Coral Ecosystem Connectivity: from Pulley Ridge to the Florida Keys and Southeast Florida Coral Ecosystem Conservation Area
|
Pulley Ridge is the deepest known mesophotic reef in U.S. territories, found on the West Florida continental shelf at a depth of 60–90 m. Formed as a drowned barrier reef, Pulley Ridge is ~150 km from the Dry Tortugas and ~225 km from the Florida Reef Tract. Coral cover on the main ridge is relatively low (~1 %), but light-dependent communities of corals, sponges, and macroalgae form critical habitats for invertebrate and fish species. The objective of the initial five-year project was to determine the level of connectivity between important coral, fish, sponge, and algal species at Pulley Ridge to those at nearby reefs. A particular emphasis was on comparing Pulley Ridge populations to those in existing management infrastructure including the Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Our lab's contribution to the project focused on the connectivity of Pulley Ridge coral populations to other mesophotic reefs in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM).
The Pulley Ridge project represented a massive collaborative effort of over 35 main scientists between NOAA’s Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) at the University of Miami and Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research, and Technology (CIOERT) at Florida Atlantic University. The project was funded by NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science and Office of Ocean Exploration and Research in partnership with NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, National Marine Fisheries Service’s Southeast Regional Office, and Gulf of Mexico Regional Collaboration Team. |
Pulley Ridge Coral Habitat Area of Particular Concern. Map credit: NOAA
|
Assessment of Coral Connectivity through Population Genetics, Morphometrics, Algal Symbiosis, and Gene Expression
Using single nucleotide polymorphisms and (earlier) microsatellite markers from the dominant coral species Montastraea cavernosa, we've determined how coral populations across the GOM interact with one another. Genetic tests identified Pulley Ridge as an isolated population, including from the near Dry Tortugas. Estimated population size for this species also coincided with survey data, indicating that Pulley Ridge is likely much smaller than other populations in the GOM. More recent assessments of Southeast Florida coral populations demonstrate distinct populations between the Southeast FL Coral ECA and those in the majority of the Florida Keys.
How do shallow and mesophotic corals adapt to their different environments? Light limitation at mesophotic depths results in morphological, physiological, and symbiotic shifts and may influence population dynamics across depth ranges and broad spatial scales. Mesophotic corals in the SE GOM demonstrate photoadaptive strategies relative to their shallow counterparts, including smaller skeletal structures and increased symbiont densities. More detailed assessment of corals' responses to changing environments can be accomplished through differential gene expression studies. Using a tag-based RNA-Seq pipeline, we have sequenced Montastraea cavernosa transcriptomes from sites throughout the GOM, including Belize, Flower Garden Banks, Pulley Ridge, and Dry Tortugas.
How do shallow and mesophotic corals adapt to their different environments? Light limitation at mesophotic depths results in morphological, physiological, and symbiotic shifts and may influence population dynamics across depth ranges and broad spatial scales. Mesophotic corals in the SE GOM demonstrate photoadaptive strategies relative to their shallow counterparts, including smaller skeletal structures and increased symbiont densities. More detailed assessment of corals' responses to changing environments can be accomplished through differential gene expression studies. Using a tag-based RNA-Seq pipeline, we have sequenced Montastraea cavernosa transcriptomes from sites throughout the GOM, including Belize, Flower Garden Banks, Pulley Ridge, and Dry Tortugas.
Common coral species at Pulley Ridge: Madracis sp. (left), Helioseris cucullata (middle), Agaricia sp. (right)
|
Members of the technical dive team sending up samples to the surface team
|
Selected Publications
Sturm AB, Eckert RJ, Carreiro AM, Voss JD. 2021. Population genetic structure of the broadcast spawning coral, Montastraea cavernosa, demonstrates refugia potential of upper mesophotic populations in the Florida Keys. Coral Reefs. doi: 10.1007/s00338021-02112-y.
