Associational refuges among corals mediate impacts of a crown-of-thorns starfish Acanthaster planci outbreak Indirect positive interactions in communities

Interactions among coral populations can moderate the impact of coral predator outbreaks, enhancing community resilience and recovery. This study used predator-exclusion cages and neighbour removals in a field experiment to test how indirect interactions between populations of three coral taxa, Acropora, Pocillopora, and Porites, influenced their survival during an outbreak of the crown-of-thorns starfish, Acanthaster planci, in Moorea, French Polynesia. High densities of corals enhanced survival by generating associational refuges: physical structures that impeded Acanthaster and protected corals, and by simple density-dependent prey dilution that reduced predation rates. Acanthaster showed feeding preferences, resulting in varying intensities of predation on corals, which (1) influenced the type and strength of the associational refuge among corals and (2) resulted in significant loss of the competitive dominants to the benefit of the competitive inferiors. The result was a set of indirect positive interactions (IPIs) that prevented Acanthaster from eradicating Acropora and may have enhanced Porites, a relatively weak competitor among corals. IPIs probably play a key role in many ecosystems, especially in coral reefs in which corals act as engineer species, to reduce impacts of perturbations and enhance community resilience. This study illustrates the importance of IPIs in community regulation with a new conceptual model.     

Changes in Bleaching Susceptibility among Corals Subject to Ocean Warming and Recurrent Bleaching in Moorea,French Polynesia

Background

Climate-induced coral bleaching poses a major threat to coral reef ecosystems, mostly because of the sensitivities of key habitat-forming corals to increasing temperature. However, susceptibility to bleaching varies greatly among coral genera and there are likely to be major changes in the relative abundance of different corals, even if the wholesale loss of corals does not occur for several decades. Here we document variation in bleaching susceptibility among key genera of reef-building corals in Moorea, French Polynesia, and compare bleaching incidence during mass-bleaching events documented in 1991, 1994, 2002 and 2007.

Methodology/Principal Findings

This study compared the proportion of colonies that bleached for four major genera of reef-building corals (Acropora, Montipora, Pocillopora and Porites), during each of four well-documented bleaching events from 1991 to 2007. Acropora and Montipora consistently bleached in far greater proportions (up to 98%) than Pocillopora and Porites. However, there was an apparent and sustained decline in the proportion of colonies that bleached during successive bleaching events, especially for Acropora and Montipora. In 2007, only 77% of Acropora colonies bleached compared with 98% in 1991. Temporal variation in the proportion of coral colonies bleached may be attributable to differences in environmental conditions among years. Alternately, the sustained declines in bleaching incidence among highly susceptible corals may be indicative of acclimation or adaptation.

Conclusions/Significance

Coral genera that are highly susceptible to coral bleaching, and especially Acropora and Montipora, exhibit temporal declines in their susceptibility to thermal anomalies at Moorea, French Polynesia. One possible explanation for these findings is that gradual removal of highly susceptible genotypes (through selective mortality of individuals, populations, and/or species) is producing a coral assemblage that is more resistant to sustained and ongoing ocean warming.     

Latitudinal variation in growth and survival of juvenile corals in the West and South Pacific

Reef-building corals are found across > 30° of latitude from tropical to temperate regions, where they occupy habitats greatly differing in seawater temperature and light regimes. It remains largely unknown, however, how the demography of corals differs across this gradient of environmental conditions. Variation in coral growth is especially important to coral populations, because aspects of coral demography are dependent on colony size, with both fecundity and survivorship increasing with larger colonies. Here we tested for latitudinal variation in annual growth rate and survival of juvenile corals, using 11 study locations extending from 17° S to 33° N in the West and South Pacific. Regression analyses revealed a significant decline in annual growth rates with increasing latitude, whereas no significant latitudinal pattern was detected in annual survival. Seawater temperature showed a significant and positive association with annual growth rates. Growth rates varied among the four common genera, allowing them to be ranked Acropora > Pocillopora > Porites > Dipsastraea. Acropora and Pocillopora showed more variation in growth rates across latitudes than Porites and Dipsastraea. Although the present data have limitations with regard to difference in depths, survey periods, and replication among locations, they provide evidence that a higher capacity for growth of individual colonies may facilitate population growth, and hence population recovery following disturbances, at lower latitudes. These trends are likely to be best developed in Acropora and Pocillopora, which have high rates of colony growth.

