Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems

About this book

The book summarizes what is known about Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) geographically and by major taxa. MCEs are characterized by light-dependent corals and associated communities typically found at depths ranging from 30-40 m and extending to over 150 m in tropical and subtropical ecosystems. They are populated with organisms typically associated with shallow coral reefs, such as corals, macroalgae, sponges, and fish, as well as species unique to mesophotic depths or deeper. During the past decade, there has been increasing scientific and management interest in MCEs. The questions covered include: How do MCEs vary geographically? What are the similarities and differences between MCEs and shallow reefs? Are shallow and mesophotic reefs connected? What are the conservation and management challenges and threats to mesophotic reefs.

Contents

1. Mesophotic coral ecosystems: Introduction and Overview
2. Bermuda
3. The Bahamas and Cayman Islands
4. Pulley Ridge, Gulf of Mexico, U.S.A
5. The Mesoamerican Reef
6. Discovery Bay, Jamaica
7. Puerto Rico
8. The United States Virgin Islands
9. Bonaire and Curacao
10. Brazil
11. The Red Sea
12. The Chagos Archipelago
13. North West Australia
14. The Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea
15. Papua New Guinea
16. The Philippines
17. Japan
18. Taiwan
19. Palau
20. Pohnpei
21. Fiji
22. American Samoa
23. Cook Islands
24. French Polynesia
25. Hawaiian Archipelago
26. Eastern Tropical Pacific
27. Chile
28. The coral microbial biosphere in the mesophotic zone
29. Macroalgae
30. Symbiodinium diversity, coral-host associations, and adaptation
31. Sponges
32. Biodiversity of reef-building corals in the mesophotic zone
33. Reef-building corals of the upper mesophotic zone of the central Indo-west Pacific
34. Sexual reproduction of scleractinian corals in mesophotic coral ecosystems vs. shallow reefs
35. Coral sclerochronology: similarities and differences in the coral isotopic signatures between mesophotic and shallow reefs
36. Antipatharians of the mesophotic zone: four case studies
37. Octocorals of the Indo-Pacific
38. Mesophotic gorgonian corals: biodiversity, ecology, and evolutionary trends of a dominant seascape community
39. Pennatulacean octocorals
40. Diseases and health problems in mesophotic coral communities
41. Large benthic foraminifera in low light environments
42. Fishes: Biodiversity
43. Light, temperature, photosynthesis, heterotrophy, and the lower depth limits of mesophotic coral ecosystems
44. Geology and geomorphology of mesophotic coral ecosystems
45. Bioerosion
46. Depth refuges to refugia for coral reefs: a conceptual framework
47. Coral ecosystem connectivity between Pulley Ridge and the Florida Keys
48. Disturbance in mesophotic coral ecosystems and strategies for conservation and management
49. Invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans and P. miles): distribution, impact, and Management
50. Ecosystem Services of mesophotic coral reefs and a call for better accounting
51. Mesophotic coral ecosystems: a research history
52. Advanced Technical Diving
53. Underwater robotic technology for imaging mesophotic coral ecosystems
54. Twenty-Four Key Questions for Mesophotic Ecosystem Research and Conservation

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