Coral-algal interactions at Weizhou Island in the northern South China Sea: variations by taxa and the exacerbating impact of sediments trapped in turf algae.

ABSTRACT: Competitive interactions between corals and benthic algae are increasingly frequent on degrading coral reefs, but the processes and mechanisms surrounding the interactions, as well as the exacerbating effects of sediments trapped in turf algae, are poorly described. We surveyed the frequency, proportion, and outcomes of interactions between benthic algae (turf algae and macroalgae) and 631 corals (genera: Porites, Favites, Favia, Platygyra, and Pavona) on a degenerating reef in the northern South China Sea, with a specific focus on the negative effects of algal contact on corals. Our data indicated that turf algae were the main algal competitors for each surveyed coral genus and the proportion of algal contact along the coral edges varied significantly am

SUBMITTER: Liao Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6420801 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature