balance between reef growth and (bio)erosion in favour of growth.

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ALTUNA, ALVARO. "Deep-water scleractinian corals (Cnidaria: Anthozoa) from 2010-2011 INDEMARES expeditions to the Galicia Bank (Spain, northeast Atlantic)." Zootaxa 4353, no. 2 (November 23, 2017): 257. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4353.2.2.

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During surveys in the Galicia Bank (northeastern Atlantic) in the years 2010–2011 (INDEMARES project), 25 species of scleractinian corals corals were collected in a depth interval of 744–1764 m. Most interesting species are described and depicted. Additionally, species list and remarks are given for the 23 species dredged in the bank during the 1987 SEAMOUNT 1 expedition at 675–1125 m depth.From a literature review and new records from Galicia Bank given herein, 31 species of scleractinian corals are known from this seamount in a depth interval of 614–1764 m depth. Six are colonial and 25 solitary, with 17 occurring on hard bottoms and 14 on soft bottoms. Desmophyllum dianthus, Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata are the most widely distributed species in both number of stations and depth range of specimens collected alive. Some species were recorded outside their previously known bathymetric ranges in the northeastern Atlantic. Javania pseudoalabastra is first documented for the Iberian Peninsula and Spanish faunas. Thrypticotrochus sp. is first collected from the Atlantic Ocean.

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Bourque, Jill R., and Amanda W. J. Demopoulos. "The influence of different deep-sea coral habitats on sediment macrofaunal community structure and function." PeerJ 6 (July 20, 2018): e5276. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5276.

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Deep-sea corals can create a highly complex, three-dimensional structure that facilitates sediment accumulation and influences adjacent sediment environments through altered hydrodynamic regimes. Infaunal communities adjacent to different coral types, including reef-building scleractinian corals and individual colonies of octocorals, are known to exhibit higher macrofaunal densities and distinct community structure when compared to non-coral soft-sediment communities. However, the coral types have different morphologies, which may modify the adjacent sediment communities in discrete ways. Here we address: (1) how infaunal communities and their associated sediment geochemistry compare among deep-sea coral types (Lophelia pertusa, Madrepora oculata, and octocorals) and (2) do infaunal communities adjacent to coral habitats exhibit typical regional and depth-related patterns observed in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Sediment push cores were collected to assess diversity, composition, numerical abundance, and functional traits of macrofauna (>300 µm) across 450 kilometers in the GOM at depths ranging from 263–1,095 m. Macrofaunal density was highest in L. pertusa habitats, but similar between M. oculata and octocorals habitats. Density overall exhibited a unimodal relationship with depth, with maximum densities between 600 and 800 m. Diversity and evenness were highest in octocoral habitats; however, there was no relationship between diversity and depth. Infaunal assemblages and functional traits differed among coral habitats, with L. pertusa habitats the most distinct from both M. oculata and octocorals. These patterns could relate to differences in sediment geochemistry as L. pertusa habitats contained high organic carbon content but low proportions of mud compared to both M. oculata and octocoral habitats. Distance-based linear modeling revealed depth, mud content, and organic carbon as the primary factors in driving coral infaunal community structure, while geographic location (longitude) was the primary factor in functional trait composition, highlighting both the location and ecological differences of L. pertusa habitats from other coral habitats. Enhanced habitat structural complexity associated with L. pertusa and differences in localized hydrodynamic flow may contribute to the dissimilarities in the communities found among the coral types. Our results suggest a decoupling for infaunal coral communities from the typical depth-related density and diversity patterns present throughout soft-sediment habitats in the GOM, highlighting the importance of deep-sea corals in structuring unique communities in the nearby benthos.

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Fink, Hiske G., Claudia Wienberg, Ricardo De Pol-Holz, and Dierk Hebbeln. "Spatio-temporal distribution patterns of Mediterranean cold-water corals (Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata) during the past 14,000 years." Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers 103 (September 2015): 37–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2015.05.006.

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Maier, C., F. Bils, M. G. Weinbauer, P. Watremez, M. A. Peck, and J. P. Gattuso. "Respiration of Mediterranean cold-water corals is not affected by ocean acidification as projected for the end of the century." Biogeosciences 10, no. 8 (August 27, 2013): 5671–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-5671-2013.

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Abstract. The rise of CO2 has been identified as a major threat to life in the ocean. About one-third of the anthropogenic CO2 produced in the last 200 yr has been taken up by the ocean, leading to ocean acidification. Surface seawater pH is projected to decrease by about 0.4 units between the pre-industrial revolution and 2100. The branching cold-water corals Madrepora oculata and Lophelia pertusa are important, habitat-forming species in the deep Mediterranean Sea. Although previous research has investigated the abundance and distribution of these species, little is known regarding their ecophysiology and potential responses to global environmental change. A previous study indicated that the rate of calcification of these two species remained constant up to 1000 μatm CO2, a value that is at the upper end of changes projected to occur by 2100. We examined whether the ability to maintain calcification rates in the face of rising pCO2 affected the energetic requirements of these corals. Over the course of three months, rates of respiration were measured at a pCO2 ranging between 350 and 1100 μatm to distinguish between short-term response and longer-term acclimation. Respiration rates ranged from 0.074 to 0.266 μmol O2 (g skeletal dry weight)−1 h−1 and 0.095 to 0.725 μmol O2 (g skeletal dry weight)−1 h−1 for L. pertusa and M. oculata, respectively, and were independent of pCO2. Respiration increased with time likely due to regular feeding, which may have provided an increased energy supply to sustain coral metabolism. Future studies are needed to confirm whether the insensitivity of respiration to increasing pCO2 is a general feature of deep-sea corals in other regions.

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Maier, C., F. Bils, M. G. Weinbauer, P. Watremez, M. A. Peck, and J. P. Gattuso. "Respiration of Mediterranean cold-water corals is not affected by ocean acidification as projected for the end of the century." Biogeosciences Discussions 10, no. 5 (May 2, 2013): 7617–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bgd-10-7617-2013.

