Abstract
Papua New Guinea (PNG) hosts a unique range of geological features and is located in the Coral Triangle, the world center of marine biodiversity. However, working in PNG poses considerable logistical challenges in addition to those typically associated with mesophotic coral ecosystem (MCE; light-dependent reefs from 30 to ~150 m) research. Although its MCEs are poorly documented, they are likely extensive. Water temperatures at 90 m (23.3–26.3 °C) are cooler and less variable annually than those at 15 m (24.2–31.0 °C) but tend to be more variable on a daily basis and are within the range necessary to support coral growth. Limited studies have documented at least 213 coral species (40% of PNG’s coral fauna) and 73 sponge species (14% of PNG’s sponge fauna) at mesophotic depths. MCE fish communities are generally composed of taxa typical of shallow coral reefs; however these appear to be less abundant at mesophotic depths. Because biological surveys have been conducted in only a few locations, checklists of PNG’s mesophotic species are likely to grow with additional research. The major threat to PNG’s MCEs is likely terrigenous sediment associated with the country’s chief industries of forestry, mining, and agriculture. However, the effects of global climate change, i.e., warmwater coral bleaching, have also been observed at mesophotic depths.
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Notes
- 1.
One limitation of glider data, compared to an installed array, is that only a single measurement is made at a depth during the profile, whereas arrays can provide mean data, which is useful in areas where temperature varies greatly over short time periods. Glider data can be useful in the absence of other data sources.
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Acknowledgments
Fishery research at KWMA was supported by a private foundation wishing to remain anonymous. Temperature monitoring at KWMA was funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Research at Kimbe Bay was supported by the Walindi Plantation Resort (with special thanks to Max and Cecile Benjamin, Cheyne, and Emma) and Mahonia Na Dari Research and Conservation Center (with special thanks to Nelson). Sponge collections and identifications were supported by the US National Cancer Institute Marine Collections contracts to Coral Reef Research Foundation (1992–2014), with special thanks to Drs. David Newman and Michelle Kelly for their assistance. Spray glider data from PNG and the Solomon Islands were made available by Dr. Russ Davis of Scripps Institution of Oceanography and funded by the Climate Observations Division of NOAA’s Climate Program.
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Longenecker, K., Roberts, T.E., Colin, P.L. (2019). Papua New Guinea. In: Loya, Y., Puglise, K., Bridge, T. (eds) Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems. Coral Reefs of the World, vol 12. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92735-0_18
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