Skip to main content
Log in

Mesophotic communities of the insular shelf at Tutuila, American Samoa

  • Report
  • Published:
Coral Reefs Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

An investigation into the insular shelf and submerged banks surrounding Tutuila, American Samoa, was conducted using a towed camera system. Surveys confirmed the presence of zooxanthellate scleractinian coral communities at mesophotic depths (30–110 m). Quantification of video data, separated into 10-m-depth intervals, yielded a vertical, landward-to-seaward and horizontal distribution of benthic assemblages. Hard substrata composed a majority of bottom cover in shallow water, whereas unconsolidated sediments dominated the deep insular shelf and outer reef slopes. Scleractinian coral cover was highest atop mid-shelf patch reefs and on the submerged bank tops in depths of 30–50 m. Macroalgal cover was highest near shore and on reef slopes approaching the bank tops at 50–60 m. Percent cover of scleractinian coral colony morphology revealed a number of trends. Encrusting corals belonging to the genus Montipora were most abundant at shallow depths with cover gradually decreasing as depth increased. Massive corals, such as Porites spp., displayed a similar trend. Percent cover values of plate-like corals formed a normal distribution, with the highest cover observed in the 60–70 m depth range. Shallow plate-like corals belonged mostly to the genus Acropora and appeared to be significantly prevalent on the northeastern and eastern banks. Deeper plate-like corals on the reef slopes were dominated by Leptoseris, Pachyseris, or Montipora genera. Branching coral cover was high in the 80–110 m depth range. Columnar and free-living corals were also occasionally observed from 40–70 m.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

References

  • Armstrong RA, Singh H, Torres J, Nemeth RS, Can A, Roman C, Eustice R, Riggs L, Garcia-Moliner G (2006) Characterizing the deep insular shelf coral reef habitat of the Hind Bank marine conservation district (US Virgin Islands) using the Seabed autonomous underwater vehicle. Cont Shelf Res 26:194–205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bak RPM, Nieuwland G, Meesters EH (2005) Coral reef crisis in deep and shallow reefs: 30 years of constancy and change in reefs of Curacao and Bonaire. Coral Reefs 24:475–479

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Birkeland C, Craig P, Fenner D, Smith L, Kiene WE, Riegl B (2008) Geologic setting and ecological functioning of coral reefs in American Samoa. In: Riegl B, Dodge RE (eds) Coral reefs of the USA, v. 1 of Coral reefs of the world. Springer Science +Business Media, Berlin, pp 741–765

    Google Scholar 

  • Brainard RE, Asher J, Gove J, Helyer J, Kenyon J, Mancini F, Miller J, Myhre S, Nadon M, Rooney J, et al. (2008) Coral reef ecosystem monitoring report for American Samoa: 2002-2006. NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, PIFSC Special Publication SP-08-002, p 472 +App

  • Fenner D, Speicher M, Gulick S, Abey G, Aletto SC, Anderson P, Carroll B, DiDonato E, DiDonato G, Farmer V (2008) The state of coral reef ecosystems of American Samoa. In: Waddell JE, Clarke AM et al (eds) The state of coral reef ecosystems of the United States and the Pacific Freely Associated States: 2008. NOAA Tech. Memorandum NOS NCCOS 73. NOAA NCCOS Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment’s Biogeography Team, Silver Spring, MD, pp 307–351

    Google Scholar 

  • Fricke H, Meischner D (1985) Depth limits of Bermudan scleractinian corals: a submersible survey. Mar Biol 88:175–187

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glynn PW (1996) Coral reef bleaching: facts, hypotheses and implications. Global Change Biol 2:495–509

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Green AL, Birkeland CE, Randall RH (1999) Twenty years of disturbance and change in Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary, American Samoa. Pac Sci 53:376–400

    Google Scholar 

  • Hinderstein LM, Marr JCA, Martinez FA, Dowgiallo MJ, Puglise KA, Pyle RL, Zawada DG, Appeldorn R (2010) Introduction to mesophotic coral ecosystems: Characterization, ecology, and management. Coral Reefs 29: this issue

  • Jarrett BD, Hine AC, Halley RB, Naar DF, Locker SD, Neumann AC, Twichell D, Hu C, Donahue BT, Jaap WC, Palandro D, Ciembronowicz K (2005) Strange bedfellows—a deep hermatypic coral reef superimposed on a drowned barrier island; southern Pulley Ridge, SW Florida platform margin. Mar Geol 214:295–307

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kahng SE, Kelley CD (2007) Vertical zonation of the megabenthic taxa on a deep photosynthetic reef (50–140 m) in the Au’au Channel, Hawaii. Coral Reefs 26:679–687

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kahng SE, Maragos JE (2006) The deepest, zooxanthellate scleractinian corals in the world? Coral Reefs 25:254

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lang JC (1974) Biological zonation at the base of a reef. Am Sci 62:272–281

    Google Scholar 

  • Lesser PL, Slattery M, Leichter JJ (2009) Ecology of mesophotic coral reefs. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 375:1–8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Menza C, Kendall M, Rogers C, Miller J (2007) A deep reef in deep trouble. Cont Shelf Res 27:2224–2230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Menza C, Kendall M, Hile S (2008) The deeper we go the less we know. Rev Biol Trop 56:11–24

    Google Scholar 

  • Pyle R (2001) B.P. Bishop Museum exploration and discovery: the coral-reef twilight zone, Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary, 14–18 May 2001. Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum. http://www2.bishopmuseum.org/PBS/samoatz01

  • Reed JK (1985) Deepest distribution of Atlantic hermatypic corals discovered in the Bahamas. Proc 5th Int Coral Reef Symp 6:249–254

  • Reigl B, Piller WE (2003) Possible refugia for reefs in times of environmental stress. Int J Earth Sci 92:520–531

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wright DJ (2002) Mapping the seafloor in American Samoa. Geospatial Solutions 12:24–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright DJ (2005) Report of HURL cruise KOK0510: submersible dives and multibeam mapping to investigate benthic habitats of Tutuila, American Samoa. NOAA Tech Rep. NOAA’s Office of Undersea Research Submersible Science Programs, Hawai’i Undersea Research Lab. http://dusk.geo.orst.edu/djl/samoa/hurl/kok0510cruise_report.pdf [Accessed 07/11/2008]

  • Wright DJ, Donahue BT, Naar DF (2002) Seafloor mapping and GIS coordination at America’s remotest national marine sanctuary (America Samoa). In: Wright DJ (ed) Undersea with GIS. ESRI Press, Redlands, California, pp 33–63

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Funding to the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center’s Coral Reef Ecosystem Division for scientific expeditions to American Samoa was provided by the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program. We greatly appreciate the field assistance of Emily Hirsch, Frances Lichowski, and Gillian Clague. We also express our gratitude to Kurt Hagedorn and Andy Wearing of the M/V Bonavista II.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to A. Y. Bare or J. J. Rooney.

Additional information

Communicated by Guest Editor Dr. John Marr

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bare, A.Y., Grimshaw, K.L., Rooney, J.J. et al. Mesophotic communities of the insular shelf at Tutuila, American Samoa. Coral Reefs 29, 369–377 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-010-0600-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-010-0600-y

Keywords

Navigation