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Characterizing the unique habitat of Montipora dilatata
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2014
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[PDF-1.15 MB]
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Description:Montipora dilatata is a rare coral that has been found only in Kāne'ohe Bay, Hawaii, and on Maro Reef in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (Forsman et al. 2010). In recent decades M. dilatata has been decreasing in abundance and is now considered a Species of Concern (SOC) by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS). In this study, known M. dilatata colonies in Northern Kāne'ohe Bay were surveyed to determine if the environmental parameters of the colonies are similar on different reefs of similar size and location. The confirmed colonies were compared with random points on a nearby reef on which M. dilatata had not been previously identified. A visual survey was completed on this reef which resulted in several potential M. dilatata colonies being identified based on morphology. Community structure, water depth, pH, salinity, spatial complexity, and colony size were compared between reefs using t-test analyses. These results could indicate the likelihood of the unidentified colonies being M. dilatata based on similarities and differences between the three studied reefs.
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Rights Information:Public Domain
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