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Abstract. The rise of CO2 has been identified as a major threat to life in the ocean. About one-third of the anthropogenic CO2 produced in the last 200 yr has been taken up by the ocean, leading to ocean acidification. Surface seawater pH is projected to decrease by about 0.4 unit between the pre-industrial revolution and 2100. The branching cold-water corals Madrepora oculata and Lophelia pertusa are important, habitat-forming species in the deep Mediterranean Sea. Although previous research has investigated the abundance and distribution of these species, little is known regarding their ecophysiology and potential responses to global environmental change. A previous study indicated that the rate of calcification of these two species remained constant up to 1000 μatm CO2 a value that is at the upper end of changes projected to occur by 2100. We examined whether the ability to maintain calcification rates in the face of rising pCO2 affected the energetic requirements of these corals. Over the course of three months, rates of respiration were measured at a pCO2 ranging between 350 and 1100 μatm to distinguish between short-term response and longer-term acclimation. Respiration rates ranged from 0.074 to 0.266 μmol O2 (g skeletal dry weight)−1 h−1 and 0.095 to 0.725 μmol O2 (g skeletal dry weight)−1 h−1 for L. and M. oculata, respectively, and were independent of pCO2. Respiration increased with time likely due to regular feeding which may have provided an increased energy supply to sustain coral metabolism. Future studies are needed to confirm whether the insensitivity of respiration to increasing pCO2 is a general feature of deep-sea corals in other regions.

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Lin, Mei-Fang, Marcelo Visentini Kitahara, Hiroyuki Tachikawa, Hironobu Fukami, David John Miller, and Chaolun Allen Chen. "Novel organization of the mitochondrial genome in the deep-sea coral, Madrepora oculata (Hexacorallia, Scleractinia, Oculinidae) and its taxonomic implications." Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 65, no. 1 (October 2012): 323–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2012.06.011.

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Orejas, Covadonga, Christine Ferrier-Pagès, Stéphanie Reynaud, Georgios Tsounis, Denis Allemand, and Josep Maria Gili. "Experimental comparison of skeletal growth rates in the cold-water coral Madrepora oculata Linnaeus, 1758 and three tropical scleractinian corals." Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 405, no. 1-2 (August 2011): 1–5. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2011.05.008.

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GÖCKE, CHRISTIAN, JON T. HESTETUN, CAROLIN UHLIR, ANDRÉ FREIWALD, LYDIA BEUCK, and DORTE JANUSSEN. "Cladorhiza corallophila sp. nov., a new carnivorous sponge (Cladorhizidae, Demospongiae) living in close association with Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata (Scleractinia)." Zootaxa 4168, no. 3 (September 16, 2016): 512. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4168.3.4.

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Naumann, Malik S., Covadonga Orejas, and Christine Ferrier-Pagès. "Species-specific physiological response by the cold-water corals Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata to variations within their natural temperature range." Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography 99 (January 2014): 36–41. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2013.05.025.

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Howell, Kerry L., Ross D. Bullimore, and Nicola L. Foster. "Quality assurance in the identification of deep-sea taxa from video and image analysis: response to Henry and Roberts." ICES Journal of Marine Science 71, no. 4 (April 9, 2014): 899–906. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsu052.

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New high-resolution image data obtained from the Hebrides Terrace Seamount and analysed by ourselves and Henry and Roberts (Henry, L-A., and Roberts, J. M. Recommendations for best practice in deep-sea habitat classification: Bullimore et al. as a case study. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 71: 895–898.), suggested that we may have misidentified Solenosmilia variabilis as either Lophelia pertusa or Madrepora oculata in a previously analysed dataset from the Anton Dohrn Seamount (published in Bullimore et al., 2013). Therefore, we undertook a reanalysis of our entire image data holdings from multiple sample sites and identified possible records of S. variabilis from four sites previously sampled: Anton Dohrn Seamount, Rockall Bank, George Bligh Bank and the Hatton-Rockall Basin. The reanalysis of our image data holdings together with historic data from the wider literature suggests that, in the Northeast Atlantic region, S. variabilis is distributed from 888–2803 m (mean ∼1500 m) with reef habitat present only on Anton Dohrn Seamount. In this paper we discuss the use of video and imagery as a survey and monitoring too and make recommendations of best practice in data acquisition and analysis. We highlight the need for the development of training materials for deep-sea field identification in order to achieve reliable, replicable and comparable datasets among observers, and suggest possible quality assurance procedures.

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Auscavitch, Steven R., Jay J. Lunden, Alexandria Barkman, Andrea M. Quattrini, Amanda W. J. Demopoulos, and Erik E. Cordes. "Distribution of deep-water scleractinian and stylasterid corals across abiotic environmental gradients on three seamounts in the Anegada Passage." PeerJ 8 (July 31, 2020): e9523. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9523.

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In the Caribbean Basin the distribution and diversity patterns of deep-sea scleractinian corals and stylasterid hydrocorals are poorly known compared to their shallow-water relatives. In this study, we examined species distribution and community assembly patterns of scleractinian and stylasterid corals on three high-profile seamounts within the Anegada Passage, a deep-water throughway linking the Caribbean Sea and western North Atlantic. Using remotely operated vehicle surveys conducted on the E/V Nautilus by the ROV Hercules in 2014, we characterized coral assemblages and seawater environmental variables between 162 and 2,157 m on Dog Seamount, Conrad Seamount, and Noroît Seamount. In all, 13 morphospecies of scleractinian and stylasterid corals were identified from video with stylasterids being numerically more abundant than both colonial and solitary scleractinians. Cosmopolitan framework-forming species including Madrepora oculata and Solenosmilia variabilis were present but occurred in patchy distributions among the three seamounts. Framework-forming species occurred at or above the depth of the aragonite saturation horizon with stylasterid hydrocorals being the only coral taxon observed below Ωarag values of 1. Coral assemblage variation was found to be strongly associated with depth and aragonite saturation state, while other environmental variables exerted less influence. This study enhances our understanding of the factors that regulate scleractinian and stylasterid coral distribution in an underreported marginal sea and establishes a baseline for monitoring future environmental changes due to ocean acidification and deoxygenation in the tropical western Atlantic.

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Gori, A., C. Orejas, T. Madurell, L. Bramanti, M. Martins, E. Quintanilla, P. Marti-Puig, et al. "Bathymetrical distribution and size structure of cold-water coral populations in the Cap de Creus and Lacaze-Duthiers canyons (northwestern Mediterranean)." Biogeosciences Discussions 9, no. 12 (December 21, 2012): 19053–84. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bgd-9-19053-2012.

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Abstract. Submarine canyons are known as one of the seafloor morphological features where living cold-water coral (CWC) communities develop in the Mediterranean Sea. We investigated the CWC community of the two westernmost submarine canyons of the Gulf of Lions canyon system: the Cap de Creus Canyon (CCC) and Lacaze Duthiers Canyon (LDC). Coral associations have been studied through video material recorded by means of a manned submersible and a remotely operated vehicle. Video transects have been conducted and analyzed in order to obtain information on (1) coral bathymetric distribution and density patterns, (2) size structure of coral populations, and (3) coral colony orientation with respect to the substrate. Madrepora oculata was the most abundant CWC in both canyons, while Lophelia pertusa and Dendrophyllia cornigera mostly occurred as isolated colonies or in small patches. An important exception was detected in a vertical cliff in LDC where a large Lophelia pertusa framework was documented. This is the first record of such an extended L. pertusa framework in the Mediterranean Sea. In both canyons coral populations were dominated by medium and large colonies, but the frequent presence of small-sized colonies also indicate active recruitment. The predominant coral orientation with respect to the substrate (90° and 135°) is probably driven by the current regime as well as by the sediment load transported by the current flows. In general no clear differences were observed between the CWC populations from CCC and LDC, despite large differences in particulate matter between canyons.

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Schleinkofer, Nicolai, Jacek Raddatz, André Freiwald, David Evans, Lydia Beuck, Andres Rüggeberg, and Volker Liebetrau. "Environmental and biological controls on Na∕Ca ratios in scleractinian cold-water corals." Biogeosciences 16, no. 18 (September 20, 2019): 3565–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-3565-2019.

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Abstract. Here we present a comprehensive attempt to correlate aragonitic Na∕Ca ratios from Desmophyllum pertusum (formerly known as Lophelia pertusa), Madrepora oculata and a caryophylliid cold-water coral (CWC) species with different seawater parameters such as temperature, salinity and pH. Living CWC specimens were collected from 16 different locations and analyzed for their Na∕Ca ratios using solution-based inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) measurements. The results reveal no apparent correlation with salinity (30.1–40.57 g kg−1) but a significant inverse correlation with temperature (-0.31±0.04 mmolmol-1∘C-1). Other marine aragonitic organisms such as Mytilus edulis (inner aragonitic shell portion) and Porites sp. exhibit similar results highlighting the consistency of the calculated CWC regressions. Corresponding Na∕Mg ratios show a similar temperature sensitivity to Na∕Ca ratios, but the combination of two ratios appears to reduce the impact of vital effects and domain-dependent geochemical variation. The high degree of scatter and elemental heterogeneities between the different skeletal features in both Na∕Ca and Na∕Mg, however, limit the use of these ratios as a proxy and/or make a high number of samples necessary. Additionally, we explore two models to explain the observed temperature sensitivity of Na∕Ca ratios for an open and semi-enclosed calcifying space based on temperature-sensitive Na- and Ca-pumping enzymes and transport proteins that change the composition of the calcifying fluid and consequently the skeletal Na∕Ca ratio.

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Sabatier, P., J. L. Reyss, J. M. Hall-Spencer, C. Colin, N. Frank, N. Tisnérat-Laborde, L. Bordier, and E. Douville. "210Pb-226Ra chronology reveals rapid growth rate of Madrepora oculata and Lophelia pertusa on world's largest cold-water coral reef." Biogeosciences 9, no. 3 (March 30, 2012): 1253–65. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-9-1253-2012.

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Abstract. Here we show the use of the 210Pb-226Ra excess method to determine the growth rate of two corals from the world's largest known cold-water coral reef, Røst Reef, north of the Arctic circle off Norway. Colonies of each of the two species that build the reef, Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata, were collected alive at 350 m depth using a submersible. Pb and Ra isotopes were measured along the major growth axis of both specimens using low level alpha and gamma spectrometry and trace element compositions were studied. 210Pb and 226Ra differ in the way they are incorporated into coral skeletons. Hence, to assess growth rates, we considered the exponential decrease of initially incorporated 210Pb, as well as the increase in 210Pb from the decay of 226Ra and contamination with 210Pb associated with Mn-Fe coatings that we were unable to remove completely from the oldest parts of the skeletons. 226Ra activity was similar in both coral species, so, assuming constant uptake of 210Pb through time, we used the 210Pb-226Ra chronology to calculate growth rates. The 45.5 cm long branch of M. oculata was 31 yr with an average linear growth rate of 14.4 ± 1.1 mm yr−1 (2.6 polyps per year). Despite cleaning, a correction for Mn-Fe oxide contamination was required for the oldest part of the colony; this correction corroborated our radiocarbon date of 40 yr and a mean growth rate of 2 polyps yr−1. This rate is similar to the one obtained in aquarium experiments under optimal growth conditions. For the 80 cm-long L. pertusa colony, metal-oxide contamination remained in both the middle and basal part of the coral skeleton despite cleaning, inhibiting similar age and growth rate estimates. The youngest part of the colony was free of metal oxides and this 15 cm section had an estimated a growth rate of 8 mm yr−1, with high uncertainty (~1 polyp every two to three years). We are less certain of this 210Pb growth rate estimate which is within the lowermost ranges of previous growth rate estimates. We show that 210Pb-226Ra dating can be successfully applied to determine the age and growth rate of framework-forming cold-water corals if Mn-Fe oxide deposits can be removed. Where metal oxides can be removed, large M. oculata and L. pertusa skeletons provide archives for studies of intermediate water masses with an up to annual time resolution and spanning over many decades.

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Arnaud-Haond, S., I. M. J. Van den Beld, R. Becheler, C. Orejas, L. Menot, N. Frank, A. Grehan, and J. F. Bourillet. "Two “pillars” of cold-water coral reefs along Atlantic European margins: Prevalent association of Madrepora oculata with Lophelia pertusa , from reef to colony scale." Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography 145 (November 2017): 110–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2015.07.013.

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Gori, A., C. Orejas, T. Madurell, L. Bramanti, M. Martins, E. Quintanilla, P. Marti-Puig, et al. "Bathymetrical distribution and size structure of cold-water coral populations in the Cap de Creus and Lacaze-Duthiers canyons (northwestern Mediterranean)." Biogeosciences 10, no. 3 (March 25, 2013): 2049–60. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-2049-2013.

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Abstract. Submarine canyons are known as one of the seafloor morphological features where living cold-water coral (CWC) communities develop in the Mediterranean Sea. We investigated the CWC community of the two westernmost submarine canyons of the Gulf of Lions canyon system: the Cap de Creus Canyon (CCC) and Lacaze-Duthiers Canyon (LDC). Coral associations have been studied through video material recorded by means of a manned submersible and a remotely operated vehicle. Video transects have been conducted and analyzed in order to obtain information on (1) coral bathymetric distribution and density patterns, (2) size structure of coral populations, and (3) coral colony position with respect to the substrate. Madrepora oculata was the most abundant CWC in both canyons, while Lophelia pertusa and Dendrophyllia cornigera mostly occurred as isolated colonies or in small patches. An important exception was detected in a vertical cliff in LDC where a large L. pertusa framework was documented. This is the first record of such an extended L. pertusa framework in the Mediterranean Sea. In both canyons coral populations were dominated by medium and large colonies, but the frequent presence of small-sized colonies also indicate active recruitment. The predominant coral orientation (90° and 135°) is probably driven by the current regime as well as by the sediment load transported by the current flows. In general, no clear differences were observed in the abundance and in the size structure of the CWC populations between CCC and LDC, despite large differences in particulate matter between canyons.

