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Bermuda

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Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems

Part of the book series: Coral Reefs of the World ((CORW,volume 12))

Abstract

Bermuda’s subtropical coral reefs represent the northernmost reef system in the Atlantic Ocean, and consist of a large lagoon with thousands of patch reefs, bounded along the edge by a shallow annular rim reef tract that drops quickly to mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) encircling the entire platform and two adjacent shallow seamounts. Although extensive investigations on Bermuda’s MCEs are lacking, several historical studies, conducted via dredging (late 1800s), followed by more recent investigations (1970s–2000s) using traps, deep diving, submersibles, and remotely operated vehicles, have occurred, and thus, a diverse collection of information has accumulated on MCEs. These studies reveal reefs dominated by scleractinian corals that decrease in abundance and diversity from upper to lower MCEs towards habitat dominated by fossil biogenic reefs and rhodolith beds with low topographic complexity. Fish and algal communities thrive on MCEs in Bermuda, and it is suggested that depth may serve as a refuge from fishing pressure for many species. However, invasive lionfish (Pterois spp.) are documented in high abundance on MCEs in Bermuda, which may threaten the health of these ecosystems. Here we discuss research, albeit limited, conducted on MCEs in Bermuda including descriptions of the physical environment, benthic habitat, and general ecology, with particular attention to the biodiversity of major taxonomic groups, and provide suggestions for ecosystem management and conservation.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Relative abundance is defined as the maximum number of any one species seen at one time during a 60 min BRUVs deployment.

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Acknowledgements

Portions of this work were funded by the Bermuda Zoological Society’s Research and Conservation Committee, the XL Caitlin Deep Ocean Survey–Nekton mission in the Northwest Atlantic and Bermuda, and DarwinPlus (DPLUS001) from the UK Department of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs. Special thanks are given to the Ocean Support Foundation for technical diving support. We also thank C. Schneider for helpful comments and guidance on MCE algae diversity, D. Wagner for helpful insight regarding antipatharian corals, and J. Heinerth and A. Chequer for underwater images.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences, St. Georges, Bermuda

    Gretchen Goodbody-Gringley & Timothy Noyes

  2. Natural History, Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo, Flatt’s, Bermuda, Bermuda

    Struan R. Smith

Authors
  1. Gretchen Goodbody-Gringley
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  2. Timothy Noyes
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  3. Struan R. Smith
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gretchen Goodbody-Gringley .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Yossi Loya

  2. National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Silver Spring, MD, USA

    Kimberly A. Puglise

  3. Biodiversity and Geosciences Program, Museum of Tropical Queensland, Queensland Museum Network, Townsville, QLD, Australia

    Tom C.L. Bridge

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Goodbody-Gringley, G., Noyes, T., Smith, S.R. (2019). Bermuda. In: Loya, Y., Puglise, K., Bridge, T. (eds) Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems. Coral Reefs of the World, vol 12. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92735-0_2

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