[Coral-List] Competition between reef corals and P. caribaeorum

[Ronaldo Francini-Filho]

Dear Jan-Willem,
   
  My name is Ronaldo Francini-Filho and I live in Brazil. We have also noticed that P. caribaeorum is outcompeting corals here (Abrolhos Bank).  We performed a manipulative experiment using 5 x 5 m plots in which all zoanthids were excluded. Zoanthids represented nearly 90% of benthic cover before manipulation. Unmanipulated plots were used as control.  Within each plot we installed cages in order to exclude possible zoanthid predators (in fact several reef fish species were recorded frequently preying upon P. caribaeorum).  In addition, we monitored contact zones between corals and P. caribaeorum.  The experiments were conducted in areas differing in environmental conditions (e.g. depth, sediment load and current speed) and lasted about 14 months. Although the data is still being processed, preliminary analysis showed that the competitive balance between reef corals and P. caribaeorum is mediated by local environmental conditions and possibly by predation.  
   
  Cheers,
   
  Ronaldo


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Ronaldo Bastos Francini-Filho
Grupo de Pesquisas em Recifes de Corais e Mudanças Globais
Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA)

Bolsista de Pós-Doutorado Programa Marinho 
Conservação Internacional do Brasil
E-mail: rofilho at yahoo.com
Tel/fax: 73 32971499
       
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