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Bertolino, M., S. Ricci, S. Canese, A. Cau, G. Bavestrello, M. Pansini, and M. Bo. "Diversity of the sponge fauna associated with white coral banks from two Sardinian canyons (Mediterranean Sea)." Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 99, no. 8 (November 12, 2019): 1735–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315419000948.

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AbstractThe three-dimensional coral scaffolds formed by the skeletons of the cold-water corals Madrepora oculata and Lophelia pertusa represent an important deep-sea hard substratum and create an optimal shelter for a rich associated fauna in which the contribution of Porifera has still not been fully considered. The taxonomic analysis of sponges collected from two Sardinian canyons (Nora and Coda Cavallo, 256–408 m) and associated with the dead coral matrix resulted in 28 species, including new records for the Mediterranean Sea, Italian fauna or Central Tyrrhenian Sea. In addition, for many species this is the first finding associated with the coral framework or the first documentation of the in situ morphology. The taxonomic comparison with sponge assemblages associated with coral frameworks from Santa Maria di Leuca, Strait of Sicily and Bari Canyon, gave the opportunity to evaluate the similarities among geographically separated banks. Overall, the percentage of exclusive species (recorded only in one site), is very high (81%) and only one species is shared by all four sites, suggesting a low connectivity among the sponge communities. The percentage of shared species is higher for the Maltese community, supporting the role of the Sicily Channel as a crossroads between the communities of the eastern and western Mediterranean basins. Here, 55% of the sponges associated to the coral framework are also reported in shallow-water coralligenous assemblages, indicating a high bathymetric connectivity as well as an ecological plasticity allowing these species to occupy a wide range of small, dark refuges.

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Sabatier, P., J. L. Reyss, J. M. Hall-Spencer, C. Colin, N. Frank, N. Tisnérat-Laborde, L. Bordier, and E. Douville. "210Pb-226Ra chronology reveals rapid growth rate of Madrepora oculata and Lophelia pertusa on world's largest cold-water coral reef." Biogeosciences Discussions 8, no. 6 (December 21, 2011): 12247–83. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bgd-8-12247-2011.

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Abstract. Here we show the use of the 210Pb-226Ra excess method to determine the growth rate of corals from one of the world's largest known cold-water coral reef, the Røst Reef off Norway. Two large branching framework-forming cold-water coral specimens, one Lophelia pertusa and one Madrepora oculata were collected alive at 350 m water depth from the Røst Reef at ~67° N and ~9° E. Pb and Ra isotopes were measured along the major growth axis of both specimens using low level alpha and gamma spectrometry and the corals trace element compositions were studied using ICP-QMS. Due to the different chemical behaviors of Pb and Ra in the marine environment, 210Pb and 226Ra were not incorporated the same way into the aragonite skeleton of those two cold-water corals. Thus to assess of the growth rates of both specimens we have here taken in consideration the exponential decrease of initially incorporated 210Pb as well as the ingrowth of 210Pb from the decay of 226Ra. Moreover a~post-depositional 210Pb incorporation is found in relation to the Mn-Fe coatings that could not be entirely removed from the oldest parts of the skeletons. The 226Ra activities in both corals were fairly constant, then assuming constant uptake of 210Pb through time the 210Pb-226Ra chronology can be applied to calculate linear growth rate. The 45.5 cm long branch of M. oculata reveals an age of 31 yr and a~linear growth rate of 14.4 ± 1.1 mm yr−1, i.e. 2.6 polyps per year. However, a correction regarding a remaining post-depositional Mn-Fe oxide coating is needed for the base of the specimen. The corrected age tend to confirm the radiocarbon derived basal age of 40 yr (using 14C bomb peak) with a mean growth rate of 2 polyps yr−1. This rate is similar to the one obtained in Aquaria experiments under optimal growth conditions. For the 80 cm-long specimen of L. pertusa a remaining contamination of metal-oxides is observed for the middle and basal part of the coral skeleton, inhibiting similar accurate age and growth rate estimates. However, the youngest branch was free of Mn enrichment and this 15 cm section reveals a growth rate of 8 mm yr−1 (~1 polyp every two to three years). However, the 210Pb growth rate estimate is within the lowermost ranges of previous growth rate estimates and may thus reflect that the coral was not developing at optimal growth conditions. Overall, 210Pb-226Ra dating can be successfully applied to determine the age and growth rate of framework-forming cold-water corals, however, removal of post-depositional Mn-Fe oxide deposits is a prerequisite. If successful, large branching M. oculata and L. pertusa coral skeletons provide unique oceanographic archive for studies of intermediate water environmentals with an up to annual time resolution and spanning over many decades.

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Dubois-Dauphin, Quentin, Paolo Montagna, Giuseppe Siani, Eric Douville, Claudia Wienberg, Dierk Hebbeln, Zhifei Liu, et al. "Hydrological variations of the intermediate water masses of the western Mediterranean Sea during the past 20 ka inferred from neodymium isotopic composition in foraminifera and cold-water corals." Climate of the Past 13, no. 1 (January 10, 2017): 17–37. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/cp-13-17-2017.

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Abstract. We present the neodymium isotopic composition (εNd) of mixed planktonic foraminifera species from a sediment core collected at 622 m water depth in the Balearic Sea, as well as εNd of scleractinian cold-water corals (CWC; Madrepora oculata, Lophelia pertusa) retrieved between 280 and 442 m water depth in the Alboran Sea and at 414 m depth in the southern Sardinian continental margin. The aim is to constrain hydrological variations at intermediate depths in the western Mediterranean Sea during the last 20 kyr. Planktonic (Globigerina bulloides) and benthic (Cibicidoides pachyderma) foraminifera from the Balearic Sea were also analyzed for stable oxygen (δ18O) and carbon (δ13C) isotopes. The foraminiferal and coral εNd values from the Balearic and Alboran seas are comparable over the last ∼ 13 kyr, with mean values of −8.94 ± 0.26 (1σ; n = 24) and −8.91 ± 0.18 (1σ; n = 25), respectively. Before 13 ka BP, the foraminiferal εNd values are slightly lower (−9.28 ± 0.15) and tend to reflect higher mixing between intermediate and deep waters, which are characterized by more unradiogenic εNd values. The slight εNd increase after 13 ka BP is associated with a decoupling in the benthic foraminiferal δ13C composition between intermediate and deeper depths, which started at ∼ 16 ka BP. This suggests an earlier stratification of the water masses and a subsequent reduced contribution of unradiogenic εNd from deep waters. The CWC from the Sardinia Channel show a much larger scatter of εNd values, from −8.66 ± 0.30 to −5.99 ± 0.50, and a lower average (−7.31 ± 0.73; n = 19) compared to the CWC and foraminifera from the Alboran and Balearic seas, indicative of intermediate waters sourced from the Levantine basin. At the time of sapropel S1 deposition (10.2 to 6.4 ka), the εNd values of the Sardinian CWC become more unradiogenic (−8.38 ± 0.47; n = 3 at ∼ 8.7 ka BP), suggesting a significant contribution of intermediate waters originated from the western basin. We propose that western Mediterranean intermediate waters replaced the Levantine Intermediate Water (LIW), and thus there was a strong reduction of the LIW during the mid-sapropel ( ∼ 8.7 ka BP). This observation supports a notable change of Mediterranean circulation pattern centered on sapropel S1 that needs further investigation to be confirmed.

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Oppelt, Alexandra, Matthias López Correa, and Carlos Rocha. "Biogeochemical analysis of the calcification patterns of cold-water corals Madrepora oculata and Lophelia pertusa along contact surfaces with calcified tubes of the symbiotic polychaete Eunice norvegica: Evaluation of a ‘mucus’ calcification hypothesis." Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers 127 (September 2017): 90–104. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2017.08.006.

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Wienberg, C., P. Wintersteller, L. Beuck, and D. Hebbeln. "Coral Patch seamount (NE Atlantic) – a sedimentological and macrofaunal reconnaissance based on video and hydroacoustic surveys." Biogeosciences Discussions 9, no. 12 (December 19, 2012): 18707–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bgd-9-18707-2012.

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Abstract. The present study provides new knowledge about the so far largely unexplored Coral Patch seamount which is located in the NE Atlantic Ocean half-way between the Iberian Peninsula and Madeira. For the first time a detailed hydroacoustic mapping (MBES) in conjunction with video surveys (ROV, camera sled) were performed to describe the sedimentological and biological characteristics of this sub-elliptical ENE-WSW elongated seamount. Video observations were restricted to the south-western summit area of Coral Patch seamount (area: ~ 8 km2, water depth: 560–760 m) and revealed that this part of the summit is dominated by exposed hard substrate, whereas soft sediment is just a minor substrate component. Although exposed hardgrounds are dominant for this summit area, and thus, offer suitable habitat for settlement by benthic organisms, the macrofauna shows rather low abundance and diversity. In particular, scleractinian framework-building cold-water corals are apparently rare with very few isolated and small-sized live occurrences of the species Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata. In contrast, dead coral framework and coral rubble are more frequent pointing to a higher abundance of cold-water corals on Coral Patch during the recent past. This is even supported by the observation of fishing lines that got entangled with rather fresh-looking coral frameworks. Overall, long lines and various species of commercially important fish were frequently observed emphasising the potential of Coral Patch as an important target for fisheries that may have impacted the entire benthic community. Hydroacoustic seabed classification covered the entire summit of Coral Patch and its northern and southern flanks (area: 560 km2; water depth: 560–2660 m) and revealed extended areas dominated by mixed and soft sediments at the northern flank and to a minor degree at its easternmost summit and southern flank. Nevertheless, also these data predict most of the summit area to be dominated by exposed bedrock which would offer suitable habitat for benthic organisms. By comparing the locally restricted video observations and the broad-scale monitoring of a much larger and deeper seafloor area as derived by hydroacoustic seabed classification, it becomes obvious that habitat information obtained by in situ sampling may provide a rather scattered pattern about the entire seamount ecosystem. Solely with a combination of both methods, a satisfactory approach to describe the diverse characteristics of a seamount ecosystem can be derived which is in turn indispensable for future scientific monitoring campaigns as well as management and conservation purposes.

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Wienberg, C., P. Wintersteller, L. Beuck, and D. Hebbeln. "Coral Patch seamount (NE Atlantic) – a sedimentological and megafaunal reconnaissance based on video and hydroacoustic surveys." Biogeosciences 10, no. 5 (May 27, 2013): 3421–43. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-3421-2013.

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Abstract. The present study provides new knowledge about the so far largely unexplored Coral Patch seamount which is located in the NE Atlantic Ocean half-way between the Iberian Peninsula and Madeira. For the first time a detailed hydroacoustic mapping (MBES) in conjunction with video surveys (ROV, camera sled) were performed to describe the sedimentological and biological characteristics of this sub-elliptical ENE-WSW elongated seamount. Video observations were restricted to the southwestern summit area of Coral Patch seamount (water depth: 560–760 m) and revealed that this part of the summit is dominated by exposed hard substrate, whereas soft sediment is just a minor substrate component. Although exposed hardgrounds are dominant for this summit area and, thus, offer suitable habitat for settlement by benthic organisms, the benthic megafauna shows rather scarce occurrence. In particular, scleractinian framework-building cold-water corals are apparently rare with very few isolated and small-sized live occurrences of the species Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata. In contrast, dead coral framework and coral rubble are more frequent pointing to a higher abundance of cold-water corals on Coral Patch during the recent past. This is even supported by the observation of fishing lines that got entangled with rather fresh-looking coral frameworks. Overall, long lines and various species of commercially important fish were frequently observed emphasising the potential of Coral Patch as an important target for fisheries that may have impacted the entire benthic community. Hydroacoustic seabed classification covered the entire summit of Coral Patch and its northern and southern flanks (water depth: 560–2660 m) and revealed extended areas dominated by mixed and soft sediments at the northern flank and to a minor degree at its easternmost summit and southern flank. Nevertheless, these data also predict most of the summit area to be dominated by exposed bedrock which would offer suitable habitat for benthic organisms. By comparing the locally restricted video observations and the broad-scale monitoring of a much larger and deeper seafloor area as derived by hydroacoustic seabed classification, it becomes obvious that habitat information obtained by in situ sampling may provide a rather scattered pattern about the entire seamount ecosystem. Solely with a combination of both methods, a satisfactory approach to describe the diverse characteristics of a seamount ecosystem can be derived which is in turn indispensable for future scientific monitoring campaigns as well as management and conservation purposes.

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Addamo, Anna M., Melinda S. Modrell, Marco Taviani, and Annie Machordom. "Unravelling the relationships among Madrepora Linnaeus, 1758, Oculina Lamark, 1816 and Cladocora Ehrenberg, 1834 (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Scleractinia)." Invertebrate Systematics 38, no. 4 (April 29, 2024). http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/is23027.

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Despite the widespread use of integrative taxonomic approaches, many scleractinian coral genera and species remain grouped in polyphyletic families, classified as incertae sedis or simply understudied. Oculinidae Gray, 1847 represents a family for which many taxonomic questions remain unresolved, particularly those related to some of the current genera, such as Oculina Lamark, 1816 or recently removed genera, including Cladocora Ehrenberg, 1834 and Madrepora Linnaeus, 1758. Cladocora is currently assigned to the family Cladocoridae Milne Edwards & Haime, 1857 and a new family, Bathyporidae Kitahara, Capel, Zilberberg & Cairns, 2024, was recently raised to accommodate Madrepora. However, the name Bathyporidae is not valid because this was not formed on the basis of a type genus name. To resolve taxonomic questions related to these three genera, the evolutionary relationships are explored through phylogenetic analyses of 18 molecular markers. The results of these analyses support a close relationship between the species Oculina patagonica and Cladocora caespitosa, indicating that these may belong to the same family (and possibly genus), and highlighting the need for detailed revisions of Oculina and Cladocora. By contrast, a distant relationship is found between these two species and Madrepora oculata, with the overall evidence supporting the placement of Madrepora in the resurrected family Madreporidae Ehrenberg, 1834. This study advances our knowledge of coral systematics and highlights the need for a comprehensive review of the genera Oculina, Cladocora and Madrepora.

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Orejas, Covadonga, Claudia Wienberg, Jürgen Titschack, Leonardo Tamborrino, André Freiwald, and Dierk Hebbeln. "Madrepora oculata forms large frameworks in hypoxic waters off Angola (SE Atlantic)." Scientific Reports 11, no. 1 (July 26, 2021). http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-94579-6.

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AbstractThis study aims to map the occurrence and distribution of Madrepora oculata and to quantify density and colony sizes across recently discovered coral mounds off Angola. Despite the fact that the Angolan populations of M. oculata thrive under extreme hypoxic conditions within the local oxygen minimum zone, they reveal colonies with remarkable heights of up to 1250 mm—which are the tallest colonies ever recorded for this species—and average densities of 0.53 ± 0.37 (SD) colonies m−2. This is particularly noteworthy as these values are comparable to those documented in areas without any oxygen constraints. The results of this study show that the distribution pattern documented for M. oculata appear to be linked to the specific regional environmental conditions off Angola, which have been recorded in the direct vicinity of the thriving coral community. Additionally, an estimated average colony age of 95 ± 76 (SD) years (total estimated age range: 16–369 years) indicates relatively old M. oculata populations colonizing the Angolan coral mounds. Finally, the characteristics of the Angolan populations are benchmarked and discussed in the light of the existing knowledge on M. oculata gained from the North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea.

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Wang, Maoyu, Kuidong Xu, Tao Li, Laura F. Robinson, Yuanyuan Liu, Qingfeng Shao, Gaojun Li, and Tianyu Chen. "The mineralization and early diagenesis of deep-sea coral Madrepora oculata." Chemical Geology, June 2022, 120966. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2022.120966.

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Chapron, Leila, Pierre E. Galand, Audrey M. Pruski, Erwan Peru, Gilles Vétion, Sarah Robin, and Franck Lartaud. "Resilience of cold-water coral holobionts to thermal stress." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 288, no. 1965 (December 15, 2021). http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.2117.

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Cold-water corals are threatened by global warming, especially in the Mediterranean Sea where they live close to their upper known thermal limit (i.e. 13°C), yet their response to rising temperatures is not well known. Here, temperature effects on Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata holobionts (i.e. the host and its associated microbiome) were investigated. We found that at warmer seawater temperature (+2°C), L. pertusa showed a modification of its microbiome prior to a change in behaviour, leading to lower energy reserves and skeletal growth, whereas M. oculata was more resilient. At extreme temperature (+4°C), both species quickly lost their specific bacterial signature followed by lower physiological activity prior to death. In addition, our results showing the holobionts' negative response to colder temperatures (−3°C), suggest that Mediterranean corals live close to their thermal optimum. The species-specific response to temperature change highlights that global warming may affect dramatically the main deep-sea reef-builders, which would alter the associated biodiversity and related ecosystem services.

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Jensen, Sigmund, Martin Hovland, Michael D. J. Lynch, and David G. Bourne. "Diversity of deep-water coral-associated bacteria and comparison across depth gradients." FEMS Microbiology Ecology 95, no. 7 (June 18, 2019). http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiz091.

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ABSTRACTEnvironmental conditions influence species composition, including the microbial communities that associate with benthic organisms such as corals. In this study we identified and compared bacteria that associate with three common deep-water corals, Lophelia pertusa, Madrepora oculata and Paragorgia arborea, from a reef habitat on the mid-Norwegian shelf. The 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing data obtained revealed that >50% of sequences were represented by only five operational taxonomic units. Three were host-specific and unclassified below class level, belonging to Alphaproteobacteria with affiliation to members of the Rhizobiales order (L. pertusa), Flavobacteria affiliated with members of the Elisabethkingia genus (M. oculata) and Mollicutes sequences affiliated with the Mycoplasma genus (P. arborea). In addition, gammaproteobacterial sequences within the genera Sulfitobacter and Oleispira were found across all three deep-water coral taxa. Although highly abundant in the coral microbiomes, these sequences accounted for <0.1% of the surrounding bacterioplankton, supporting specific relationships. We combined this information with previous studies, undertaking a meta-data analysis of 165 widespread samples across coral hosts and habitats. Patterns in bacterial diversity indicated enrichment of distinct uncultured species in coral microbiomes that differed among deep (>200 m), mesophotic (30–200 m) and shallow (<30 m) reefs.

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Da Ros, Zaira, Antonio Dell’Anno, Emanuela Fanelli, Lorenzo Angeletti, Marco Taviani, and Roberto Danovaro. "Food Preferences of Mediterranean Cold-Water Corals in Captivity." Frontiers in Marine Science 9 (July 22, 2022). http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.867656.

