ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
James Cook University Townsville
Queensland 4811 Australia
Phone: 61 7 4781 4000
Email: info@coralcoe.org.au
New research has revealed that the short lives and violent deaths of some of coral reefs’ smallest tenants may be vital to the health of reef systems, including the iconic Great Barrier Reef.
Dr Simon Brandl, from Simon Fraser University in Canada, led an international team of researchers searching for answers to the longstanding puzzle of ‘Darwin’s paradox’.
Co-author Prof David Bellwood from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (Coral CoE) at James Cook University (JCU) said: “Charles Darwin wondered how fish on coral reefs manage to thrive in isolated areas where there are very low levels of nutrients for them to use. We thought the answer may lie in the tiny fish that live in the gaps in the coral structure.”
“These tiny fish are less than five centimetres long and are known as ‘cryptobenthics’. They include gobies, blennies, cardinalfish, and several other families,” Prof Bellwood said.
The team surveyed reefs around the globe and records of larval abundance. They discovered that cryptobenthics and their larvae make up nearly 60% of all fish flesh eaten on the reef.
“Because of their size and tendency to hide, these little fish are commonly overlooked,” Dr Brandl said, “but their unique demographics make them a cornerstone of the ecosystem.”
“Their populations are completely renewed seven times a year, with individuals in some species living only a few days before they are eaten. The only way they can sustain this is by a spectacular supply of local larvae,” added co-author Renato Morais, a PhD student at JCU.
Prof Bellwood said almost anything capable of eating cryptobenthics does so, including juvenile fish and invertebrates such as mantis shrimps, which then became food for other creatures.
“These factors have made it hard for researchers in the past to realise the importance of cryptobenthics and discover the food supply that the ‘crypto-pump’ supplies.”
He said that the cryptobenthics have finally emerged from the shadows. “Their extraordinary larval dynamics, rapid growth, and extreme mortality underpins their newly discovered role as a critical functional group on coral reefs.”
PAPER
Brandl S, Tornabene L, Goatley C, Casey J, Morais R, Cote I, Baldwin C, Parravicini V, Schiettekatte N, Bellwood D (2019). ‘Demographic dynamics of the smallest marine vertebrates fuel coral-reef ecosystem functioning’. Science. DOI: 10.1126/science.aav3384
Link to paper here.
IMAGES
Link to images here. Please credit as marked.
CONTACTS
Prof. David Bellwood (AEST, Australia)
T: 07 47 81 4447
E: david.bellwood@jcu.edu.au
Renato Morais (AEST, Australia)
M: 0467 479297
E: renato.morais@my.jcu.edu.au
Dr. Simon Brandl (PDT, Canada)
E: simonjbrandl@gmail.com
T: +1-604-348-6423
Skype: sjbrandl
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Melissa Lyne (AEST, Australia)
Media Manager, Coral CoE at JCU
M: 0415 514 328
E: melissa.lyne@jcu.edu.au
Scientists have developed a new genetic tool that can help them better understand and ultimately work to save coral reefs. “Surprisingly, we still don’t know how many coral species live on the
A new study suggests ‘dead’ coral rubble can still sustain life, with a large number of tiny animals hidden and living amongst the ruins. While the study does not suggest dead coral has the sam
A new study on coral evolution has found climates similar to what we’re seeing today have previously devastated hard-bodied corals—the architects of coral reefs—while making way for their softer
Researchers have discovered a new way to measure the complexity of the world’s habitats—a crucial factor as environments across the globe face extraordinary change. The study was led by Damaris T
Abstract: There is often a mismatch between the scales at which ecosystems are threatened by human impacts and those at which management and policy are implemented. Better understanding the scales ov
Abstract: Ocean warming and acidification are challenging the tolerance limits of scleractinian corals. However, beneficial acclimation and stress-hardening via phenotypic plasticity may be pathw
Abstract: Globally, coral reefs are under threat. Unfortunately, the rate of ecosystem degradation often surpasses the rate of generation of knowledge required to support management. Despite the consi
Abstract: Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing threatens resource sustainability and equity. A major challenge with such activity is that most fishing vessels do not broadcast their positions
Abstract: Coral reefs are among the most diverse and productive ecosystem's worldwide, but their future is threatened by a host of anthropogenic disturbances. To protect reefs and their services to hu
Abstract: Differentiating the relative contribution of host genetic background and surrounding environment on microbiome structure is critical to assess how microbial associations are determined and t
Abstract: The Torres Strait is an asset for the world’s life support system. But the region’s people are facing a number of serious challenges including rising sea levels, extreme weather and poo
Abstract: Sponges underpin the productivity of coral reefs, yet few of their microbial symbionts have been functionally characterized. Here we present an analysis of ~1200 metagenome-assembled genome
Partner Research Institutions
ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
James Cook University Townsville
Queensland 4811 Australia
Phone: 61 7 4781 4000
Email: info@coralcoe.org.au
