Concrete cubic frames and decommissioned steel naval vessels have been deployed in Thailand liber... more Concrete cubic frames and decommissioned steel naval vessels have been deployed in Thailand liberally to act as artificial substrates for coral restoration and marine recreation. We assessed recruitment at such substrate types at Koh Tao, Gulf of Thailand, and compared the community structure of scleractinian corals between artificial substrates and nearby natural reefs. Our results from a sample of 2677 recruits from nine sites highlighted significant differences in community structure between both reef types. Investigations of variables including time since deployment, distance from the natural reef, and seafloor depth revealed only the latter as a possible influencing factor. The diversity of recruits could not be explained by dynamics in coral spawning, and were found to represent groups with lower structural complexity. Our results suggest that coral community structure on artificial and natural reefs differs and supports distinct ecological and functional roles.
In 2016, the rural municipality of Toboso, Philippines, underwent its first assessment of coastal... more In 2016, the rural municipality of Toboso, Philippines, underwent its first assessment of coastal ecosystem health and diversity, as part of an effort by the municipal government and stakeholders to implement a Marine Protected Area. The present paper provides an in-depth comparison between an area currently proposed by the municipal body (PMPA) and an alternate area (AMPA) first proposed in 2016. Both areas show extensive differences across the entire data range, with the AMPA hosting a far greater total diversity of species, diversity of fish and corals and total hard coral cover. Additionally, the AMPA site supported greater numbers of ecologically and economically important fish and invertebrate fauna, though still showing indications of a heavily overfished ecosystem. Surveys were also carried out in local fish markets to assess the role of local coral reefs in the overall fishery at Toboso. These findings increase the total number of faunal taxa recorded from Toboso from 435 species to 589, and 73 species of marine associated flora. Also documented is the first record in the Philippines of the skeleton forming octocoral genus Nanipora.
Concrete cubic frames and decommissioned steel naval vessels have been deployed in Thailand liber... more Concrete cubic frames and decommissioned steel naval vessels have been deployed in Thailand liberally to act as artificial substrates for coral restoration and marine recreation. We assessed recruitment at such substrate types at Koh Tao, Gulf of Thailand, and compared the community structure of scleractinian corals between artificial substrates and nearby natural reefs. Our results from a sample of 2677 recruits from nine sites highlighted significant differences in community structure between both reef types. Investigations of variables including time since deployment, distance from the natural reef, and seafloor depth revealed only the latter as a possible influencing factor. The diversity of recruits could not be explained by dynamics in coral spawning, and were found to represent groups with lower structural complexity. Our results suggest that coral community structure on artificial and natural reefs differs and supports distinct ecological and functional roles.
In 2016, the rural municipality of Toboso, Philippines, underwent its first assessment of coastal... more In 2016, the rural municipality of Toboso, Philippines, underwent its first assessment of coastal ecosystem health and diversity, as part of an effort by the municipal government and stakeholders to implement a Marine Protected Area. The present paper provides an in-depth comparison between an area currently proposed by the municipal body (PMPA) and an alternate area (AMPA) first proposed in 2016. Both areas show extensive differences across the entire data range, with the AMPA hosting a far greater total diversity of species, diversity of fish and corals and total hard coral cover. Additionally, the AMPA site supported greater numbers of ecologically and economically important fish and invertebrate fauna, though still showing indications of a heavily overfished ecosystem. Surveys were also carried out in local fish markets to assess the role of local coral reefs in the overall fishery at Toboso. These findings increase the total number of faunal taxa recorded from Toboso from 435 species to 589, and 73 species of marine associated flora. Also documented is the first record in the Philippines of the skeleton forming octocoral genus Nanipora.
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Papers by Spencer Arnold