Studivan MS, Milstein G, Voss JD. 2019. Montastraea cavernosa corallite structure demonstrates distinct morphotypes across shallow and mesophotic depth zones in the Gulf of Mexico. PLoS ONE 10.1371/journal.pone.0203732 PDF
Studivan MS, Voss JD. 2018. Population connectivity among shallow and mesophotic Montastraea cavernosa corals in the Gulf of Mexico identifies potential for refugia. Coral Reefs doi: 10.1007/s00338-018-1733-7 PDF
Pan C, Jiang M, Dalgleish FR, Reed JK. 2017. Modeling the impacts of the Loop Current on circulation and water properties over the Pulley Ridge region on the Southwest Florida shelf. Ocean Modelling doi: 10.1016/j.ocemod.2017.02.009 PDF
Reed JK, Farrington S, David A, Harter S, Moe H, Horn L, Taylor G, White J, Voss JD, Pomponi SA, Hanisak MD. 2017. Characterization of mesophotic coral/sponge habitats and fish assemblages in the regions of Pulley Ridge and Tortugas from ROV dives during R/V Walton Smith cruises of 2012 to 2015. NOAA CIOERT Cruise Report. Submitted to NOAA- NOS-NCCOS, NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. 76 pp. Harbor Branch Oceanographic Technical Report Number 178 PDF
Reed JK. 2016. Mesophotic coral ecosystems examined: Pulley Ridge, Gulf of Mexico, USA in E. Baker, K. Puglise, and P. Harris (eds) Mesophotic coral ecosystems – a lifeboat for coral reefs? The United Nations Environment Programme and GRID-Arendal. Nairobi and Arendal. 100 pp. PDF
Polinski JM. 2016. Coral-algal symbioses in mesophotic Montastraea cavernosa in the Gulf of Mexico. M.Sc. thesis, Florida Atlantic University, 62 pp. PDF
Reed JK, Farrington S, Pomponi SA, Hanisak MD, Voss JD. 2012. Survey of the Pulley Ridge mesophotic reef ecosystem, NOAA Ship Nancy Foster, Florida Shelf-Edge Exploration II (FLoSEE) Cruise, Leg 1-September 12-19, 2011. NOAA CIOERT Cruise Report. Submitted to NOAA- NOS-NCCOS, NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. 40 pp. PDF
Studivan MS, Milstein G, Voss JD. 2019. Montastraea cavernosa corallite structure demonstrates distinct morphotypes across shallow and mesophotic depth zones in the Gulf of Mexico. PLoS ONE 10.1371/journal.pone.0203732 PDF
Studivan MS, Voss JD. 2018. Population connectivity among shallow and mesophotic Montastraea cavernosa corals in the Gulf of Mexico identifies potential for refugia. Coral Reefs doi: 10.1007/s00338-018-1733-7 PDF
Pan C, Jiang M, Dalgleish FR, Reed JK. 2017. Modeling the impacts of the Loop Current on circulation and water properties over the Pulley Ridge region on the Southwest Florida shelf. Ocean Modelling doi: 10.1016/j.ocemod.2017.02.009 PDF
Reed JK, Farrington S, David A, Harter S, Moe H, Horn L, Taylor G, White J, Voss JD, Pomponi SA, Hanisak MD. 2017. Characterization of mesophotic coral/sponge habitats and fish assemblages in the regions of Pulley Ridge and Tortugas from ROV dives during R/V Walton Smith cruises of 2012 to 2015. NOAA CIOERT Cruise Report. Submitted to NOAA- NOS-NCCOS, NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. 76 pp. Harbor Branch Oceanographic Technical Report Number 178 PDF
Reed JK. 2016. Mesophotic coral ecosystems examined: Pulley Ridge, Gulf of Mexico, USA in E. Baker, K. Puglise, and P. Harris (eds) Mesophotic coral ecosystems – a lifeboat for coral reefs? The United Nations Environment Programme and GRID-Arendal. Nairobi and Arendal. 100 pp. PDF
Polinski JM. 2016. Coral-algal symbioses in mesophotic Montastraea cavernosa in the Gulf of Mexico. M.Sc. thesis, Florida Atlantic University, 62 pp. PDF
Reed JK, Farrington S, Pomponi SA, Hanisak MD, Voss JD. 2012. Survey of the Pulley Ridge mesophotic reef ecosystem, NOAA Ship Nancy Foster, Florida Shelf-Edge Exploration II (FLoSEE) Cruise, Leg 1-September 12-19, 2011. NOAA CIOERT Cruise Report. Submitted to NOAA- NOS-NCCOS, NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. 40 pp. PDF
HBOI Team: Joshua Voss, John Reed, Shirley Pomponi, Dennis Hanisak, Cristina Diaz, Stephanie Farrington, Michael Studivan*, Jennifer Polinski*
Partners: CIMAS (Bob Cowen, Andrew Baker, Claire Paris, Ana Vaz, Mahmoud Shivji) NOAA Fisheries (Andrew David), UNCW Undersea Vehicles Program (Lance Horn, Jason White), NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Funding: NOAA NCCOS, Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research, and Technology, Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies
Links: CIOERT FLOSEE 2 Cruise 2011
Coral Ecosystem Connectivity Cruise 2013: From Pulley Ridge to the Florida Keys
* Denotes lab alumnus
Partners: CIMAS (Bob Cowen, Andrew Baker, Claire Paris, Ana Vaz, Mahmoud Shivji) NOAA Fisheries (Andrew David), UNCW Undersea Vehicles Program (Lance Horn, Jason White), NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Funding: NOAA NCCOS, Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research, and Technology, Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies
Links: CIOERT FLOSEE 2 Cruise 2011
Coral Ecosystem Connectivity Cruise 2013: From Pulley Ridge to the Florida Keys
* Denotes lab alumnus
