Abstract
In January–May 2006, Heron Island in the Great Barrier Reef experienced a mild bleaching event. The effect of colony size, morphology and surrounding substrate on the extent of bleaching was explored. In contrast with previous studies, colony size did not influence bleaching sensitivity, suggesting that there may be a threshold of light and temperature stress beyond which size plays a role. Also contrasting with previous studies, massive corals were more affected by bleaching than branching corals. Massive corals surrounded by sand were more affected than the ones surrounded by rubble or dead coral. It is hypothesized that light reflectance from sand increases stress levels experienced by the colonies. This effect is maximized in massive corals as opposed to branching corals that form dense thickets on Heron Island. These results emphasize the importance of the ecological dynamics of coral communities experiencing low, moderate and high levels of bleaching for the understanding of how coral communities may change under the stress of climate change.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Zubin Agarwal, Rahul Vasavada and Boyko Kakaradov from the Stanford University–University of Queensland study abroad program for their help with the fieldwork component of this project.
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Communicated by Ecology Editor Prof. Peter Mumby
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Ortiz, J.C., Gomez-Cabrera, M.d.C. & Hoegh-Guldberg, O. Effect of colony size and surrounding substrate on corals experiencing a mild bleaching event on Heron Island reef flat (southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia). Coral Reefs 28, 999–1003 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-009-0546-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-009-0546-0