Contrasting coral community structures between natural and artificial substrates at Koh Tao, Gulf of Thailand

Marine Environmental Research, vol. 172, pp. 105505

Abstract

Concrete cubic frames and decommissioned steel naval vessels have been deployed in Thailand liberally to act as artificial substrates for coral restoration and marine recreation. We assessed recruitment at such substrate types at Koh Tao, Gulf of Thailand, and compared the community structure of scleractinian corals between artificial substrates and nearby natural reefs. Our results from a sample of 2677 recruits from nine sites highlighted significant differences in community structure between both reef types. Investigations of variables including time since deployment, distance from the natural reef, and seafloor depth revealed only the latter as a possible influencing factor. The diversity of recruits could not be explained by dynamics in coral spawning, and were found to represent groups with lower structural complexity. Our results suggest that coral community structure on artificial and natural reefs differs and supports distinct ecological and functional roles.

Authors 9

1. Coline Monchanin

   Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier · Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale · Love Wildlife Foundation · Centre de Biologie Intégrative de Toulouse

   Affiliation as printed

   Conservation Diver, 7321 Timber Trail Road, Evergreen, CO, 80439, USA; Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), CNRS, University Paul Sabatier - Toulouse III, France; Aow Thai Marine Ecology Center, Love Wildlife Foundation, FREC Bangkok, 77 Nakhon Sawan Rd, Wat Sommanat, Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok, 10100, Thailand

   Aow Thai Marine Ecology Center, Love Wildlife Foundation, FREC Bangkok, 77 Nakhon Sawan Rd, Wat Sommanat, Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok, 10100, Thailand

   Conservation Diver, 7321 Timber Trail Road, Evergreen, CO, 80439, USA

   Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), CNRS, University Paul Sabatier – Toulouse III, France

2. Rahul Mehrotra corresponding

   Chulalongkorn University · Love Wildlife Foundation

   Affiliation as printed

   Conservation Diver, 7321 Timber Trail Road, Evergreen, CO, 80439, USA; Aow Thai Marine Ecology Center, Love Wildlife Foundation, FREC Bangkok, 77 Nakhon Sawan Rd, Wat Sommanat, Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok, 10100, Thailand; Reef Biology Research Group. Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand. Electronic address: rahul-m@hotmail.co.uk

   Aow Thai Marine Ecology Center, Love Wildlife Foundation, FREC Bangkok, 77 Nakhon Sawan Rd, Wat Sommanat, Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok, 10100, Thailand

   Conservation Diver, 7321 Timber Trail Road, Evergreen, CO, 80439, USA

   Reef Biology Research Group. Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand

3. Elouise Haskin

   The University of Western Australia

   Affiliation as printed

   Conservation Diver, 7321 Timber Trail Road, Evergreen, CO, 80439, USA; The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia

   Conservation Diver, 7321 Timber Trail Road, Evergreen, CO, 80439, USA

   The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia

4. Chad M. Scott
   Affiliation as printed

   Conservation Diver, 7321 Timber Trail Road, Evergreen, CO, 80439, USA

5. Pau Urgell Plaza
   Affiliation as printed

   Conservation Diver, 7321 Timber Trail Road, Evergreen, CO, 80439, USA

6. Alyssa Allchurch

   Simon Fraser University

   Affiliation as printed

   Conservation Diver, 7321 Timber Trail Road, Evergreen, CO, 80439, USA; School of Resource and Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada

   Conservation Diver, 7321 Timber Trail Road, Evergreen, CO, 80439, USA

   School of Resource and Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada

7. Spencer L. Arnold
   Affiliation as printed

   Conservation Diver, 7321 Timber Trail Road, Evergreen, CO, 80439, USA

8. Kirsty Magson
   Affiliation as printed

   Conservation Diver, 7321 Timber Trail Road, Evergreen, CO, 80439, USA; New Heaven Reef Conservation Program, 48 Moo 2, Chalok Ban Kao, Koh Tao, Suratthani, 84360, Thailand

   Conservation Diver, 7321 Timber Trail Road, Evergreen, CO, 80439, USA

   New Heaven Reef Conservation Program, 48 Moo 2, Chalok Ban Kao, Koh Tao, Suratthani, 84360, Thailand

9. Bert Willem Hoeksema Aachen Taxonomy Geodiversity Group Naturalis Biodiversity Center

   Naturalis Biodiversity Center · University of Groningen

   Affiliation as printed

   Taxonomy, Systematics, and Geodiversity Group, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300, RA, Leiden, the Netherlands; Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700, CC, Groningen, the Netherlands

   Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700, CC, Groningen, the Netherlands

   Taxonomy, Systematics, and Geodiversity Group, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300, RA, Leiden, the Netherlands