13 – Biodiversity
127
with most species having well defined habitat requirements in terms of depth, water clarity and water
movement.
In the following chapters, most authors have given
some idea of the diversity of each group where known.
As will become clear, however, many of the specialists
in the following chapters could only give partial estimates of the diversity of their groups because much of
the diversity is currently undescribed. Even less is
known about their distributional patterns along the
GBR. This was recently highlighted by the seabed biodiversity project (Chapter 6). In general, our knowledge tends to decline with decreasing size of the
organism, with the meiofauna inhabiting the soft sediments most poorly known, along with the permanent
members of the plankton.
In summary, it seems likely that for most invertebrate groups the number of species is higher in the
northern GBR than in the southern, and distinct distribution patterns occur across the shelf as well as within
a reef depending on levels of exposure, depth and water
clarity. As many of the invertebrates and many fish species recruit by pelagic larvae, larval recruitment is a
critical factor in determining adult populations. Events
that modify the supply of larval recruits may have significant impacts on successful recruitment many kilometres away. As discussed in earlier chapters, coral
reefs are dynamic environments and anthropogenic impacts are increasingly influencing patterns of biogeography on the GBR. With climate change we may expect
to see species distributions extending further south into
cooler waters, providing suitable habitats exist. Key
processes that need to be understood include: speciation, endemism, coexistence, extinction, the vulnerability of taxa and the habitats in which they live as well as
biological and physical stressors affecting biodiversity
that vary in space and time.
ADDITIONAL READING
Biodiversity measures
Clarke, K. R., and Warwick, R. M. (1994). ‘Change in
Marine Communities: An Approach to Statistical
Analyses and Interpretation.’ (Natural Environment Research Council: London.)
Clarke, K. R., and Warwick, R. M. (1999). The taxonomic
distinctness measure of biodiversity: weighting of
step lengths between hierarchical levels. Marine
Ecology Progress Series 184, 21–29.
Krebs, C. J. (1989). ‘Ecological Methodology.’ (Harper
& Row: New York.)
Biodiversity and ecosystem management
Folke, C., Carpenter, S., Walker, B., Scheffer, M., Elmqvist,
T., Gunderson, L., and Holling, C. S. (2004). Regime
shifts, resilience and biodiversity in ecosystem management. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and
Systematics 35, 557–581.
Frid, C. L. J., Paramor, O. A. L., and Scott, C. L. (2006).
Ecosystem-based management of fisheries: is science limiting? ICES Journal of Marine Science 63,
1567–1572.
Singh, J. S. (2002). The biodiversity crisis: a multifaceted review. Current Science 82(6), 638–647.
Effects of climate change
Hutchings, P. A., Ahyong, S., Byrne, M., Przeslawski,
R., and Wörheide, G. (2007). Benthic invertebrates
(excluding corals). GBR Ecological Vulnerability Assessment. In ‘Climate Change and the Great Barrier
Reef’. (Eds. J. Johnson and P. Marshall.) pp. 309–356.
(Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Australian Greenhouse Office: Townsville.)
Distribution of corals across the Indo-Pacific
Veron, J. E. N. (2000). ‘Corals of the World.’ (Australian
Institute of Marine Sciences: Townsville.)
Wallace, C. C. (1999). ‘Staghorn Corals of the World.’
(CSIRO Publishing: Collingwood, Victoria.)
Origin of biodiversity in the region
Wilson, M. E. J., and Rosen, B. R. (1998). Implications of
paucity of corals in the Paleogene of SE Asia: plate
tectonics or Centre of Origin? In ‘Biogeography and
Geological Evolution of SE Asia’. (Eds. R. Hall and
J. D. Holloway.) pp. 165–195. (Backhuys Publishers:
Leiden.)
127
with most species having well defined habitat requirements in terms of depth, water clarity and water
movement.
In the following chapters, most authors have given
some idea of the diversity of each group where known.
As will become clear, however, many of the specialists
in the following chapters could only give partial estimates of the diversity of their groups because much of
the diversity is currently undescribed. Even less is
known about their distributional patterns along the
GBR. This was recently highlighted by the seabed biodiversity project (Chapter 6). In general, our knowledge tends to decline with decreasing size of the
organism, with the meiofauna inhabiting the soft sediments most poorly known, along with the permanent
members of the plankton.
In summary, it seems likely that for most invertebrate groups the number of species is higher in the
northern GBR than in the southern, and distinct distribution patterns occur across the shelf as well as within
a reef depending on levels of exposure, depth and water
clarity. As many of the invertebrates and many fish species recruit by pelagic larvae, larval recruitment is a
critical factor in determining adult populations. Events
that modify the supply of larval recruits may have significant impacts on successful recruitment many kilometres away. As discussed in earlier chapters, coral
reefs are dynamic environments and anthropogenic impacts are increasingly influencing patterns of biogeography on the GBR. With climate change we may expect
to see species distributions extending further south into
cooler waters, providing suitable habitats exist. Key
processes that need to be understood include: speciation, endemism, coexistence, extinction, the vulnerability of taxa and the habitats in which they live as well as
biological and physical stressors affecting biodiversity
that vary in space and time.
ADDITIONAL READING
Biodiversity measures
Clarke, K. R., and Warwick, R. M. (1994). ‘Change in
Marine Communities: An Approach to Statistical
Analyses and Interpretation.’ (Natural Environment Research Council: London.)
Clarke, K. R., and Warwick, R. M. (1999). The taxonomic
distinctness measure of biodiversity: weighting of
step lengths between hierarchical levels. Marine
Ecology Progress Series 184, 21–29.
Krebs, C. J. (1989). ‘Ecological Methodology.’ (Harper
& Row: New York.)
Biodiversity and ecosystem management
Folke, C., Carpenter, S., Walker, B., Scheffer, M., Elmqvist,
T., Gunderson, L., and Holling, C. S. (2004). Regime
shifts, resilience and biodiversity in ecosystem management. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and
Systematics 35, 557–581.
Frid, C. L. J., Paramor, O. A. L., and Scott, C. L. (2006).
Ecosystem-based management of fisheries: is science limiting? ICES Journal of Marine Science 63,
1567–1572.
Singh, J. S. (2002). The biodiversity crisis: a multifaceted review. Current Science 82(6), 638–647.
Effects of climate change
Hutchings, P. A., Ahyong, S., Byrne, M., Przeslawski,
R., and Wörheide, G. (2007). Benthic invertebrates
(excluding corals). GBR Ecological Vulnerability Assessment. In ‘Climate Change and the Great Barrier
Reef’. (Eds. J. Johnson and P. Marshall.) pp. 309–356.
(Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Australian Greenhouse Office: Townsville.)
Distribution of corals across the Indo-Pacific
Veron, J. E. N. (2000). ‘Corals of the World.’ (Australian
Institute of Marine Sciences: Townsville.)
Wallace, C. C. (1999). ‘Staghorn Corals of the World.’
(CSIRO Publishing: Collingwood, Victoria.)
Origin of biodiversity in the region
Wilson, M. E. J., and Rosen, B. R. (1998). Implications of
paucity of corals in the Paleogene of SE Asia: plate
tectonics or Centre of Origin? In ‘Biogeography and
Geological Evolution of SE Asia’. (Eds. R. Hall and
J. D. Holloway.) pp. 165–195. (Backhuys Publishers:
Leiden.)