Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Long-term changes in sediment type and cavernicolous bivalve assemblages in Daidokutsu submarine cave, Okinawa Islands: evidence from a new core extending over the past 7,000 years

  • Report
  • Published:
Coral Reefs Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We analyzed sediments and cavernicolous bivalve assemblages within cored sediments recovered from the Daidokutsu submarine limestone cave, which occurs in Pleistocene limestone on the fore-reef slope of Ie Island, off Okinawa, Japan. We found sand-sized brown grains within sediments aged 7,000–6,000 cal BP, and identified the grains as debris derived from a red soil layer developed in coastal zones around the Island. Temporal changes in the abundance of the debris suggest that water flow in the cave weakened at about 6,500 cal BP. Temporal changes in the cavernicolous bivalve assemblages indicate that the environmental conditions of the innermost cave area have gradually spread to the cave entrance over the past 5,000 years. These findings indicate that the filling of cavities within the reefal foundations of the cave has continued over time, resulting in a progressive decrease in the flux of water between the interior and exterior parts of the cave during at least the past 6,500 years. This indicates, in turn, a long-term decline in the functioning of the cryptic community within the reef as a source of the nutrients that support coral reef growth. Our findings regarding the distribution of debris from the red soil layer strongly support the occurrence of a mid-Holocene high-energy window, which represents a period of high wave energy prior to the formation of a reefal barrier.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

References

  • Bard E, Hamelin B, Fairbanks RG, Zindler A (1996) Deglacial sea-level record from Tahiti corals and the timing of global meltwater discharge. Nature 382:241–244

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brock RE, Brock JH (1977) A method for quantitatively assessing the infaunal community in coral rock. Limnol Oceanogr 22:948–951

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Goeij JM, Van Duyl FC (2007) Coral cavities are sinks of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Limnol Oceanogr 52(6):2608–2617

    Google Scholar 

  • De Goeij JM, Van den Berg H, Van Oostveen MM, Epping EHG, Van Duyl FC (2008) Major bulk dissolved organic carbon (DOC) removal by encrusting coral reef cavity sponges. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 357:139–151

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fairbanks RG (1989) A 17, 000-year glacio-eustatic sea level record: influence of glacial melting rates on the Younger Dryas event and deep-ocean circulation. Nature 342:637–642

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fichez R (1990a) Les pigments chlorophylliens : indices d’oligotrophie dans les grottes sous-marines. Compte Rendus Académie des Sciences de Paris, Série III 310:255–261

    Google Scholar 

  • Fichez R (1990b) Decrease in allochthonous organic inputs in dark submarine caves, connection with lowering in benthic community richness. Hydrobiologia 207:61–69

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fichez R (1991) Suspended particulate organic matter in a Mediterranean submarine cave. Mar Biol 108:167–174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garret P, Smith DL, Wilson AO, Patrquin D (1971) Physiography, ecology, and sediments of two Bermuda patch reefs. J Geol 79:647–668

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gili JM, Riera T, Zabala M (1986) Physical and biological gradients in a submarine cave on the Western Mediterranean coast (north-east Spain). Mar Biol 90:291–297

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ginsburg RN (1983) Geological and biological roles of cavities in coral reefs. In: Barnes DJ (ed) Perspectives on coral reefs. Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia, pp 148–153

    Google Scholar 

  • Harmelin JG (1997) Diversity of bryozoans in a Mediterranean sublittoral cave with bathyal-like conditions: role of dispersal processes and local factors. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 153:139–152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hayami I, Kase T (1992) A new cryptic species of Pycnodonte from Ryukyu Islands: A living fossil oyster. Trans Proc Palaeontol Soc Jpn NS 165:1070–1089

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayami I, Kase T (1993) Submarine cave bivalvia from the Ryukyu Islands: systematics and evolutionary significance. Bull Univ Mus Univ Tokyo 35:1–133

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayami I, Kase T (1996) Characteristics of submarine cave bivalves in the northwestern Pacific. Am Malacol Bull 12(1/2):59–65

    Google Scholar 

  • Hideshima S, Matsumoto E, Abe O, Kitagawa H (2001) Northwest Pacific marine reservoir correction estimated from annually banded coral from Ishigaki Island, southern Japan. Radiocarbon 43:473–476

    Google Scholar 

  • Hopley D (1984) The Holocene high-energy window on the Central Great Barrier Reef. In: Thom BG (ed) Coastal geomorphology in Australia. Academic Press, Sydney, pp 135–150

    Google Scholar 

  • Hutchings PA (1974) A preliminary report on the density and distribution of invertebrates living on coral reefs. Proc 2nd Int Coral Reef Symp 1:285–296

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson JBC, Winston JE (1982) Ecology of cryptic coral reef communities. 1. Distribution and abundance of major groups of encrusting organisms. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 57:135–147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson JBC, Goreau TF, Hartman WD (1971) Recent brachiopod-coralline sponge communities and their paleoecological significance. Science 173:623–625

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kano Y, Kase T (2000) Taxonomic revision of Pisulina (Gastropoda: Neritopsina) from submarine caves in the tropical Indo-Pacific. Paleontol Res 4:107–129

    Google Scholar 

  • Kano Y, Kase T (2008) Diversity and distributions of the submarine-cave Neritiliidae in the Indo-Pacific (Gastropoda: Neritimorpha). Org Divers Evol 8:22–43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kano Y, Chiba S, Kase T (2002) Major adaptive radiation in neritopsine gastropods estimated from 28S rRNA sequences and fossil records. Proc R Soc Lon B Biol Sci 269:2457–2465

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kase T, Hayami I (1992) Unique submarine cave mollusc fauna: composition, origin and adaptation. J Molluscan Stud 58:446–449

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kawana T, Kan H (2002) Description of the new drilling cores through the Holocene coral reefs at the Gushichan coast in the southern Okinawa Island, the Ryukyus, Japan. Bull Coll Edu Univ Ryukyus 60:235–244 (in Japanese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kitamura A, Kase T, Ohashi S, Hiramoto M, Sakaguchi Y, Tanabe A, Matou M (2003) Sedimentary facies and depositional rates of submarine cave sediment in coral reef of Okinawa Islands. The Quat Res (Daiyonki-Kenkyu) 42:99–104 (in Japanese with English abstract)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kitamura A, Kase T, Umino S, Yamamoto N, Ohashi S, Hiramoto M, Wakayama N, Amemiya M (2006) Discovery of sediment layer containing pumice grains in submarine cave sediment in coral reef of Okinawa Islands. The Quat Res (Daiyonki-Kenkyu) 45:141–144 (in Japanese with English abstract)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kitamura A, Hiramoto M, Kase T, Yamamoto N, Amemiya M, Ohashi S (2007a) Changes in cavernicolous bivalve assemblages and environments within a submarine cave in Okinawa Islands during the last 5, 000 years. Paleontol Res 11:161–180

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kitamura A, Yamamoto N, Kase T, Ohashi S, Hiramoto M, Fukusawa H, Watanabe T, Irino T, Kojitani H, Shimamura M, Kawakami I (2007b) Potential of submarine-cave sediments and oxygen isotope composition of cavernicolous micro-bivalve as a late Holocene paleoenvironmental record. Global Planet Change 55:301–316

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kobluk DR (1988) Cryptic faunas in reefs: ecology and geologic importance. Palaios 3:379–390

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Logan A, Mathers SM, Thomas MLH (1984) Sessile invertebrate coelobite communities from reefs of Bermuda: Species composition and distribution. Coral Reefs 2:205–213

    Google Scholar 

  • Meesters E, Knijn R, Willemsen P, Pennartz R, Roebers G, Soest RWM (1991) Sub-rubble communities of Curaçao and Bonaire coral reefs. Coral Reefs 10:189–197

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mkadam KM, Yonaha T, Ali VS, Tokuyama A (2006) Dissolved aluminum and silica release on the interaction of Okinawan subtropical red soil and seawater at different salinities: Experimental and field observations. Geochem J 40:333–343

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Montaggioni LF (2005) History of Indo-Pacific coral reef systems since the last glaciation: Development patterns and controlling factors. Earth-Sci Rev 71:1–75

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Motchurova-Dekova N, Saito M, Endo K (2002) The recent rhynchonellide brachiopod Parasphenarina cavernicola gen. et sp. nov. from the submarine caves of Okinawa, Japan. Paleontol Res 6:299–319

