Dataset: Polyp settlement and polyp counts on experimental tiles with different levels of turf algae cover during an in-situ experiment in St. John, US Virgin Islands in August and September of 2019.

ValidatedRelease Date:2021-09-01Final no updates expectedDOI: 10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.855867.1Version 1 (2021-07-16)Dataset Type:Other Field ResultsDataset Type:experimental

Principal Investigator: Howard Lasker (State University of New York at Buffalo)

Scientist: Angela Martinez-Quintana (State University of New York at Buffalo)

Scientist: Kaitlyn Tonra (State University of New York at Buffalo)

Scientist, Contact: Christopher Wells (State University of New York at Buffalo)

Technician: Emily Anderson (State University of New York at Buffalo)

BCO-DMO Data Manager: Amber D. York (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)


Project: Collaborative Research: Pattern and process in the abundance and recruitment of Caribbean octocorals (Octocoral Community Dynamics)


Abstract

Polyp settlement and polyp counts on experimental tiles with different levels of turf algae cover (low: “scrubbed”; medium: “reef”; high: “protected”) up to 57 days after settlement. The in-situ experiment took place in Grootpan Bay, St. John, US Virgin Islands between August 3rd to September 9th, 2019.

Methodology: 

Custom-fired stoneware clay tiles were deployed and conditioned on an octocoral-dominated reef in Grootpan Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. One of three treatments was applied to each tile (n = 8 per treatment): a control, referred to as Reef; scrubbed with a soft nylon bristle brush, referred to as Scrubbed; or removed from the reef and maintained in a sea table for 15 days, referred to as Protected. Tiles were placed into 41  29  17 cm plastic containers filled with 12 L of 10 m filtered seawater. Two tiles from the same treatment were placed in each container on top of 1 cm square plastic mesh, rolled into 5 cm tall cylinders so that tiles were lifted off the bottom of the container to provide water circulation underneath. Competent planulae (n = 150) were added to each container and allowed to settle for eight days and then polyps were counted.

Nine days after adding planulae, the tiles were deployed onto the reef at Grootpan Bay, where the tiles were initially conditioned. We counted the number of polyps on the undersides of the tiles on the day of deployment (day 0) and 2, 5, 9, 14, 19, and 57 days after deployment. On 9 of the 24 tiles, polyps were also counted and mapped on days 6, 9, 11, 14, 16, 19, and 57 to assess polyp survival and quantify settlement in the field.

Location: Grootpan Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands (also known as East Cabritte in other studies) (18.309, -64.719). All tiles were deployed at this site. 


Related Datasets

IsRelatedTo

Dataset: Turf Polyp Locations
Relationship Description: Coordinates (in cm) for the polyp locations of a subset of the tiles from the same experiment.
Wells, C., Martinez-Quintana, A., Tonra, K., Lasker, H. (2021) Locations of mapped polyps on experimental tiles with different levels of turf algae cover during an in-situ experiment in St. John, US Virgin Islands in August and September of 2019. Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO). (Version 1) Version Date 2021-07-16 doi:10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.855889.1
IsRelatedTo

Dataset: Turf Tile Cover
Relationship Description: Polyp counts on different tile parts measured over time for the same experiment.
Wells, C., Martinez-Quintana, A., Tonra, K., Lasker, H. (2021) Percent cover of living organisms on experimental tiles with different levels of turf algae cover during an in-situ experiment in St. John, US Virgin Islands in August and September of 2019. Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO). (Version 1) Version Date 2021-09-14 doi:10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.855879.1

Related Publications

Results

Wells, C. D., Martínez-Quintana, Á., Tonra, K. J., & Lasker, H. R. (2021). Algal turf negatively affects recruitment of a Caribbean octocoral. Coral Reefs. doi:10.1007/s00338-021-02103-z