Variable responses of benthic communities to anomalously warm sea temperatures on a high-latitude coral reef.

ABSTRACT: High-latitude reefs support unique ecological communities occurring at the biogeographic boundaries between tropical and temperate marine ecosystems. Due to their lower ambient temperatures, they are regarded as potential refugia for tropical species shifting poleward due to rising sea temperatures. However, acute warming events can cause rapid shifts in the composition of high-latitude reef communities, including range contractions of temperate macroalgae and bleaching-induced mortality in corals. While bleaching has been reported on numerous high-latitude reefs, post-bleaching trajectories of benthic communities are poorly described. Consequently, the longer-term effects of thermal anomalies on high-latitude reefs are difficult to predict. Here, we use an autonomous underwater vehicle to

SUBMITTER: Bridge TC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4245080 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature