Recruitment of Pocillopora coral on experimental tiles in the Mexican Pacific

Pocillopora recruitment in the Mexican Pacific

Authors

  • J. Fernando Alvarado-Rodríguez Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Baja California
  • Calderon-Aguilera, L. E. Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Baja California https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5427-6043
  • Cabral-Tena, R. A. Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Baja California

Keywords:

Coral recruitment, experimental substrate, terracotta tiles, Mexican pacific

Abstract

Background. The recruitment of branching corals in the eastern Pacific is poorly understood despite being of paramount importance to the dynamics of coral populations. Experimental studies provide a non-destructive means to evaluate recruitment and compare settlement materials. Goals. To study Pocillopora recruitment on PVC and terracotta tiles in Bahía Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo (Mexican Pacific). Methods. We deployed 40 square (10 x 10 x 0.5 cm) experimental (20 PVC and 20 unglazed terracotta) tiles arranged as Calcification/Accretion Units at the Islote Zacatoso reef. Results. We observed two coral recruits at the edges of terracotta tiles, presumably due to light availability, and no recruits on horizontal sides, which may have been due to siltation stress, predation, or biofouling. No recruits were found on PVC tiles. Conclusions. Our findings indicate that the coral recruitment is low in the study area and that the terracotta tiles may be a better experimental substrate than PVC tiles to assess pocilloporid coral recruitment in the Mexican Pacific; however, further studies are needed to clarify this assumption.

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Author Biographies

Calderon-Aguilera, L. E. , Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Baja California

I'm a marine ecologist and my research interests broadly speaking are on trying to understand the effect of climate change on the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems and adaptive management of coastal fisheries. My goal as a researcher is to propose alternatives for the correct management and sustainable use of natural resources, based on ecological knowledge and under criteria of common good, which have an impact on social welfare.

Cabral-Tena, R. A., Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Baja California

Rafael Andrés Cabral-Tena currently works at the Department of Marine Ecology, Ensenada Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education. Rafael does research in Zoology, Marine Biology and Ecology

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Published

2023-05-10

How to Cite

Alvarado-Rodríguez, J. F., Calderon-Aguilera, L. E., & Cabral-Tena, R. A. . (2023). Recruitment of Pocillopora coral on experimental tiles in the Mexican Pacific: Pocillopora recruitment in the Mexican Pacific. HIDROBIOLÓGICA, 33(3). Retrieved from https://hidrobiologica.izt.uam.mx/hidrobiologica/index.php/revHidro/article/view/1667

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Nota Científica