Recovery of Branching Coral in Devil’s Crown, Galapagos Islands, Following El Niño Impacts

Recovery of Branching Coral in Devil’s Crown, Galapagos Islands, Following El Niño Impacts

In 1982-83 a severe El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event killed 95% of the scleractinian coral in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, with over 99% coral mortality reported at the study site, Devil’s Crown. Also at this site, a reef composed primarily of the branching coral Pocillopora spp. was lost from primary and secondary biological disturbances associated with ENSO. For the subsequent 11 years Pocillopora was not observed there, however 5 colonies were seen in May, 1995. The number and size of colonies was monitored from 1995-2004. Projected surface areas were determined using two methods: direct measure during snorkel surveys using a ruler to measure maximum width and length (1995-2003), and digital photography was used in 2004 to obtain 2-D images. These images were converted to surface area using the program CPCe.Pocillopora colony number increased from 5 in 1995 to 64 in 2004, with colony surface area increasing from 849 cm2 to 19,058 cm2 over the same period. These data document a recent substantial increase in Pocillopora colony number and surface area suggesting that it may once again attain population densities sufficient to form reef structures in the Galapagos archipelago.