Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Coral Reef Ecosystems

  • Reference work entry
Book cover Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology

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

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 6,999.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 549.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Abbreviations

Coral reef:

A geological structure of significant topographic relief above the sea floor, made of calcium carbonate and constructed by living organisms (mainly corals belonging to the order Scleractinia, phylum Cnidaria, and coralline algae).

Hermatypic:

Refers to corals that are able to build reefs.

Holocene:

A geologic age that corresponds to 10,000 years before the present, or “B.P.”

Scleractinia:

The order of hard or stony corals to which the reef builders belong, under the phylum Cnidaria.

Zooxanthellae:

Golden brown single-celled algae that inhabit the gastrodermal cells of reef-building corals (belonging to the phylum Dinophyta, order Gymnodiniales).

Bibliography

Primary Literature

  1. Wood R (1999) Reef evolution. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  2. Ladd HS (1977) Types of coral reefs and their distribution. In: Jones OA, Endean R (eds) Biology and geology of coral reefs, vol IV, Geology 2. Academic, New York, pp 1–18

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  3. Veron JEN (2000) Corals of the world, vol 1–3. Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville

    Google Scholar 

  4. Moberg F, Folke C (1999) Ecological goods and services of coral reef ecosystems. Ecol Econ 29:215–233

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Guild L, Lobitz B, Armstrong R, Gilbes F, Goodman J, Detres Y, Berthold R, Kerr J (2008) NASA airborne AVIRIS and DCS remote sensing of coral reefs. In: Proceedings of 11th International Coral Reef Symposium Session 17, Fort Lauderdale, pp 616–620

    Google Scholar 

  6. Jones GP, Almany GR, Russ GR, Sale PF, Steneck RS, van Oppen MJH, Willis BL (2009) Larval retention and connectivity among populations of corals and reef fishes: history, advances and challenges. Coral Reefs 28:307–325

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Berdin RD, Siringan FP, Maeda Y (2004) Holocene sea-level highstand and its implications for the vertical stability of Panglao Island, southwest Bohol, Philippines. Quat Int 115–116:27–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Maeda Y, Siringan F, Omura A, Berdin R, Hosono Y, Atsumi S, Nakamura T (2004) Higher-than present Holocene mean sea levels in Ilocos, Palawan and Samar, Philippines. Quat Int 115–116:15–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Domingues CM, Church JA, White NJ, Gleckler PJ, Wijffels SE, Barker PM, Dunn JR (2008) Improved estimates of upper-ocean warming and multi-decadal sea-level rise. Nature 453:1090–1093

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Shen C-C, Siringan FP, Lin K, Dai C-F, Gong S-Y (2010) Sea-level rise and coral reef development of northwestern Luzon since 9.9 ka. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol 292(3–4):465–473

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Veron JEN (1995) Corals in space and time: biogeography and evolution of the Scleractinia. Comstock/Cornell, Ithaca

    Google Scholar 

  12. Bellwood DR, Hughes TP (2001) Regional-scale assembly rules and biodiversity of coral reefs. Science 292:1532–1534

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Sheppard CRC, Davy SK, Pilling GM (2009) The biology of coral reefs. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Book  Google Scholar 

  14. Barbeitos MS, Romano SL, Lasker HR (2010) Repeated loss of coloniality and symbiosis in scleractinian corals. Proc Nat Acad Sci. doi:10.1073/pnas.0914380107

    Google Scholar 

  15. Muscatine L (1971) Endosymbiosis of algae and coelenterates. In: Lenhoff HM, Muscatine L, Davis LV (eds) Experimental coelenterate biology. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, pp 179–191

    Google Scholar 

  16. Muscatine L (1971) Calcification in corals. In: Lenhoff HM, Muscatine L, Davis LV (eds) Experimental coelenterate biology. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, pp 227–238

    Google Scholar 

  17. Yap HT, Montebon ARF, Dizon RM (1994) Energy flow and seasonality in a tropical coral reef flat. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 103:35–43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Veron JEN (2008) A reef in time. Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA/London

    Google Scholar 

  19. Berkelmans R, van Oppen MJH (2006) The role of zooxanthellae in the thermal tolerance of corals: a ‘nugget of hope’ for coral reefs in an era of climate change. Proc R Soc B 273:2305–2312

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Mieog JC, Olsen JL, Berkelmans R, Bleuler-Martinez SA, Willis BL, van Oppen MJH (2009) The roles and interactions of symbiont, host and environment in defining coral fitness. PLoS One 4:e6364

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. LaJeunesse TC, Smith R, Walther M, Pinzon J, Pettay DT, McGinley M, Aschaffenburg M, Medina-Rosas P, Cupul-Magaña AL, Perez AL, Reyes-Bonilla H, Warner ME (2010) Host-symbiont recombination versus natural selection in the response of coral-dinoflagellate symbioses to environmental disturbance. Proc R Soc B. doi:10.1098/rspb.2010.0385

    Google Scholar 

  22. Perry CT, Spencer T, Kench PS (2008) Carbonate budgets and reef production states: a geomorphic perspective on the ecological phase-shift concept. Coral Reefs 27:853–866

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Douglas AE (2003) Coral bleaching–how and why? Mar Pollut Bull 46:385–392

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Kiessling W, Simpson C, Foote M (2010) Reefs as cradles of evolution and sources of biodiversity in the Phanerozoic. Science 327:196–198

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Jackson JBC, Kirby MX, Berger WH, Bjorndal KA, Botsford LW, Bourque BJ, Bradbury RH, Cooke R, Erlandson J, Estes JA, Hughes TP, Kidwell S, Lange CB, Lenihan HS, Pandolfi JM, Peterson CH, Steneck RS, Tegner MJ, Warner RR (2001) Historical overfishing and the recent collapse of coastal ecosystems. Science 293:629–638

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Peñaflor EL, Skirving WJ, Strong AE, Heron SF, David LT (2009) Sea-surface temperature and thermal stress in the Coral Triangle over the past two decades. Coral Reefs 28:841–850

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Roberts CM, McClean CJ, Veron JEN, Hawkins JP, Allen GR, McAllister DE, Mittermeier CG, Schueler FW, Spalding M, Wells F, Vynne C, Werner TB (2002) Marine biodiversity hotspots and conservation priorities for tropical reefs. Science 295:1280–1284

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Safina C (1997) Song for the blue ocean. Henry Holt, New York

    Google Scholar 

  29. Carpenter KE, Springer VG (2005) The center of the center of marine shore fish biodiversity: the Philippine Islands. Environ Biol Fish 72:467–480

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Munday PL, Jones GP, Pratchett MS, Williams AJ (2008) Climate change and the future for coral reef fishes. Fish Fish 9:261–285

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Alcala AC, Russ GR (2002) Status of Philippine coral reef fisheries. Asian Fish Sci 15:177–192

    Google Scholar 

  32. Soto I, Andréfouët S, Hu C, Muller-Karger FE, Wall CC, Sheng J, Hatcher BG (2009) Physical connectivity in the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System inferred from 9 years of ocean color observations. Coral Reefs 28:415–425

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Roberts CM (1997) Connectivity and management of Caribbean coral reefs. Science 278:1454–1457

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Grahame J, Branch GM (1985) Reproductive patterns of marine invertebrates. Oceanogr Mar Biol Ann Rev 23:373–398

    Google Scholar 

  35. Nyström M, Folke C, Moberg F (2000) Coral reef disturbance and resilience in a human-dominated environment. Trends Ecol Evol 15:413–418

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Wilkinson C (2008) Status of coral reefs of the world: 2008. Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network and Reef and Rainforest Research Center, Townsville

    Google Scholar 

  37. Bruno JF, Selig ER (2007) Regional decline of coral cover in the Indo-Pacific: timing, extent and subregional comparisons. PLoS One 2007(8):e711

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Carpenter KE, Abrar M, Aeby G, Aronson RB, Banks S, Bruckner A, Chiriboga A, Cortes J, Delbeek JC, DeVantier L, Edgar GJ, Edwards AJ, Fenner D, Guzman HM, Hoeksema BW, Hodgson G, Johan O, Licuanan WY, Livingstone SR, Lovell ER, Moore JA, Obura DO, Ochavillo D, Polidoro B, Precht WF, Quibilan MC, Reboton C, Richards ZT, Rogers AD, Sanciangco J, Sheppard A, Sheppard C, Smith J, Stuart S, Turak E, Veron JEN, Wallace C, Weil E, Wood E (2008) One-third of reef-building corals face elevated extinction risk from climate change and local impacts. Science 321:560–563

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Graham NAJ, McClanahan TR, MacNeil MA, Wilson SK, Polunin NVC, Jennings S, Chabanet P, Clark S, Spalding MD, Letourneur Y, Bigot L, Galzin R, Öhman MC, Garpe KC, Edwards AJ, Sheppard CRC (2008) Climate warming, marine protected areas and the ocean-scale integrity of coral reef ecosystems. PLoS One 3:e3039

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Hughes TP, Baird AH, Bellwood DR, Card M, Connolly SR, Folke C, Grosberg R, Hoegh-Guldberg O, Jackson JBC, Kleypas J, Lough JM, Marshall P, Nyström M, Palumbi SR, Pandolfi JM, Rosen B, Roughgarden J (2003) Climate change, human impacts, and the resilience of coral reefs. Science 301:929–933

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Khatiwala S, Primeau F, Hall T (2009) Reconstruction of the history of anthropogenic CO2 concentrations in the ocean. Nature 462:346–349