     

Endosymbiotic flexibility associates with environmental sensitivity in scleractinian corals

Flexibility in biological systems is seen as an important driver of macro-ecosystem function and stability. Spatially constrained endosymbiotic settings, however, are less studied, although environmental thresholds of symbiotic corals are linked to the function of their endosymbiotic dinoflagellate communities. Symbiotic flexibility is a hypothesized mechanism that corals may exploit to adapt to climate change. This study explores the flexibility of the coral–Symbiodinium symbiosis through quantification of Symbiodinium ITS2 sequence assemblages in a range of coral species and genera. Sequence assemblages are expressed as an index of flexibility incorporating phylogenetic divergence and relative abundance of Symbiodinium sequences recovered from the host. This comparative analysis reveals profound differences in the flexibility of corals for Symbiodinium, thereby classifying corals as generalists or specifists. Generalists such as Acropora and Pocillopora exhibit high intra- and inter-species flexibility in their Symbiodinium assemblages and are some of the most environmentally sensitive corals. Conversely, specifists such as massive Porites colonies exhibit low flexibility, harbour taxonomically narrow Symbiodinium assemblages, and are environmentally resistant corals. Collectively, these findings challenge the paradigm that symbiotic flexibility enhances holobiont resilience. This underscores the need for a deeper examination of the extent and duration of the functional benefits associated with endosymbiotic diversity and flexibility under environmental stress.     

Effects of disturbance on coral communities: bleaching in Moorea,French Polynesia

This study examines patterns of susceptibility and short-term recovery of corals from bleaching. A mass coral bleaching event began in March, 1991 on reefs in Moorea, French Polynesia and affected corals on the shallow barrier reef and to >20 m depth on the outer forereef slope. There were significant differences in the effect of the bleaching among common coral genera, with Acropora, Montastrea, Montipora, and Pocillopora more affected than Porites, Pavona, leptastrea or Millepora. Individual colonies of the common species of Acropora and Pocillopora were marked and their fate assessed on a subsequent survey in August, 1991 to determine rates of recovery and mortality. Ninety-six percent of Acropora spp. showed some degree of bleaching compared to 76% of Pocillopora spp. From March to August mortality of bleached colonies of Pocillopora was 17%, 38% recovered completely, and many suffered some partial mortality of the tissue. In contrast, 63% of the Acropora spp. died, and about 10% recovered completely. Generally, those colonies with less than 50% of the colony area affected by the bleaching recovered at a higher rate than did those with more severe bleaching. Changes in community composition four months after the event began included a significant decrease only in crustose algae and an increase in cover of filamentous algae, much of which occupied plate-like and branching corals that had died in the bleaching event. Total coral cover and cover of susceptible coral genera had declined, but not significantly, after the event.     

Suppressed recovery of functionally important branching Acropora drives coral community composition changes following mass bleaching in Indonesia

Mass coral bleaching events may have disproportionate effects on branching corals, leading to coral community restructuring, reduced biodiversity, and decreased structural complexity. This affects overall reef health and resilience. Functionally important, fast-growing branching Acropora corals were a historically dominant and vital component of Indonesian reefs throughout the twentieth century, yet the genus is also one of the most vulnerable to external stressors. This study used long-term annual reef monitoring data from Indonesia’s Wakatobi Marine National Park (WMNP) to investigate the effects of a mass bleaching event in 2010 on Acropora and other branching corals, evaluate their post-disturbance recovery trajectories, and analyse shifts in coral community composition. Post-bleaching scleractinian coral cover decreased across study sites, with losses in branching corals especially evident. Long-term branching Acropora cover decreased significantly and failed to demonstrate the significant post-disturbance recovery of other branching corals (especially Porites). In areas characterised by relatively high branching Acropora cover (> 15% mean cover) prior to bleaching, long-term coral community composition changes have trended predominately towards branching and massive Porites and branching Montipora. The novelty and key contribution of this study is that results suggest suppressed recovery of Acropora in the WMNP. Contributing factors may include the Allee effect (inhibition of reproduction at low population densities), other forms of inhibited larval recruitment, direct and indirect spatial competition, and changes in the physical reef habitat. These findings have critical implications for this functionally important taxon, future reef conservation efforts, and overall reef health and resilience in the park.

     

Habitat Selectivity and Reliance on Live Corals for Indo-Pacific Hawkfishes (Family: Cirrhitidae)

Hawkfishes (family: Cirrhitidae) are small conspicuous reef predators that commonly perch on, or shelter within, the branches of coral colonies. This study examined habitat associations of hawkfishes, and explicitly tested whether hawkfishes associate with specific types of live coral. Live coral use and habitat selectivity of hawkfishes was explored at six locations from Chagos in the central Indian Ocean extending east to Fiji in the Pacific Ocean. A total of 529 hawkfishes from seven species were recorded across all locations with 63% of individuals observed perching on, or sheltering within, live coral colonies. Five species (all except Cirrhitus pinnulatus and Cirrhitichthys oxycephalus) associated with live coral habitats. Cirrhitichthys falco selected for species of Pocillopora while Paracirrhites arcatus and P. forsteri selected for both Pocillopora and Acropora, revealing that these habitats are used disproportionately more than expected based on the local cover of these coral genera. Habitat selection was consistent across geographic locations, and species of Pocillopora were the most frequently used and most consistently selected even though this coral genus never comprised more than 6% of the total coral cover at any of the locations. Across locations, Paracirrhites arcatus and P. forsteri were the most abundant species and variation in their abundance corresponded with local patterns of live coral cover and abundance of Pocilloporid corals, respectively. These findings demonstrate the link between small predatory fishes and live coral habitats adding to the growing body of literature highlighting that live corals (especially erect branching corals) are critically important for sustaining high abundance and diversity of fishes on coral reefs.     

Microstructural characteristics of the stony coral genus Acropora useful to coral reef paleoecology and modern conservation

Identification of fossil corals is often limited due to poor preservation of external skeleton morphology, especially in the genus Acropora which is widespread across the Indo‐Pacific. Based on skeleton characteristics from thin section, we here develop a link between the internal skeleton structure and external morphology. Ten characteristics were summarized to distinguish Acropora and five related genera, including the type and differentiation of corallites, the skeleton nature of corallites (septa, columellae, dissepiments, wall), and calcification centers within septa. Acropora is distinctive for its dimorphic corallites: axial and radial. Isopora is similar to Acropora but possess more than a single axial corallites. Montipora and Astreopora (family Acroporidae) have monomorphic corallites and a synapticular ring wall, with clustered calcification center in the former and medial lines in the latter. Pocillopora and Porties are classified by distinctive dissepiments, columellae and septa. These microstructural skeleton characteristics were effective in the genus identification of fossil corals from drilled cores in the South China Sea. Eighteen detailed characteristics (ten of axial corallites, four of radial corallites, and four of coenosteum) were used in the Acropora species classification. The axial corallites size and structure (including corallite diameter, synapticular rings, and septa), the septa of radial corallites, and the arrangement of coenosteum were critical indicators for species identification. This identification guide can help paleoenvironmental and paleoecological analyses and modern coral reef conservation and restoration.     

Effects of coral transplantation and giant clam restocking on the structure of fish communities on degraded patch reefs

Active restoration is being practiced to supplement conservation activities for the purpose of reversing the trend of reef degradation. In the last decade, the feasibility of different restoration approaches such as coral transplantation and restocking of other marine biota has been the focus of research and relatively few have examined experimentally its effects on the resultant communities. In this study, coral transplantation and giant clam restocking were applied on 25 degraded patch reefs (~ 25 m²) inside a marine sanctuary in Pangasinan, northwestern Philippines to examine their effects on the community structure of reef fishes. Five interventions or treatments were employed: 1) “coral” consisted of transplantation of a combination of Acropora spp. and Pocillopora spp. on concrete blocks; 2) “clam” consisted of restocking of Tridacna gigas; 3) “clam+coral” consisted of restocking of T. gigas with Acropora spp. transplanted on their shells; 4) “shell” consisted of deployment of T. gigas shells; and 5) “control” consisted of no intervention. Fish communities on the patch reefs were monitored monthly for 3 months before the intervention and were monitored further for 11 months after the intervention, including 1 recruitment season. After the intervention, the coral cover and the “other biota” category increased in the coral and clam+coral treatments, due to the transplanted corals and deployed giant clams. Consequently, the complexity of the substrate was enhanced. A month after the intervention, a rapid increase in the abundance and species richness of reef fishes on the coral, clam+coral and clam treatments was observed compared to the shell and control treatments. A change in species composition of reef fish assemblage was also apparent in the coral and clam+coral treatments relative to the clam, shell and control, especially 4 months after the intervention. The present experiment demonstrates the feasibility of improving the condition of degraded patch reefs, which can subsequently enhance the fish community. Results also show the importance of the underlying substratum and the abundance of live corals and clams to reef fishes.     

