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Benthic community composition affects O2 availability and variability in a Northern Red Sea fringing reef

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Abstract

Many coral reef ecosystems experience shifts in benthic community composition from scleractinian corals to algae. However, consequences of such phase shifts on O2 availability, important for many reef organisms, are unresolved. This study therefore comparatively investigated potential in situ effects of different benthic cover by reef macroalgae and scleractinian corals on water column O2 concentrations in a Northern Red Sea fringing reef. Findings revealed that mean daily O2 concentrations at algae-dominated sites were significantly lower compared to coral-dominated sites. Minimum O2 concentrations were significantly negatively correlated, while diurnal variability in O2 concentration was significantly positively correlated, with increasing benthic cover by algae. In contrast, no correlation with coral cover was found. These results indicate that shifts from corals to benthic algae may likely affect both in situ O2 availability and variability. This may be particularly pronounced in reef systems with low water exchange (e.g. closed lagoons) or under calm weather conditions and suggests potential O2-mediated effects on reef organisms.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the staff of the Marine Science Station (Aqaba, Jordan) for logistical support on site. Carin Jantzen and Malik Naumann are acknowledged for their assistance during experiments and scientific discussion. We thank the communicating editor and two anonymous reviewers for improving the manuscript. This study was funded by German Research Foundation (DFG) grant Wi 2677/2-1 and a PhD stipend of University of Bavaria/Bavarian Elite Advancement to W. Niggl.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Coral Reef Ecology Group (CORE), GeoBio-Center and Department of Earth and Environmental Science in the Faculty of Geosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität, Richard Wagner Str. 10, 80333, Munich, Germany

    Wolfgang Niggl, Andreas F. Haas & Christian Wild

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  1. Wolfgang Niggl
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  2. Andreas F. Haas
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  3. Christian Wild
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Correspondence to Wolfgang Niggl.

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Handling editor: I. Nagelkerken

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Niggl, W., Haas, A.F. & Wild, C. Benthic community composition affects O2 availability and variability in a Northern Red Sea fringing reef. Hydrobiologia 644, 401–405 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-010-0200-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-010-0200-4

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