Seasonal shifts in the competitive ability of macroalgae influence the outcomes of coral-algal competition.

ABSTRACT: Understanding the effects of natural processes on coral-algal competition is an important step in identifying the role of macroalgae in perturbed coral reef ecosystems. However, studies investigating coral-algal interactions are often conducted in response to a disturbance, and rarely incorporate seasonal variability. Here, naturally occurring coral-algal interactions were assessed in situ four times a year over 2 years across eight sites spanning diverse benthic communities. In over 6500 recorded coral-algal interactions, cyanobacteria and turf algae were found to be the most damaging regardless of season, resulting in visible damage to coral in greater than 95% of interactions. Macroalgae that primarily compete using chemical mechanisms were found to be more damaging than those th

SUBMITTER: Brown KT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7813255 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature