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Changes in the structure of a fish assemblage following macroalgal overgrowth on an Acanthaster-infested coral reef

Research Project

Project/Area Number 09660193
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section一般
Research Field General fisheries
Research InstitutionThe University of Tokyo

Principal Investigator

SANO Mitsuhiko  The University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Associate Professor, 大学院・農学生命科学研究科, 助教授 (50178810)

Project Period (FY) 1997 – 1999
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 1999)
Budget Amount *help
¥1,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,900,000)
Fiscal Year 1999: ¥600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000)
Fiscal Year 1998: ¥500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000)
Fiscal Year 1997: ¥800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000)
KeywordsDead corals / Macroalgal area / Acanthaster planci / Fish assemblage / オニヒトデ / 死滅サンゴ
Research Abstract

At Amitori Bay of Iriomote Island, one of the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, staghorn corals were completely killed with Acanthaster planci between 1981 and 1982. By 1986, all of the dead corals had collapsed drastically, and a flat plain of low-relief coral rubble remained. Since around 1994, a regular increase in the cover of erect fleshy macroalgae has occurred in an area at the plain, attaining about 36% cover in 1999, although some other areas have undergone recovery of corals. I examined, therefore, the patterns of responses of a fish assemblage to a large increase in macroalgae on a coral reef degraded by an outbreak of A. planci in October from 1997 to 1999.
Five transects 20 m long and I m wide were established on the macroalgal area and rubble area without erect algae. Fishes (adults and juveniles) on each transects were counted by direct observation.
The mean number of species of adults per transect showed no significant difference between the algal area and rubble area every year from 1997 to 1999. The mean number of adult individuals was significantly greater in the algal area than in the rubble area each year, but the density of the former area remained low. For juveniles, on the other hand, there were no significant differences between the two areas in the mean numbers of species and individuals each year. These facts suggest that dominance of reefs by macroalgae following extensive mortality of corals has only a little effect on the structure of fish assemblages.

Report

(4 results)
  • 1999 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report Summary
  • 1998 Annual Research Report
  • 1997 Annual Research Report
  • Research Products

    (3 results)

All Other

All Publications (3 results)

  • [Publications] Mitsuhiko Sano: "Stability of reef fish assemblages: responses to coral recovery after catastrophic predation by Acanthaster planci"Marine Ecology Progress Series. (印刷中). (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      1999 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Sano, Mitsuhiko: "Stability of reef fish assemblages : responses to coral recovery after catastrophic predation by Acanthaster planci."Marine Ecology Progress Series. (in press). (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      1999 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Mitsuhiko Sano: "Stability of reef fish assemblages : responses to coral recovery after catastrophic predation by Acanthaster planci"Marine Ecology Progress Series. (印刷中). (2000)

    • Related Report
      1999 Annual Research Report

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Published: 1997-04-01   Modified: 2016-04-21  

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