Recent disturbances augment community shifts in coral assemblages in Moorea, French Polynesia

Coral reefs are often subject to disturbances that can cause enduring changes in community structure and abundance of coral reef organisms. In Moorea, French Polynesia, frequent disturbances between 1979 and 2003 caused marked shifts in taxonomic composition of coral assemblages. This study explores recent changes in live cover and taxonomic structure of coral communities on the north coast of Moorea, French Polynesia, to assess whether coral assemblages are recovering (returning to a previous Acropora-dominated state) or continuing to move towards an alternative community structure. Coral cover declined by 29.7% between July 2003 and March 2009, mostly due to loss of Acropora and Montipora spp. Coral mortality varied among habitats, with highest levels of coral loss on the outer reef slope (7–20 m depth). In contrast, there was limited change in coral cover within the lagoon, and coral cover actually increased on the reef crest. Observed changes in coral cover and composition correspond closely with the known feeding preferences and observed spatial patterns of Acanthaster planci L., though observed coral loss also coincided with at least one episode of coral bleaching, as well as persistent populations of the corallivorous starfish Culcita novaeguineae Muller & Troschel. While climate change poses an important and significant threat to the future structure and dynamics coral reef communities, outbreaks of A. planci remain a significant cause of coral loss in Moorea. More importantly, these recent disturbances have followed long-term shifts in the structure of coral assemblages, and the relative abundance of both Pocillopora and Porites continue to increase due to disproportionate losses of Acropora and Montipora. Moreover, Pocillopora and Porites dominate assemblages of juvenile corals, suggesting that there is limited potential for a return to an Acropora-dominated state, last recorded in 1979.     

Microstructure of common reef-building coral genera Acropora, Pocillopora, Goniastrea and Porites: constraints on spatial resolution in geochemical sampling

Scleractinian corals are increasingly used as recorders of modern and paleoclimates. The microstructure of four common reef-building coral genera is documented here: Acropora, Pocillopora, Goniastrea, and Porites. This study highlights the complexity and spatial variability of skeletal growth in different coral genera and suggests that a single growth model is too generalized to allow the accurate depiction of the variability observed in the four genera studied. New models must be introduced in order for coral skeletogenesis to be understood adequately to allow coral skeletons to serve as repositories of temporally constrained geochemical data. Owing to differences in microstructural patterns in different genera, direct observation of microstructural elements and growth lines may be necessary to allow microsamples to be placed into series that represent temporal sequences with known degrees of time averaging. Such data are critical for constraining microsampling strategies aimed at developing true time series geochemical data at very fine spatial and temporal scales.     

Identification of Scleractinian Coral Recruits Using Fluorescent Censusing and DNA Barcoding Techniques

The identification of coral recruits has been problematic due to a lack of definitive morphological characters being available for higher taxonomic resolution. In this study, we tested whether fluorescent detection of coral recruits used in combinations of different DNA-barcoding markers (cytochrome oxidase I gene [COI], open reading frame [ORF], and nuclear Pax-C intron [PaxC]) could be useful for increasing the resolution of coral spat identification in ecological studies. One hundred and fifty settlement plates were emplaced at nine sites on the fringing reefs of Kenting National Park in southern Taiwan between April 2011 and September 2012. A total of 248 living coral spats and juveniles (with basal areas ranging from 0.21 to 134.57 mm²) were detected on the plates with the aid of fluorescent light and collected for molecular analyses. Using the COI DNA barcoding technique, 90.3% (224/248) of coral spats were successfully identified into six genera, including Acropora, Isopora, Montipora, Pocillopora, Porites, and Pavona. PaxC further separated I. cuneata and I. palifera of Isopora from Acropora, and ORF successfully identified the species of Pocillopora (except P. meandrina and P. eydouxi). Moreover, other cnidarian species such as actinarians, zoanthids, and Millepora species were visually found using fluorescence and identified by COI DNA barcoding. This combination of existing approaches greatly improved the taxonomic resolution of early coral life stages, which to date has been mainly limited to the family level based on skeletal identification. Overall, this study suggests important improvements for the identification of coral recruits in ecological studies.     