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Sabine CL, Feely RA, Gruber N, Key RM, Lee K, Bullister JL, Wanninkhof R, Wong CS, Wallace DWR, Tilbrook B, Millero FJ, Peng T-H, Kozyr A, Ono T, Rios AF (2004) The oceanic sink for anthropogenic CO2. Science 305:367–371

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Sheppard C (2009) Large temperature plunges recorded by data loggers at different depths on an Indian Ocean atoll: comparison with satellite data and relevance to coral refuges. Coral Reefs 28:399–403

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Lyman JM, Good SA, Gouretski VV, Ishii M, Johnson GC, Palmer MD, Smith DM, Willis JK (2010) Robust warming of the global upper ocean. Nature 465:334–337

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Feely RA, Sabine CL, Hernandez-Ayon JM, Ianson D, Hales B (2008) Evidence for upwelling of corrosive “acidified” water onto the continental shelf. Science. doi:10.1126/science.1155676

    Google Scholar 

  46. Hoegh-Guldberg O, Mumby PJ, Hooten AJ, Steneck RS, Greenfield P, Gomez E, Harvell CD, Sale PF, Edwards AJ, Caldeira K, Knowlton N, Eakin CM, Iglesias-Prieto R, Muthiga N, Bradbury RH, Dubi A, Hatziolos ME (2007) Coral reefs under rapid climate change and ocean acidification. Science 318:1737–1742

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Brennand HS, Soars N, Dworjanyn SA, Davis AR, Byrne M (2010) Impact of ocean warming and ocean acidification on larval development and calcification in the sea urchin Tripneustes gratilla. PLoS One 5:e11372

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Edmunds PJ (2007) Evidence for a decadal-scale decline in the growth rates of juvenile scleractinian corals. Mar Ecol Progr Ser 341:1–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  49. Heyward AJ, Negri AP (2010) Plasticity of larval pre-competency in response to temperature: observations on multiple broadcast spawning coral species. Coral Reefs. doi:10.1007/s00338-009-0578-5

    Google Scholar 

  50. Harvell CD, Kim K, Burkholder JM, Colwell RR, Epstein PR, Grimes DJ, Hofmann EE, Lipp EK, Osterhaus ADME, Overstreet RM, Porter JW, Smith GW, Vasta GR (1999) Emerging marine diseases – climate links and anthropogenic factors. Science 285:1505–1510

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Rosenberg E, Ben-Haim Y (2002) Microbial diseases of corals and global warming. Environ Microbiol 4:318–326

    Article  Google Scholar 

  52. Mao-Jones J, Ritchie KB, Jones LE, Ellner SP (2010) How microbial community composition regulates coral disease development. PLoS Biol 8(3):e1000345

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. Fabricius KE, Okaji K, De’ath G (2010) Three lines of evidence to link outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns seastar Acanthaster planci to the release of larval food limitation. Coral Reefs. doi:10.1007/s00338-010-0628-z

    Google Scholar 

  54. Bellwood DR, Hughes TP, Folke C, Nyström M (2004) Confronting the coral reef crisis. Nature 429:827–833

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  55. Lirman D, Fong P (2007) Is proximity to land-based sources of coral stressors an appropriate measure of risk to coral reefs? An example from the Florida Reef Tract. Mar Pollut Bull 54:779–791

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  56. De’ath G, Fabricius K (2010) Water quality as a regional driver of coral biodiversity and macroalgae on the Great Barrier Reef. Ecol Appl 20:840–850

    Article  Google Scholar 

  57. Szmant AM (2002) Nutrient enrichment on coral reefs: is it a major cause of coral reef decline? Estuaries 25:743–766

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  58. Salvat B (ed) (1987) Human impacts on coral reefs: facts and recommendations. Antenne Museum E.P.H.E, French Polynesia

    Google Scholar 

  59. McCormick MI (2009) Behaviourally mediated phenotypic selection in a disturbed coral reef environment. PLoS One 4:e7096

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  60. Bahartan K, Zibdah M, Ahmed Y, Israel A, Brickner I, Abelson A (2010) Macroalgae in the coral reefs of Eilat (Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea) as a possible indicator of reef degradation. Mar Pollut Bull. doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2009.11.017

    Google Scholar 

  61. Nyström M, Graham NAJ, Lokrantz J, Norström AV (2008) Capturing the cornerstones of coral reef resilience: linking theory to practice. Coral Reefs 27:795–809

    Article  Google Scholar 

  62. Mumby PJ, Steneck RS (2008) Coral reef management and conservation in light of rapidly evolving ecological paradigms. Trends Ecol Evol 23:555–563

    Article  Google Scholar 

  63. Idjadi JA, Haring RN, Precht WF (2010) Recovery of the sea urchin Diadema antillarum promotes scleractinian coral growth and survivorship on shallow Jamaican reefs. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 403:91–100

    Article  Google Scholar 

  64. Bruno JF, Sweatman H, Precht WF, Selig ER, Schutte VGW (2009) Assessing evidence of phase shifts from coral to macroalgal dominance on coral reefs. Ecology 90:1478–1484

    Article  Google Scholar 

  65. Burkepile DE, Hay ME (2009) Nutrient versus herbivore control of macroalgal community development and coral growth on a Caribbean reef. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 389:71–84

    Article  Google Scholar 

  66. Smith JE, Hunter CL, Smith CM (2010) The effects of top-down versus bottom-up control on benthic coral reef community structure. Oecologia. doi:10.1007/s00442-009-1546-z

    Google Scholar 

  67. Sale PF (2008) Management of coral reefs: where we have gone wrong and what we can do about it. Mar Pollut Bull 56:805–809

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  68. Russ GR (2006) Yet another review of marine reserves as reef fishery management tools. In: Sale PF (ed) Coral reef fishes; dynamics and diversity in a complex ecosystem. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 421–443

    Google Scholar 

  69. Worm B, Barbier EB, Beaumont N, Duffy JE, Folke C, Halpern BS, Jackson JBC, Lotze HK, Micheli F, Palumbi SR, Sala E, Selkoe KA, Stachowicz JJ, Watson R (2006) Impacts of biodiversity loss on ocean ecosystem services. Science 314:787–790

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  70. Sale PF, Cowen RK, Danilowicz BS, Jones GP, Kritzer JP, Lindeman KC, Planes S, Polunin NVC, Russ GR, Sadovy YJ, Steneck RS (2005) Critical science gaps impede use of no-take fishery reserves. Trends Ecol Evol 20:74–80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  71. Abesamis RA, Russ GR (2005) Density-dependent spillover from a marine reserve: long-term evidence. Ecol Appl 15:1798–1812

    Article  Google Scholar 

  72. Mumby PJ, Harborne AR (2010) Marine reserves enhance the recovery of corals on Caribbean reefs. PLoS One 5:e8657

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  73. Stockwell B, Jadloc CRL, Abesamis RA, Alcala AC, Russ GR (2009) Trophic and benthic responses to no-take marine reserve protection in the Philippines. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 389:1–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  74. Worm B, Hilborn R, Baum JK, Branch TA, Collie JS, Costello C, Fogarty MJ, Fulton EA, Hutchings JA, Jennings S, Jensen OP, Lotze HK, Mace PM, McClanahan TR, Minto C, Palumbi SR, Parma AM, Ricard D, Rosenberg AA, Watson R, Zeller D (2009) Rebuilding global fisheries. Science 325:578–585

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  75. Edwards AJ, Gomez ED (2007) Reef restoration concepts and guidelines. Global Environment Facility (GEF) Coral Reef Targeted Research and Capacity Building for Management Programme, St. Lucia

    Google Scholar 

  76. Yap HT (2000) The case for restoration of tropical coastal ecosystems. Ocean Coast Manag 43:841–851

    Article  Google Scholar 

  77. Maragos JE (1974) Coral transplantation: a method to create, preserve and manage coral reefs. Seagrant advisory report, UNIHI-SEAGRANT-AR-74-03 CORMAR-14

    Google Scholar 

  78. Alcala AC, Gomez ED, Alcala LC (1982) Survival and growth of coral transplants in Central Philippines. Kalikasan Philipp J Biol 11:136–147

    Google Scholar 

  79. Yap HT (2009) Local changes in community diversity following coral transplantation. Mar Ecol Progr Ser 374:33–41

    Article  Google Scholar 

  80. Shaish L, Levy G, Katzir G, Rinkevich B (2010) Coral reef restoration (Bolinao, Philippines) in the face of frequent natural catastrophes. Restor Ecol. doi:10.1111/j.1526-100X.2009.00647.x

    Google Scholar 

  81. Gomez ED, Mingoa-Licuanan SS (2006) Achievements and lessons learned in restocking giant clams in the Philippines. Fish Res 80:46–52

    Article  Google Scholar 

  82. Cabaitan PC, Gomez ED, Aliño PM (2008) Effects of coral transplantation and giant clam restocking on the structure of fish communities on degraded patch reefs. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 357:85–98

    Article  Google Scholar 

Books and Reviews

  • Bradbury RH, Seymour RM (2009) Coral reef science and the new commons. Coral Reefs. doi:10.1007/s00338-009-0540-6

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines, Diliman, 1101, Quezon City, Philippines

    Dr. Helen T. Yap

Authors
  1. Dr. Helen T. Yap
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Helen T. Yap .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. RAMTECH LIMITED, Larkspur, CA, USA

    Robert A. Meyers

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

About this entry

Cite this entry

Yap, H.T. (2012). Coral Reef Ecosystems . In: Meyers, R.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0851-3_728

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation