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FIGURE 8 in A New Species of Gorgonian Octocoral from the Mesophotic Zone off the Central Coast of California, Eastern Pacific with a Key to Related Regional Taxa (Anthozoa, Octocorallia, Alcyonacea)

FIGURE 8. Map of Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary (central California); type locality of Chromoplexaura cordellbankensis sp. nov. (red triangle). Map adapted from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2014).

FIGURE 5 in A New Species of Gorgonian Octocoral from the Mesophotic Zone off the Central Coast of California, Eastern Pacific with a Key to Related Regional Taxa (Anthozoa, Octocorallia, Alcyonacea)

FIGURE 5. Chromoplexaura cordellbankensis sp. nov. Scanning electron micrographs of coenenchymal sclerites – warty spindles. Scale bar = 0.04 mm.

FIGURE 3 in A New Species of Gorgonian Octocoral from the Mesophotic Zone off the Central Coast of California, Eastern Pacific with a Key to Related Regional Taxa (Anthozoa, Octocorallia, Alcyonacea)

FIGURE 3. Chromoplexaura cordellbankensis sp. nov. Underwater photographs taken in situ by Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), showing individual colonies of the new species (red arrows) with surrounding habitat. A. Image taken at Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary near the type locality, ca. 100 m depth, 8 August 2018. B. Image taken at Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary near the type locality, 102 m depth, 8 August 2018, with a nudibranch mollusk (Dendrodoris azineae) to the immediate left. C. Image taken at Cortes Bank, ca. 166 km west of Point Loma San Diego, 70 m in depth, 7 September 2007. D. Image taken at Cortes Bank, ca. 166 km west of Point Loma San Diego, 70 m depth, 8 September 2007. E. Image taken at La Cruz Canyon, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, 106.8 m depth, 28 October 2018. F. Image taken at Anacapa Island, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, 86 m depth, 31 October 2018. Photographs courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

FIGURE 2 in A New Species of Gorgonian Octocoral from the Mesophotic Zone off the Central Coast of California, Eastern Pacific with a Key to Related Regional Taxa (Anthozoa, Octocorallia, Alcyonacea)

FIGURE 2. Chromoplexaura cordellbankensis sp. nov. Wet-preserved holotype, external morphology. A, D. Partial colony, scale bar = 10 mm. B. Detail of the proximal branch, scale bar = 5 mm. C. Distal apex region of the middle branch, scale bar = 5 mm. E. Apex region of the main stem, scale bar = 5 mm. F. Compound microscope view of sclerites at 100x magnification, showing yellow coloration, scale bar = 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 1 in A New Species of Gorgonian Octocoral from the Mesophotic Zone off the Central Coast of California, Eastern Pacific with a Key to Related Regional Taxa (Anthozoa, Octocorallia, Alcyonacea)

FIGURE 1. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Survey Vessel, FSV Bell M. Shimada, conducts fisheries and oceanographic research throughout the Pacific coast of the United States. All type specimens of the new coral species described herein were collected by Remote Operational Vehicle (ROV) on board this ship in 2018. Photo by Gary C. Williams.

FIGURE 7 in A New Species of Gorgonian Octocoral from the Mesophotic Zone off the Central Coast of California, Eastern Pacific with a Key to Related Regional Taxa (Anthozoa, Octocorallia, Alcyonacea)

FIGURE 7. Chromoplexaura cordellbankensis sp. nov. Scanning electron micrographs of polyp sclerites. Scale bar = 0.04 mm.

Figure 6 in A New Species of Gorgonian Octocoral from the Mesophotic Zone off the Central Coast of California, Eastern Pacific with a Key to Related Regional Taxa (Anthozoa, Octocorallia, Alcyonacea)

Figure 6. Chromoplexaura cordellbankensis sp. nov. Scanning electron micrographs of coenenchymal sclerites – radiates (top row) and various immature sclerites (middle and bottom rows). Scale bar = 0.04 mm.

opencc-zeroMay 2024View details →

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Mesophotic coral ecosystems of French Polynesia are hotspots of alpha and beta generic diversity for scleractinian assemblages

Revealing how diversity varies across the depth gradient is key to understanding the role of mesophotic coral ecosystems in the functioning of coral reefs. We examined how alpha and beta generic diversity of scleractinian coral assemblages vary across a wide depth gradient for coral reefs. We studied generic diversity patterns of scleractinian corals at sixteen sites in eight islands of three archipelagos in French Polynesia, as derived from the analysis of photo-quadrats, across the seafloor from shallow to lower mesophotic depths (6 to 120 m) and on a wide geographic scale. Our sampling considered quantitative coral cover to explore the patterns of alpha and beta components of diversity across depth and horizontal space. We show that in French Polynesia, mesophotic coral ecosystems host higher alpha and beta generic diversity than shallow reefs despite decreasing coral cover with depth. The variation of coral genus richness across the depth gradient is mainly driven by a mid-domain effect with a peak at 40 m depth. At the same time, we found that the turnover of coral genera across islands (i.e., spatial beta diversity) increased steadily along the depth gradient. Our findings report the first quantitative results of coral cover and diversity from mesophotic coral ecosystems in French Polynesia and also present one of the few existing studies to examine the broad breadth of the mesophotic depth gradient. We demonstrate that mesophotic depths can host unexpectedly high generic richness of scleractinian coral assemblages. At the same time, we showed that increasing depth increases the differences in generic diversity composition across islands, whereas shallow reefs are similar in between. While a single island could conserve shallow regional biodiversity, mesophotic depths containing the richest diversity require site-specific measures, suggesting that considering these mesophotic depths in conservation is necessary to maintain regional diversity.

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Data from: Rapid shift in benthic assemblages following coral bleaching at an upper mesophotic habitat in Taiwan

Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs; typically, 30–150 m depths) have traditionally been considered potential refuges for shallow-water organisms, but recent evidence suggests that this role is context-dependent. Here, we document a singular habitat at the upper mesophotic depth (- 30 m) in Xiaoliuqiu, Taiwan, and assess the changes in the benthic assemblage one year after a heatwave affected the reefs. In the habitat studied, abundant branching depth-specialist corals were found free-living and thriving on the sandy-rubble bottom amidst dense filamentous turf algae. In 2022, 63.6% of the corals were observed bleached, which was associated with severe heat stress affecting shallow reefs. The dominant coral at the time, Acropora tenella, suffered the most from the bleaching, with only 9.7% of its population remaining healthy. After one year, there was a noticeable shift in dominance from A. tenella to the previously cryptic Anacropora spp. without an obvious change in coral cover. We hypothesize that this rapid shift is driven by Anacropora spp., benefiting from the dense canopy provided by A. tenella. This suggests that the composition of understory organisms may play an important role in the resilience of some reefs affected by disturbance. The characteristics of this habitat, which consists mainly of deep-water specialists, and its susceptibility to stressors indicate that this habitat is unlikely to serve as a refuge for most shallow-water taxa. Our findings reinforce that the effectiveness of MCEs as refuges is not universal, and emphasize the importance of incorporating these unique habitats into conservation strategies and gaining a deeper understanding of their functions before they are lost.

opencc-zeroJun 2024View details →

Figure 3. Astrosarkus spp. from Australia. a in A new species of Astrosarkus from Western Australia including new Mesophotic occurrences of Indian Ocean Oreasteridae (Valvatida, Asteroidea)

Figure 3. Astrosarkus spp. from Australia. a, Astrosarkus sp. Northern Depths, Great Barrier Reef; b, Astrosarkus idipi from Coral Sea Marine Park. Distance between lasers is 10.0 cm.

Figure 7. Halityle regularis USNM 1688944 in A new species of Astrosarkus from Western Australia including new Mesophotic occurrences of Indian Ocean Oreasteridae (Valvatida, Asteroidea)

Figure 7. Halityle regularis USNM 1688944, Philippines, small individual. a, Abactinal view. Scale bar=0.5 cm; b, Close-up on armtips showing enlarged distal and superomarginal plates. Scale bar=0.2 cm; c, Close-up on abactinal-superomarginal contact showing spiny tubercles on superomarginals. Scale bar=0.2 cm; d, Lateral view showing spiny tubercles and large spines on superomarginal, inferomarginal plates. Scale bar=0.2 cm; e, Inferomarginal and superomarginal plates. Scale bar=0.2 cm; f, Actinal view. Scale bar=0.5 cm; g, Closeup oral region, adambulacral furrow. Scale bar=0.2 cm.

Figure 6. Culcita spp. a in A new species of Astrosarkus from Western Australia including new Mesophotic occurrences of Indian Ocean Oreasteridae (Valvatida, Asteroidea)

Figure 6. Culcita spp. a, Culcita novaeguineae in situ from Bowl Slide, Australia, 99 m. Courtesy of R/V Falkor, Schmidt Ocean Institute; b, Culcita schmideliana, USNM E37276, Abactinal view. Scale bar=2.0 cm; c, Actinal view. Scale bar=2.0 cm.

Figure 10 in A new species of Astrosarkus from Western Australia including new Mesophotic occurrences of Indian Ocean Oreasteridae (Valvatida, Asteroidea)

Figure 10. Poraster superbus variation. All scale bars=1.5 cm. a, USNM E45289 Abactinal; b, Actinal; c, USNM E 47401, Abactinal; d, Actinal.

Figure 2 in A new species of Astrosarkus from Western Australia including new Mesophotic occurrences of Indian Ocean Oreasteridae (Valvatida, Asteroidea)

Figure 2. Astrosarkus idipi. Maldives/Mayotte. a, Astrosarkus idipi (white/red form) from Mayotte, 75 m. Photo courtesy Thierry Mayotte; b, Astrosarkus idipi (white/red form) from Maldives. Photo courtesy Paris Stefanopoulis; c, Astrosarkus idipi (orange form) from St. Leu, Reunion Island. Photo by Patrick Plantard; d, Orange form with white highlights from Lifou Island, New Caledonia. Photo courtesy Laurent Ballesta.

Figure 11 in A new species of Astrosarkus from Western Australia including new Mesophotic occurrences of Indian Ocean Oreasteridae (Valvatida, Asteroidea)

Figure 11. Protoreaster lincki. MNHN IE-2007-3947. a, Abactinal view. Scale bar=1.5 cm; b, Abactinal-lateral view showing degree of spination and disk and arms. Scale bar=0.5 cm; c, Armtip showing carinal and superomarginal spines. Scale bar=1.0 cm; d, Actinal view. Scale bar=1.5 cm; e, Closeup of oral region and adambulacral spination. Scale bar=0.5 cm.

Figure 5. Choriaster granulatus a in A new species of Astrosarkus from Western Australia including new Mesophotic occurrences of Indian Ocean Oreasteridae (Valvatida, Asteroidea)

Figure 5. Choriaster granulatus a, In situ image from Comoros, 80 m. Image courtesy Comoros Biodiversity Project; b, In situ image from Maldives, 60–70 m. Image courtesy Maldives Ocean Research Expedition.

Figure 4 in A new species of Astrosarkus from Western Australia including new Mesophotic occurrences of Indian Ocean Oreasteridae (Valvatida, Asteroidea)

Figure 4. Astrosarkus lu n. sp. Scale unavailable. a, Abactinal view; b, Closeup showing spiny tubercles; c, Lateral view showing spiny tubercles on marginal plates; d, Lateral view; e, Actinal surface view; f, Closeup of oral region on actinal surface; g, Closeup of adambulacral armature, furrow spines, etc.

Figure 1 in A new species of Astrosarkus from Western Australia including new Mesophotic occurrences of Indian Ocean Oreasteridae (Valvatida, Asteroidea)

Figure 1. Astrosarkus idipi Maldives, specimen ID MAL1_330. a, Abactinal surface, specimen showing living coloration. Scale bar=4.0 cm; b, Abactinal surface of arm region. Scale bar=2.0 cm; c, Actinal surface, preserved specimen. Scale bar=4.0 cm; d, Actinal surface, oral region, closeup. Scale bar=1.0 cm; e, Actinal surface, showing furrow, adambulacral plates. Scale bar=2.0 cm.

Figure 9. Pentaceraster alveolatus USNM E37286 a in A new species of Astrosarkus from Western Australia including new Mesophotic occurrences of Indian Ocean Oreasteridae (Valvatida, Asteroidea)

Figure 9. Pentaceraster alveolatus USNM E37286 a, Abactinal view. Scale bar=2.0 cm; b, Abactinal-lateral view showing degree of spination along arm. Scale bar=0.5 cm; c, Abactinal-lateral view showing spination and superomarginal surface. Scale bar=0.5 cm; d, Actinal-lateral view showing marginal spination. Scale bar=0.5 cm; e, Actinal view. Scale bar=2.0 cm; f, Closeup of oral region and ambulacral spination. Scale bar=0.5 cm.

Figure 8. Halityle regularis USNM E45474 in A new species of Astrosarkus from Western Australia including new Mesophotic occurrences of Indian Ocean Oreasteridae (Valvatida, Asteroidea)

Figure 8. Halityle regularis USNM E45474, Somalia, larger individual. a, Abactinal view. Scale bar=1.5 cm. b, Closeup of armtip showing low tubercles on distal surface. Scale bar=0.8 cm; c, Lateral view showing superomarginal plates and low tubercles. Scale bar=0.5cm; d, Lateral view of armtip showing marginal plates, inferomarginal, superomarginal surface. Scale bar=0.5 cm; e, Actinal view. Scale bar=1.5 cm; f, Closeup of oral and adambulacral furrow. Scale bar=0.5 cm.