Transplantation and cultivation of fragments of coral colonies of various scleractinian species on a reef in Vietnam

Six coral species of the genus Acropora and two species of the genus Porites were studied during experiments on cultivation of reef-building scleractinian corals. The research has established species-specific factors and others affecting regeneration of fragments and growth of new colonies in these coral species. The accretion of donor fragments and new branches averaged from 40 to 160 mm per year, depending on the coral species, colony size, and season of transplantation. An average monthly accretion of medium and larger transplants and growth of new branches were 1.2–1.3 times higher at spring cultivation than at autumn transplanting. When transplanted, coral fragments of medium and larger sizes survived well and showed higher growth rates in all species studied. These transplants developed the highest number of new branches, and their buds and formed the largest colonies. Prolongation of the cultivation time from 1 to 1.5 years caused a 1.2–1.4 fold accretion of transplants.     

Relationships between benthic cover, current strength, herbivory, and a fisheries closure in Glovers Reef Atoll, Belize

Benthic cover, current strengths, and fish abundance and diversity were examined on 150 lagoonal patch reefs and mapped to determine their distribution, inter-relationships, and relationship to the fisheries closure in Glovers Reef Atoll. Current strength was highest at both the northern and southern ends of the atoll and largely controlled by local wind and weakly by tidal forcing. Benthic functional group distributions varied throughout the atoll and had distinct areas of dominance. In contrast, dominance of coral species was weaker, reflecting the lost cover and zonation of Acropora, Porites, and Montastraea that were reported in the 1970s. Hard and soft corals dominated the windward rim, while the central and leeward lagoon had lower current strengths and sea grass and fleshy green algae were relatively more abundant. Brown erect algae were relatively more common in the north and calcifying green and red algae the southern ends of the atoll. Only Montastraea-Agaricia agaricites distributions were similar to reports from the 1970s with high relative dominance in the southern and northeast atoll. The central-northern zone, which was described as an Acropora zone in the 1970s, was not recognizable, and Porites porites, P. astreoides, Millepora alcicornis, and Favia fragum were the most abundant species during this survey. Hard and soft coral cover abundance declined away from the reef rim and tidal channels and was associated with fast seawater turnover and high surgeonfish abundance. Consequently, the windward rim area has retained the most original and persistent hard-soft coral and surgeonfish community and is considered a priority for future management, if the goal is to protect coral from fishing impacts.     

Temporal consistency in background mortality of four dominant coral taxa along Australia’s Great Barrier Reef

Studies on the population and community dynamics of scleractinian corals typically focus on catastrophic mortality associated with acute disturbances (e.g., coral bleaching and outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish), though corals are subject to high levels of background mortality and injuries caused by routine and chronic processes. This study quantified prevalence (proportion of colonies with injuries) and severity (areal extent of injuries on individual colonies) of background mortality and injuries for four common coral taxa (massive Porites, encrusting Montipora, Acropora hyacinthus and branching Pocillopora) on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Sampling was conducted over three consecutive years during which there were no major acute disturbances. A total of 2276 adult colonies were surveyed across 27 sites, within nine reefs and three distinct latitudinal sectors. The prevalence of injuries was very high (>83%) across all four taxa, but highest for Porites (91%) and Montipora (85%). For these taxa (Montipora and Pocillopora), there was also significant temporal and spatial variation in prevalence of partial mortality. The severity of injuries ranged from 3% to more than 80% and varied among coral taxa, but was fairly constant spatially and temporally. This shows that some injuries have considerable longevity and that corals may invest relatively little in regenerating tissue over sites of previous injuries. Inter-colony variation in the severity of injury also had no apparent effect on the realized growth of individual colonies, suggesting that energy diverted to regeneration has a limited bearing on overall energetic allocation, or impacts on other life-history processes (e.g., reproduction) rather than growth. Establishing background levels of injury and regeneration is important for understanding energy investment and life-history consequences for reef-building corals as well as for predicting susceptibility to, and capacity to recover from, acute disturbances.     

