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Coral recruitment: a spatio-temporal analysis along the coastline of Eilat, northern Red Sea

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Abstract

Recruitment rates of stony corals to artificial substrates were monitored for 2 years at 20 sites along the coast of Eilat, northern Red Sea, to compare with those recorded at other coral reef locations and to assess variation in recruitment at several spatial scales. Coral recruitment was low compared to that observed on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, but was similar to levels reported from other high-latitude reef locations. Pocilloporids were the most abundant coral recruits in all seasons. Recruitment was twofold higher during the first year than during the second year of study. There was considerable spatial variability, with the largest proportion of variance, apart from the error term, attributable to differences between sites, at a scale of 102 m. Spearman’s ranked correlation showed consistency in spatial patterns of recruitment of pocilloporid corals between years, but not of acroporid corals. During spring, when only the brooding pocilloporid coral Stylophora pistillata reproduces at this locality, most coral recruitment occurred at central and southern sites adjacent to well-developed coral reefs. During summer, recruitment patterns varied significantly between years, with wide variation in the recruitment of broadcasting acroporid corals at northern sites located distant from coral reefs. Settlement was low at all sites during autumn and winter. This work is the first detailed analysis of coral recruitment patterns in the Red Sea, and contributes to the understanding of the spatial and temporal scales of variation in this important reef process.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the staff of the Interuniversity Institute for Marine Science for technical assistance, and the Nature Reserve Authority of Israel for permits to work in restricted areas. K. Tarnaruder and numerous volunteers assisted with the fieldwork. Comments by J. Wielgus, A. Genin, and two anonymous reviewers greatly improved the manuscript. Funding was provided by a graduate fellowship from the Faculty of Life Sciences at Bar Ilan University, an Internal Grant from the Research Authority of Bar Ilan University, and a grant from USAID-MERC through the Red Sea Marine Peace Park Program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Interuniversity Institute for Marine Science, P.O. Box 469, Eilat, Israel

    D. Glassom, D. Zakai & N. E. Chadwick-Furman

  2. Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel

    D. Glassom, D. Zakai & N. E. Chadwick-Furman

  3. Oceanographic Research Institute, P.O. Box 10712, Marine Parade, Durban 4059, South Africa

    D. Glassom

  4. Israel Nature and National Parks Protection Authority, P.O. Box 667, Eilat, Eilat District, Israel

    D. Zakai

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  1. D. Glassom
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Correspondence to N. E. Chadwick-Furman.

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Communicated by O. Kinne, Oldendorf/Luhe

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Glassom, D., Zakai, D. & Chadwick-Furman, N.E. Coral recruitment: a spatio-temporal analysis along the coastline of Eilat, northern Red Sea. Marine Biology 144, 641–651 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-003-1243-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-003-1243-0

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