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High biomass and productivity of epifaunal invertebrates living amongst dead coral

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Abstract

Climate change is transforming coral reef structures, with important yet largely unknown consequences for reef food webs. Crustaceans, molluscs, polychaetes, and other small motile invertebrates living as epifauna on coral habitats represent an essential trophic link between primary producers and a diverse and abundant invertivorous fish fauna. Here, we investigate variation in assemblages of motile epifaunal invertebrates on live coral and dead coral heavily overgrown by turf algae. Sampling was conducted 2–3 years following mass bleaching within the study region at four locations broadly spanning the distribution of corals on the eastern seaboard of Australia—along the northern and central Great Barrier Reef, and, adjacent to the central east coast, the Solitary Islands and offshore Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs (> 2000 km total distance). Epifaunal assemblages differed significantly between live and dead ‘turf-covered’ coral habitats, with overall density, biomass, and productivity of epifauna more than an order of magnitude greater on dead than on live coral. The size structure and composition of assemblages also differed: turf-covered dead coral supported greater abundances of small animals than live coral, notably harpacticoid copepods, while live coral assemblages had proportionally greater abundances of larger decapods. A ten-fold increase in secondary productivity of motile invertebrates is predicted as live corals are replaced by turf-covered dead coral, however, this productivity will predominantly be available as small harpacticoid copepod prey (size range: 0.125–0.25 mm). Associated flow-on effects through reef food webs are likely, as changes to epifauna will directly affect invertivore communities, which in turn potentially influence larger carnivores and other functional groups.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by Australian Research Council grants to GJE and SDL, and an Australian Postgraduate Award to KMF. Fieldwork was additionally supported by Parks Australia and the Australian Museum’s Lizard Island Research Station. Epifaunal invertebrates were collected under the following marine park-specific permits: the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park—permit G18/40857.1; the Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Marine National Nature Reserve—permit CMR-18-000547; the Solitary Islands Marine Park—permits P17/0060-1.0 & OUT17/38264.

Funding

This research was funded by Australian Research Council grants: LP100200122 (GJE), and DP170104668 (GJE, SDL).

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  1. Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Taroona, TAS, 7053, Australia

    Kate M. Fraser, Rick D. Stuart-Smith, Scott D. Ling & Graham J. Edgar

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  1. Kate M. Fraser
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  2. Rick D. Stuart-Smith
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Contributions

KMF conducted fieldwork, processed samples, analysed data, and wrote the manuscript. GJE conceived the project and assisted sample identification. GJE and SDL received funding support and assisted with fieldwork and sample processing. All authors contributed to methodology and edited the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Kate M. Fraser.

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Animal ethics approval was not required for the research presented here, as the taxa studied were exempt from Australian animal ethics standards at the time of publication.

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Fraser, K.M., Stuart-Smith, R.D., Ling, S.D. et al. High biomass and productivity of epifaunal invertebrates living amongst dead coral. Mar Biol 168, 102 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-021-03911-1

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