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Cold-water coral (CWC) systems are hotspots of biodiversity that need protection from the increasing human impacts and global climate change. The restoration of degraded cold-water coral reefs may be conducted through transplantation of nubbins. To do so, we need to set up the optimal conditions for CWCs livelihood in an aquarium setting. Here we investigated the food selection of three cold-water coral species inhabiting the NE Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea to identify the optimal feeding conditions to rear corals, by means of stable isotope analysis (δ15N and δ13C) and of prey-capture rates. Colonies of Desmophyllum pertusum, Madrepora oculata and Dendrophyllia cornigera were collected in the Mediterranean Sea and nourished in mesocosms with a) nauplii of Artemia salina, b) the green algae Tetraselmis subcordiformis, c) two rotifer species (Brachionus plicatilisand B. rotundiformis) and d) mysids of the species Mysis relicta. Prey-capture rates coupled with isotope analysis revealed that M. relictawas the preferred food source even if it was provided as a frozen item, followed by the live-items A. salina and Brachionus spp. Isotopic analyses allowed to determine that Particulate Organic Matter (POM) appears to contribe to a large portion of the isotopic composition of the coral tissue and also suggested that M. oculata has the most opportunistic behaviour among the three target coral species. This study confirms that it is possible to optimize CWCs livelihood in aquaria choosing the right food sources during their maintenance, also in preparation to their transplant in degraded habitats during future projects of active restoration.

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Tong, Ruiju, Andrew J. Davies, Chris Yesson, Jinsongdi Yu, Yuan Luo, Ling Zhang, and Julian M. Burgos. "Environmental drivers and the distribution of cold-water corals in the global ocean." Frontiers in Marine Science 10 (October 13, 2023). http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1217851.

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Species distribution models (SDMs) are useful tools for describing and predicting the distribution of marine species in data-limited environments. Outputs from SDMs have been used to identify areas for spatial management, analyzing trawl closures, quantitatively measuring the risk of bottom trawling, and evaluating protected areas for improving conservation and management. Cold-water corals are globally distributed habitat-forming organisms that are vulnerable to anthropogenic impacts and climate change, but data deficiency remains an ongoing issue for the effective spatial management of these important ecosystem engineers. In this study, we constructed 11 environmental seabed variables at 500 m resolution based on the latest multi-depth global datasets and high-resolution bathymetry. An ensemble species distribution modeling method was used to predict the global habitat suitability for 10 widespread cold-water coral species, namely, 6 Scleractinian framework-forming species and 4 large gorgonian species. Temperature, depth, salinity, terrain ruggedness index, carbonate saturation state, and chlorophyll were the most important factors in determining the global distributions of these species. The Scleractinian Madrepora oculata showed the widest niche breadth, while most other species demonstrated somewhat limited niche breadth. The shallowest study species, Oculina varicosa, had the most distinctive niche of the group. The model outputs from this study represent the highest-resolution global predictions for these species to date and are valuable in aiding the management, conservation, and continued research into cold-water coral species.

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Bialik, Or M., Andrea Giulia Varzi, Ruth Durán, Timothy Le Bas, Adam Gauci, Alessandra Savini, and Aaron Micallef. "Mesophotic Depth Biogenic Accumulations (“Biogenic Mounds”) Offshore the Maltese Islands, Central Mediterranean Sea." Frontiers in Marine Science 9 (February 25, 2022). http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.803687.

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The mesophotic domain is a poorly explored part of the oceans, notably in the Mediterranean Sea. Benthic communities in these depths are not well documented and as such are under higher risk from anthropogenic impacts. Hard substrate habitats in this depth window are not common and are a key ecotope. The Malta Plateau in the central Mediterranean, which is characterized by low sedimentation rates, offers a potentially unexplored domain for these features. Bathymetric and backscatter data offshore of the eastern coast of the island of Malta were used to identify > 1,700 small structures in mesophotic depths. These structures were verified to be biogenic mounds by dives. The mounds extend from several meters to tens of meters in diameter and occur in two main depth windows −40 to 83 meters below present sea level (mbpsl) and 83–120 mbpsl—each formed probably in a different stage during the last glacial cycle. The mounds are composed of interlocking bioconstruction by encrusting organisms and are colonized by sponges and various cold water corals (most of which are protected; e.g., Madrepora oculata). This unique and important habitat is currently under grave threat by human activity, most immediately by trawling and anchoring activity.

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Tong, Ruiju, Chris Yesson, Jinsongdi Yu, Yuan Luo, and Ling Zhang. "Key factors for species distribution modeling in benthic marine environments." Frontiers in Marine Science 10 (December 4, 2023). http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1222382.

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Species distribution modeling is a widely used technique for estimating the potential habitats of target organisms based on their environmental preferences. These methods serve as valuable tools for resource managers and conservationists, and their utilization is increasing, particularly in marine environments where data limitations persist as a challenge. In this study, we employed the global distribution predictions of six cold-water coral species as a case study to investigate various factors influencing predictions, including modeling algorithms, background points sampling strategies and sizes, and the collinearity of environmental datasets, using both discriminative and functional performance metrics. The choice of background sampling method exhibits a stronger influence on model performance compared to the effects of modeling algorithms, background point sampling size, and the collinearity of the environmental dataset. Predictions that utilize kernel density backgrounds, maintain an equal number of presences and background points for algorithms of BRT, RF, and MARS, and employ a substantial number of background points for MAXENT, coupled with a collinearity-filtered environmental dataset in species distribution modeling, yield higher levels of discriminative and functional performance. Overall, BRT and RF outperformed MAXENT, a conclusion that is further substantiated by the analysis of smoothed residuals and the uncertainty associated with the predicted habitat suitability of Madrepora oculata. This study offers valuable insights for enhancing species distribution modeling in marine benthic environments, thereby benefiting resource management and conservation strategies for benthic species.

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Bavestrello, Giorgio, Federico Betti, Lucio Calcagnile, Martina Canessa, Marina D’Elia, Gianluca Quarta, and Marzia Bo. "The paleo-community of the Sciacca red coral." Facies 69, no. 2 (April 2023). http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10347-023-00665-8.

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AbstractThe sub-fossil red coral deposits of Sciacca (Sicily Channel) have attracted scientific attention for nearly 150 years. Their origin and formation have been long questioned and investigated, given the fact that they represent one of the most intriguing geobiological events ever to occur in the Mediterranean basin. Less attention was given to the paleo-community associated with the sub-fossil coral. Radiocarbon age determinations, in particular, were provided only for red coral, neglecting the possibility of understanding which species were simultaneously present in the coralline paleo-community and which was their role. The study of cemented coral rubble pieces revealed that Corallium rubrum covered the largest time interval (more than 3000 years) and was contemporary to many secondary epibionts over two millennia and to Madrepora oculata for about 500 years; this last finding suggested that an uncommon co-dominance between the two structuring species occurred in the nearby living communities. The lack of Fe–Mg deposits on the cemented coral rubbles coupled with the low bioerosion rate of the red coral skeletons by the demosponge Siphonodictyon coralliirubri (assessed through the analysis of the erosive paleo-scars) suggested that the deposits met with a rapid sediment cover-up. Moreover, for the first time, the analysis of a piece of cemented coral rubble of sub-fossil red coral coming from Sardinian waters confirmed that, albeit to a lesser extent, the conditions favouring the preservation of dead corals can occur also in different localities far from Sciacca.

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Bo, Marzia, Francesco Enrichetti, Federico Betti, Guido Gay, Gianluca Quarta, Lucio Calcagnile, and Giorgio Bavestrello. "The cold-water coral province of the eastern Ligurian Sea (NW Mediterranean Sea): historical and novel evidences." Frontiers in Marine Science 10 (July 25, 2023). http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1114417.

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Several bathyal cold-water coral provinces, characterized by a lush growth of habitat-forming scleractinians, have been recognized in the Mediterranean Sea. However, the search for this biogenic habitat only marginally targeted the Italian coast of the Ligurian Sea (NW Mediterranean basin) despite historical and a few recent local studies in the region reporting the presence of corals. This study used bathymetry maps, side-scan sonar profiles, historical charts, and trawling routes to identify sites that could potentially host coral habitats in the eastern sector of the Ligurian Sea. Remotely operated vehicle video footage from various projects (2015-2021, 20 dives) was then used to characterize four sub-areas (Genoa Plateau, Portofino, Deiva Marina, and Monterosso) where corals were detected between 450 m and 750 m depth. Radiocarbon dating was used to trace back the geological history of the coral structures. A small coral mound, impacted by trawling activities, was found on the Genoa Plateau, while four massive coral structures were found in the other sub-areas, mainly located in a morphologically complex and highly energetic canyon region. High levels of megafaunal biodiversity, including rarely reported alcyonaceans as Placogorgia coronata, were observed together with moderate fishing impact. Overall, the identified coral areas potentially account for 9 km2 of both subfossil mounds (as old as 13300 years BP), dominated by Desmophyllum pertusum, and living reefs, dominated by Madrepora oculata, the latter representing up to 23% of the substrate coverage. The few living colonies of D. pertusum in the area represent the first documented records for the Ligurian Sea. These data support the presence of a distinct eastern Ligurian cold-water coral province.

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Pires, Débora De Oliveira. "Recifes de Coral de Profundidade: Corais Construtores e sua Distribuição no Brasil." Brazilian Journal of Aquatic Science and Technology 19, no. 3 (November 11, 2016). http://dx.doi.org/10.14210/bjast.v19n3.4704.

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Deep-sea coral reefs and coral habitats are hotspots of biodiversity and provide numerous resources for fishing, bioprospecting and science. The deep-water coral reefs and coral aggregates were first discovered in locations off the coast of Norway, in 1865. The increase of commercial operations in deep waters, and the use of advanced technology in offshore areas have revealed the true scale of deep-sea coral ecosystems of Europe, until then virtually unknown. From the 1990’s, there was a considerable increase in the number of important scientific contributions on deep-sea coral habitats. So, today is known that the occurrence of coral reefs is not restricted to shallow waters of tropical and subtropical regions and that there are deep-sea coral reefs spread out of the world, including Brazil. The goal of this study was to indicate the existence of potential areas of deep-sea coral reefs/habitats along the Brazilian coast, from records of occurrence of coral reef builders species (Lophelia pertusa, Madrepora oculata, Solenosmilia variabilis, Dendrophyllia alternata and Enallopsammia rostrata). The examination of the records/specimens demonstrated an extensive and almost continuous latitudinal distribution of the coral species along the Brazilian coast. Fishing is the main cause of impact to deep-sea coral reefs in several regions of the world. For more than a decade the deep demersal fishing has been held in Brazil and the extent of the impact caused by fishing nets, used by the boats close to the reefs, is unknown. The data presented here provide a contribution not only to the scientific community, but also to the decision makers regarding the uses of areas of the Brazilian shelf and slope, which represent reservoirs of rich marine biodiversity.

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Appah, J. K. M., S. A. Lynch, A. Lim, R. O' Riordan, L. O'Reilly, L. de Oliveira, and A. J. Wheeler. "A health survey of the reef forming scleractinian cold-water corals Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata in a remote submarine canyon on the European continental margin, NE Atlantic." Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, June 2022, 107782. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2022.107782.

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Price, David M., Aaron Lim, Alexander Callaway, Markus P. Eichhorn, Andrew J. Wheeler, Claudio Lo Iacono, and Veerle A. I. Huvenne. "Fine-Scale Heterogeneity of a Cold-Water Coral Reef and Its Influence on the Distribution of Associated Taxa." Frontiers in Marine Science 8 (March 23, 2021). http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.556313.

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Benthic fauna form spatial patterns which are the result of both biotic and abiotic processes, which can be quantified with a range of landscape ecology descriptors. Fine- to medium-scale spatial patterns (<1–10 m) have seldom been quantified in deep-sea habitats, but can provide fundamental ecological insights into species’ niches and interactions. Cold-water coral reefs formed by Desmophyllum pertusum (syn. Lophelia pertusa) and Madrepora oculata are traditionally mapped and surveyed with multibeam echosounders and video transects, which limit the ability to achieve the resolution and/or coverage to undertake fine-scale, centimetric quantification of spatial patterns. However, photomosaics constructed from imagery collected with remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) are becoming a prevalent research tool and can reveal novel information at the scale of individual coral colonies. A survey using a downward facing camera mounted on a ROV traversed the Piddington Mound (Belgica Mound Province, NE Atlantic) in a lawnmower pattern in order to create 3D reconstructions of the reef with Structure-from-Motion techniques. Three high resolution orthorectified photomosaics and digital elevation models (DEM) >200 m2 were created and all organisms were geotagged in order to illustrate their point pattern. The pair correlation function was used to establish whether organisms demonstrated a clustered pattern (CP) at various scales. We further applied a point pattern modelling approach to identify four potential point patterns: complete spatial randomness (CSR), an inhomogeneous pattern influenced by environmental drivers, random clustered point pattern indicating biologically driven clustering and an inhomogeneous clustered point pattern driven by a combination of environmental drivers and biological effects. Reef framework presence and structural complexity determined inhabitant distribution with most organisms showing a departure from CSR. These CPs are likely caused by an affinity to local environmental drivers, growth patterns and restricted dispersion reproductive strategies within the habitat across a range of fine to medium scales. These data provide novel and detailed insights into fine-scale habitat heterogeneity, showing that non-random distributions are apparent and detectable at these fine scales in deep-sea habitats.

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Journal articles on the topic 'Madrepora oculata'

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