Abstract
Cladocora caespitosa is a colonial and symbiotic scleractinian coral endemic to the Mediterranean Sea, which is threatened by disturbances related to global change. To assess its recovery capacity from physically induced tissue injuries, one to three polyps from 46 colonies were collected at 15 m depth in the Columbretes Islands Marine Reserve (NW Mediterranean Sea) and were subjected to injuries that partially affected both tissue and skeleton. For 3 months, colonies were maintained in aquaria, where polyps were surveyed photographically every 2 days. The first signs of recovery were detected during the 3rd week and 68 % of injured polyps showed total recovery after 2 months. The recovery capacity in aquarium conditions contrasts with the slow growth of this long-lived species. However, rapid recovery is an advantage in competition with other organisms of shallow dynamic Mediterranean communities. Further research on recovery mechanisms is needed to better assess the resilience of this species.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Kersting DK, Linares C (2012) Cladocora caespitosa bioconstructions in the Columbretes Islands Marine Reserve (Spain, NW Mediterranean): distribution, size structure and growth. Mar Ecol 33:427–436
Kersting DK, Bensoussan N, Linares C (2013) Long-term responses of the endemic reef-builder Cladocora caespitosa to Mediterranean warming. PLoS One 8:e70820
Kersting DK, Ballesteros E, De Caralt S, Linares C (2014) Invasive macrophytes in a marine reserve (Columbretes Islands, NW Mediterranean): spread dynamics and interactions with the endemic scleractinian coral Cladocora caespitosa. Biol Inv. doi:10.1007/s10530-013-0594-9
Kružic P, Žuljevic A, Nikolic V (2008) The highly invasive alga Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea poses a new threat to the banks of the coral Cladocora caespitosa in the Adriatic Sea. Coral Reefs 27:441
Kružić P, Sršen P, Cetinić K, Zavodnik D (2013) Coral tissue mortality of the coral Cladocora caespitosa caused by gastropod Coralliophila meyendorffi in the Mljet National Park (eastern Adriatic Sea). J Mar Biol Assoc UK 93:2101–2108
Morri C, Peirano A, Bianchi CN, Sassarini M (1994) Present day bioconstructions of the hard coral, Cladocora caespitosa (L.) (Anthozoa, Scleractinia), in the Eastern Ligurian Sea (NW Mediterranean). Biol Mar Mediterr 1:371–373
Movilla J, Calvo E, Pelejero C, Coma R, Serrano E, Fernández-Vallejo P, Ribes M (2012) Calcification reduction and recovery in native and non-native Mediterranean corals in response to ocean acidification. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 438:144–153
Rodolfo-Metalpa R, Bianchi CN, Peirano A, Morri C (2005) Tissue necrosis and mortality of the temperate coral Cladocora caespitosa. Ital J Zool 72:271–276
Zibrowius H (1980) Les Scléractiniaires de la Méditerranée et de l’Atlantique nord-oriental. Mem Inst Oceanogr Monaco 11:1–284
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to all the staff of the ZAE at the Institut de Ciències del Mar for assistance with aquarium experiments. We further thank the editor (B. Hoeksema) and two anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments. The study has been partially funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Innovation through the Smart project (CGL2012-32194) and a Ramón y Cajal contract to C.L. (RyC-2011-08134).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Casado, C., Kersting, D.K., Cebrian, E. et al. Rapid recovery from injuries in the temperate long-lived coral Cladocora caespitosa . Mar Biodiv 45, 135–137 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-014-0219-2
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-014-0219-2