A comprehensive investigation of mesophotic coral ecosystems in the Hawaiian Archipelago

@article{Pyle2016ACI,
  title={A comprehensive investigation of mesophotic coral ecosystems in the Hawaiian Archipelago},
  author={Richard L. Pyle and Raymond C. Boland and Holly Bolick and Brian W. Bowen and Christina J. Bradley and Corinne N. Kane and Randall K. Kosaki and Ross C. Langston and Ken Longenecker and Anthony D. Montgomery and Frank A. Parrish and Brian N. Popp and John J. B. Rooney and Celiam . Smith and Daniel Wagner and Heather L. Spalding},
  journal={PeerJ},
  year={2016},
  volume={4}
}
Although the existence of coral-reef habitats at depths to 165 m in tropical regions has been known for decades, the richness, diversity, and ecological importance of mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) has only recently become widely acknowledged. During an interdisciplinary effort spanning more than two decades, we characterized the most expansive MCEs ever recorded, with vast macroalgal communities and areas of 100% coral cover between depths of 50–90 m extending for tens of km2 in the… 
View PDF
85 Citations
Highly Influential Citations
7
Background Citations
31
Methods Citations
2
Results Citations
1

85 Citations

Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems
Although the existence of zooxanthellate corals in mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs; light-dependent coral ecosystems from 30 to 150 m in depth) has been known since the nineteenth century and…
Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems: Introduction and Overview
Although the existence of zooxanthellate corals in mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs; light-dependent coral ecosystems from 30 to 150 m in depth) has been known since the nineteenth century and…
The Hawaiian Archipelago
The Hawaiian Archipelago is one of the largest and most isolated island chains in the world, and its marine ecosystems are well-studied. Research on Hawaiian mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) began…
Fish biodiversity patterns of a mesophotic-to-subphotic artificial reef complex and comparisons with natural substrates
TLDR
A submersible was used to describe a deep-water artificial reef complex off of Ewa Beach, Oahu, Hawaii, USA, and evaluated possible conservation and/or fisheries-related contributions, finding that the artificial reefcomplex was mostly too shallow to provide meaningful benefits.
Global community breaks at 60 m on mesophotic coral reefs
TLDR
Evidence is found for global community breaks across multiple benthic taxa at ~ 60 m depth, indicative of distinct community transitions between shallow and mesophotic coral ecosystems.
Shining a light on the composition and distribution patterns of mesophotic and subphotic fish communities in Hawai‘i
: As agencies shift from single-species management to ecosystem-based fisheries management, ecosystem models are gaining interest for understanding species dynamics in relation to oceanographic and…
Mesophotic Ecosystems: The Link between Shallow and Deep-Sea Habitats
Mesophotic ecosystems (MEs) are characterized by the presence of light-dependent organisms, found at depths ranging from ~30 to 150 m in temperate, subtropical and tropical regions. These communities…
Shifting reef fish assemblages along a depth gradient in Pohnpei, Micronesia
TLDR
This study supports the 30 m depth profile as a transition zone between shallow and mesophotic ecosystems (consistent with accepted definitions of MCEs), with evidence of multiple transition zones below 30 m.
Biodiversity of Reef-Building, Scleractinian Corals
Zooxanthellate scleractinian corals are moderately well-known for shallow reef habitats, but not for mesophotic depths (>30 m) that are relatively difficult to access. Mesophotic habitats are…
Below the Mesophotic
TLDR
The rariphotic is proposed here for the shallowest reef-faunal zone, and is part of a depth continuum of discrete faunal zones of tropical reef fishes, and perhaps of reef ecosystems in general, all of which warrant further study in light of global declines of shallow reefs.
...
...

References

SHOWING 1-10 OF 226 REFERENCES
Mesophotic coral ecosystems in the Hawaiian Archipelago
Efforts to map coral reef ecosystems in the Hawaiian Archipelago using optical imagery have revealed the presence of numerous scleractinian, zoothanthellate coral reefs at depths of 30–130+ m, most…
Theme section on “Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems: Characterization, Ecology, and Management”
Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) are characterized by the presence of light-dependent corals and associated communities that are typically found at depths ranging from 30 to 40 m and extending to…
Structure of Mesophotic Reef Fish Assemblages in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
TLDR
It is shown that mesophotic reefs in the NWHI support unique assemblages of fish that are characterized by high endemism and relatively high densities of planktivores and invertivores, and warrant further studies of MCEs.
Ecology of mesophotic macroalgae and Halimeda kanaloana meadows in the main Hawaiian islands
Submersible dives, remotely operated vehicle (ROV) operations, and technical diving were used to survey and collect representative samples from mesophotic macroalgal assemblages at 59 sites from 40…
Mesophotic coral reefs : a global model of community structure and function
Mesophotic coral reefs (MCRs) are an understudied continuum of shallow coral reef communities at depths of 30 to 150 m. These reefs are subject to gradients of light and nutrients that results in…
An assessment of shallow and mesophotic reef brachyuran crab assemblages on the south shore of O‘ahu, Hawai‘i
TLDR
It is shown that deeper reefs host significantly different brachyuran communities, and at much lower total abundance, than shallow reefs in Hawai’i, with 4–27 unique morphospecies per depth and only 3 of 69 morphosPEcies occurring across the entire depth range sampled.
High levels of mesophotic reef fish endemism in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
TLDR
About 46% of encountered reef fishes in the Papaha-naumokua-kea Marine National Monument are endemic to Hawaii, a value that is 16%-24% higher than previous shallow-water surveys in the NWHI, as well as nearly two-fold higher than in any other tropical region.
Geomorphology of mesophotic coral ecosystems: current perspectives on morphology, distribution, and mapping strategies
This paper presents a general review of the distribution of mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) in relationship to geomorphology in US waters. It was specifically concerned with the depth range of…
Mesophotic coral reef ecosystems in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area
This report reviews the most recent science regarding the potential distribution of mesophotic coral reef ecosystems (MCEs) throughout the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, and discusses the…
Deep down on a Caribbean reef: lower mesophotic depths harbor a specialized coral-endosymbiont community
TLDR
It is proposed that the strong reduction of temperature over depth (Δ5°C from 40 to 100 m depth) may play an important contributing role in determining lower depth limits of mesophotic coral communities in this region.
...
...