    Google Scholar 

  • Neumann AC (1972) Quaternary sea level history of Bermuda and the Bahamas. Am Quatern Assoc Second Nat Conf Abstracts 4:1–44

    Google Scholar 

  • Richter C, Wunsch M (1999) Cavity-dwelling suspension feeders in coral reefs-a new link in reef trophodynamics. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 188:105–116

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Richter C, Wunsch M, Rasheed M, Koötter I, Badran M (2001) Endoscopic exploration of Red Sea coral reefs reveals dense populations of cavity-dwelling sponges. Nature 413:726–731

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Scheffers SR, Nieuwland G, Bak RPM, Van Duyl FC (2004) Removal of bacteria and nutrient dynamics within the coral reef framework of Curaçao (Netherlands Antilles). Coral Reefs 23:413–422

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stuiver M, Reimer PJ, Bard E, Beck JW, Burr GS, Hughen KA, Kromer B, McCormac G, Van der Plicht J, Spurk M (1998) INTCAL 98 radiocarbon age calibration, 24, 000–0 cal B.P. Radiocarbon 40:1041–1083

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tokashiki Y (1993) Soil survey; Jahgaru, Shimajiri Mahji, Feichisya, Kunigami Mahji Japanese society of pedology. In: Hirayama R, Yamada I (eds) Soil and Nature of Okinawa Island. pp 63–88 (in Japanese)

  • Toscano MA, Macintyre IG (2003) Corrected western Atlantic sea-level curve for the last 11, 000 years based on calibrated 14C dates from Acropora palmata framework and intertidal mangrove peat. Coral Reefs 22:257–270

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tribble GW, Sansoné FJ, Li Y-H, Smith SV, Buddemeier RW (1988) Material fluxes from a reef framework. Proc 6th Int Coral Reef Symp 2:577–582

    Google Scholar 

  • Ubukata T, Kitamura A, Hiramoto M, Kase T (2009) A 5, 000-year fossil record of larval shell morphology of submarine cave microshells. Evolution Int J org Evolution 63:295–300

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Duyl FC, Scheffers SR, Thomas FIM, Driscoll M (2006) The effect of water exchange on bacterioplankton depletion and inorganic nutrient dynamics in coral reef cavities. Coral Reefs 25:23–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vuai SA, Ishiki M, Tokuyama A (2003) Acidification of fresh waters by red soil in a subtropical silicate rock area, Okinawa. Limnology 4:63–71

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wörheide G (1998) The reef cave dwelling ultraconservative coralline demosponge Astrosclera willeyana Lister 1900 from the Indo-Pacific. Facies 38:1–88

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge K. Konishi, T. Kase, and T. Ubukata for their advice. Thanks are also due to Shigemitsu Kinjyo, Koushin Yasumura for the preparation of samples. We thank A. Beu and an anonymous reviewer, whose comments and suggestions improved the original manuscript. We thank A. Stallard for improving the English in the manuscript. This study was funded by Grants-in-Aid 16340159 and 19540492 awarded by the Japan Society for Promotion of Science, The Japan Science Society, a Sasakawa Scientific Research Grant, and a Grants-in-Aid from the Fukada Geological Institute.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Geosciences, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, 422-8529, Japan

    N. Yamamoto, A. Kitamura, A. Ohmori & Y. Morishima

  2. Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokosuka, 237-0061, Japan

    T. Toyofuku

  3. Kaiyo Planning Co. Ltd, 1732-12, Maeda, Urasoe, Okinawa, 901-2102, Japan

    S. Ohashi

Authors
  1. N. Yamamoto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. Kitamura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A. Ohmori
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Y. Morishima
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. T. Toyofuku
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. S. Ohashi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Kitamura.

Additional information

Communicated by Geology Editor Dr. Bernhard Riegl.

Electronic supplementary material

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yamamoto, N., Kitamura, A., Ohmori, A. et al. Long-term changes in sediment type and cavernicolous bivalve assemblages in Daidokutsu submarine cave, Okinawa Islands: evidence from a new core extending over the past 7,000 years. Coral Reefs 28, 967–976 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-009-0536-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-009-0536-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation