Abundance, composition and growth rate of coral recruits on dead corals following the 2010 bleaching event at Mu Ko Surin, the Andaman Sea

• Published in: Ocean science journal 2015, 50(2), , pp.307-315
• Main Authors: Yucharoen, Mathinee, Yeemin, Thamasak, Casareto, Beatriz E., Suzuki, Yoshimi, Samsuvan, Watchara, Sangmanee, Kanwara, Klinthong, Wanlaya, Pengsakun, Sittiporn, Sutthacheep, Makamas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acropora; Acropora cerealis; Acropora intermedia; Acropora latistella; Acropora muricata; Acropora nasuta; Acropora subulata; Aquatic Pollution; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Favites; Fungia; Marine; Marine & Freshwater Sciences; Oceanography; Porites; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; 해양학
• ISSN: 1738-5261; 2005-7172
• DOI: 10.1007/s12601-015-0028-y

Elevated seawater temperatures in the summer months of 2010 were associated with widespread coral mortality in Thailand. A large number of corals at Mu Ko Surin died following the bleaching event. Understanding of the recruitment of corals would improve our ability to predict the potential for coral recovery from the impacts of bleaching events, as well as the interpretation of spatio-temporal variability in coral community structure. This study aims to examine the composition, abundance and growth rate of juvenile corals and the potential of reef recovery at Mu Ko Surin in order to help to understand how reefs react to major disturbances. We found that the densities of coral recruits varied among years and study sites. In the year 2011, coral recruitments ranged between 0.18 ± 0.02 to 1.67 ± 0.07 recruits per m2 for 10 study sites. While in 2012, the monitoring revealed a range between 0.96 ± 0.16 and 2.19 ± 0.21 recruits per m2 from 5 study sites. Fungia, Acropora, Porites and Favites were the dominant groups of coral recruits. In terms substrate forms, they were significant differences between sampling years but the preferential dominant substrate forms did not differ. The Acropora recruits at Ko Torinla showed normal distributions of size class during the two periods. Their ranges in 2011 and 2012 were 4–30 and 13–54 mm, respectively. Six species of Acropora recruits, i.e. Acropora intermedia, A. nasuta, A. cerealis, A. subulata, A. muricata and A. latistella were found. They showed diverse growth rates due to the spatial distribution of 2.11 ± 0.59 to 7.47 ± 1.37 cm per year. This study provides useful data in terms of coral recruitment and recovery from degradation and disturbance, especially from temperature changes induced by coral bleaching. The findings suggest that there is the possibility for coral recovery around Mu Ko Surin following the 2010 bleaching event.