Ecophysiological and behavioural response of juveniles of the Chilean cold-water coral Caryophyllia (Caryophyllia) huinayensis to increasing sediment loads.

ABSTRACT: Chilean Patagonia is a hotspot of biodiversity, harbouring cold-water corals (CWCs) that populate steep walls and overhangs of fjords and channels. Through anthropogenic activities such as deforestation, roadworks, aquafarming and increased landslide frequency, sediment input increases in the fjord region. While the absence of CWCs on moderately steep slopes has been suggested to reflect high vulnerability to sedimentation, experimental evidence has been lacking. Here, we investigated the sensitivity of CWCs to sediment stress, using juvenile Caryophyllia (Caryophyllia) huinayensis as a model. A 12-week aquarium experiment was conducted with three sediment loads: the average natural sediment concentration in Comau Fjord, 100- and 1000-fold higher sediment levels, expected from gravel road

SUBMITTER: Fahse M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10700329 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature