Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles
Tropical harmful algal blooms: An emerging threat to coral reef communities?
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-2010
Publication Title
Marine Pollution Bulletin
Keywords
Coral disturbance, Fish, Coral reef, Gulf of Oman, Indian Ocean
ISSN
0025-326X
Volume
60
Issue/No.
11
First Page
2117
Last Page
2122
Abstract
Tropical harmful algal blooms (HABs) are increasing in frequency and intensity and are substantially affecting marine communities. In October/November 2008 a large-scale HAB event (> 500 km2, dinoflagellate Cochlodinium polykrikoides) in the Gulf of Oman caused the complete loss of the branching corals, Pocillopora and Acropora spp., and substantial reductions in the abundance, richness and trophic diversity of the associated coral reef fish communities. Although the causative agents of this C. polykrikoides bloom are unknown, increased coastal enrichment, natural oceanographic mechanisms, and the recent expansion of this species within ballast water discharge are expected to be the main agents. With rapid changes in oceanic climate, enhanced coastal eutrophication and increased global distribution of HAB species within ballast water, large-scale HAB events are predicted to increase dramatically in both intensity and distribution and can be expected to have increasingly negative effects on coral reef communities globally.
NSUWorks Citation
Andrew G. Bauman, John A. Burt, David A. Feary, Elise Marquis, and Paolo Usseglio. 2010. Tropical harmful algal blooms: An emerging threat to coral reef communities? .Marine Pollution Bulletin , (11) : 2117 -2122. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/occ_facarticles/1316.
ORCID ID
0000-0001-9260-2153
DOI
10.1016/j.marpolbul.2010.08.015
Comments
This work was done under the auspices of the Nakheel – UNU-INWEH joint project “Strategic Management of Marine Ecosystems in Nakheel Projects” as part of baseline data collection.