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Impact of disease and detachment on growth and survivorship of sea fans Gorgonia ventalina

2009; Inter-Research; Volume: 393; Linguagem: Inglês

10.3354/meps08238

1616-1599

Carlos Toledo‐Hernández, Paul M. Yoshioka, Paul Bayman, A. M. Sabat,

Marine and coastal plant biology

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 393:47-54 (2009) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps08238 Impact of disease and detachment on growth and survivorship of sea fans Gorgonia ventalina Carlos Toledo-Hernández1,*, Paul Yoshioka2, Paul Bayman1, Alberto M. Sabat1 1Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras, PO Box 23360, San Juan 00931, Puerto Rico 2Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez, San Juan 00681, Puerto Rico *Email: c_toledo_hernandez@yahoo.com ABSTRACT: The importance of diseases of sea fans (Gorgonia spp.) is widely recognized; however, previous studies have not always distinguished between causes of mortality and differential effects of disease on different size clases of sea fans. In this study, mortality and net growth of healthy, purple-spotted and diseased Gorgonia ventalina colonies of small, medium and large size were estimated for 1 yr. Detachment occurred in all size and health categories. Mortality due to disease was exclusively observed in small colonies. Colony growth was influenced by health state and size. While medium and large colonies of all health states exhibited negligible net growth, small diseased colonies exhibited negative net growth. In this group, disease was an important cause of tissue loss, while in all 3 health states the main cause was fracture. Most healthy colonies that became diseased passed through the purple-spotted state. The rate at which purpled colonies returned to being healthy was double the rate at which they advanced to diseased, which then rarely recovered. Disease did not significantly impact growth or survivorship of medium and large colonies, but its effect on smaller fans is significant for populations because it reduces the transition to sizes that are reproductively active. KEY WORDS: Aspergillosis · Gorgonia ventalina · Growth rate · Mortality rate · coral diseases Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Toledo-Hernández C, Yoshioka P, Bayman P, Sabat AM (2009) Impact of disease and detachment on growth and survivorship of sea fans Gorgonia ventalina. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 393:47-54. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps08238Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 393. Online publication date: October 30, 2009 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2009 Inter-Research.