Optimal choice of species and size class for transplanting coral community

Transplantation of sessile organisms living in a planned destruction site to a safe site is an important means of restoration to mitigate biodiversity loss following anthropogenic developments. In particular, corals, which play fundamental roles in the coral reef ecosystem and contribute to biodiversity, are good candidates for transplantation. In this study, we investigate the optimal choice of species and size class to be used for coral transplantation. We first studied a case in which the objective function to evaluate the success of transplantation is the maximum total coverage. The optimal strategy is to choose the species and size class with higher net coverage gain per unit handling effort. It is often recommended to transplant only one or a few species and neglect others, even if the original community consists of many species. This may achieve high coverage in the restored coral community but cause loss of species diversity. To overcome this problem, we next study a case in which the objective of the transplantation operation is to maximize the “prosperity index”, defined as the product of total coverage and species diversity. In this case, the optimal strategy depends on the species property, population size, and the limitation of total cost allowed for transplantation, but it tends to recommend more species to be transplanted than what is recommended by the coverage maximization criterion. We conclude that maximization of the prosperity index is a better criterion for transplantation than simple coverage maximization.     

Recurrent disturbances, recovery trajectories, and resilience of coral assemblages on a South Central Pacific reef

Coral reefs are increasingly threatened by various disturbances, and a critical challenge is to determine their ability for resistance and resilience. Coral assemblages in Moorea, French Polynesia, have been impacted by multiple disturbances (one cyclone and four bleaching events between 1991 and 2006). The 1991 disturbances caused large declines in coral cover (~51% to ~22%), and subsequent colonization by turf algae (~16% to ~49%), but this phase-shift from coral to algal dominance has not persisted. Instead, the composition of the coral community changed following the disturbances, notably favoring an increased cover of Porites, reduced cover of Montipora and Pocillopora, and a full return of Acropora; in this form, the reef returned to pre-disturbance coral cover within a decade. Thus, this coral assemblage is characterized by resilience in terms of coral cover, but plasticity in terms of community composition.     

Latitudinal variation in coral communities in eastern Australia: a qualitative biophysical model of factors regulating coral reefs

The processes underlying the distributional limits of both corals and coral reefs can be elucidated by examining coral communities at high latitudes. Coral-dominated communities in eastern Australia cover a latitudinal range of >2,500 km, from the northern Great Barrier Reef (11°S) to South West Rocks (31.5°S). Patterns of coral species richness from 11 locations showed a clear separation between the Great Barrier Reef and subtropical sites, with a further abrupt change at around 31°S. Differences in community structure between the Great Barrier Reef and more southern sites were mainly attributable to higher cover of massive corals, branching Acropora, dead coral and coralline algae on the Great Barrier Reef, and higher cover of macroalgae and bare rock at more southern sites. The absence of some major reef-building taxa (i.e., staghorn Acropora and massive Porites) from most subtropical sites coincided with the loss of reef accretion capacity. Despite high cover of hard corals in communities at up to 31°S, only Lord Howe Island contained areas of reef accretion south of the Great Barrier Reef. Factors that have been hypothesized to account for latitudinal changes in coral community structure include water temperature, aragonite saturation, light availability, currents and larval dispersal, competition between corals and other biota including macroalgae, reduced coral growth rates, and failure of coral reproduction or recruitment. These factors do not operate independently of each other, and they interact in complex ways.     

Species-Specific Responses of Corals to Bleaching Events on Anthropogenically Turbid Reefs on Okinawa Island,Japan, over a 15-year Period (1995–2009)

Coral bleaching, triggered by elevated sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) has caused a decline in coral cover and changes in the abundances of corals on reefs worldwide. Coral decline can be exacerbated by the effects of local stressors like turbidity, yet some reefs with a natural history of turbidity can support healthy and resilient coral communities. However, little is known about responses of coral communities to bleaching events on anthropogenically turbid reefs as a result of recent (post World War II) terrestrial runoff. Analysis of region-scale coral cover and species abundance at 17–20 sites on the turbid reefs of Okinawa Island (total of 79 species, 30 genera, and 13 families) from 1995 to 2009 indicates that coral cover decreased drastically, from 24.4% to 7.5% (1.1%/year), subsequent to bleaching events in 1998 and 2001. This dramatic decrease in coral cover corresponded to the demise of Acropora species (e.g., A. digitifera) by 2009, when Acropora had mostly disappeared from turbid reefs on Okinawa Island. In contrast, Merulinidae species (e.g., Dipsastraea pallida/speciosa/favus) and Porites species (e.g., P. lutea/australiensis), which are characterized by tolerance to thermal stress, survived on turbid reefs of Okinawa Island throughout the period. Our results suggest that high turbidity, influenced by recent terrestrial runoff, could have caused a reduction in resilience of Acropora species to severe thermal stress events, because the corals could not have adapted to a relatively recent decline in water quality. The coral reef ecosystems of Okinawa Island will be severely impoverished if Acropora species fail to recover.