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Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems pp 477–490Cite as

Chile and the Salas y Gómez Ridge

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

Abstract

In Chile, light-dependent benthic taxa have been observed to ~280 m with the presence of zooxanthellate cnidarians forming mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) to depths of at least 120 m at Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and Salas y Gómez. Evidence from dredge samples suggests MCEs in the southeast Pacific once extended along the Salas y Gómez Ridge as far east as ~85° W, but MCEs in Chile were virtually unexplored prior to 2010. Despite providing critical structural habitat for numerous flora and fauna, including commercially important fishes, basic information about their geographic distribution and community structure are lacking. Here, we review the state of knowledge on these communities and present preliminary results from the most recent surveys at Rapa Nui. Surveys at mesophotic depths (30–280 m) have revealed ecosystems dominated by crustose coralline algae with occasional patches of rhodoliths, undiscovered biodiversity, the first reports of wide-ranging Pacific species, and reports of potential new species in multiple taxa including fishes and echinoderms. Preliminary observations suggest fish communities change with depth and time of day, some habitats support commercially important and juvenile fishes, and MCEs and fisheries at Rapa Nui are in decline due to local, artisanal fishing practices. The recent designation of no-take marine parks in Chile may help to conserve these habitats, but additional information is required to support management decisions and future conservation efforts at Rapa Nui, Salas y Gómez, and seamounts within the Chilean Exclusive Economic Zone.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financed by the Chilean Millennium Initiative ESMOI, Oceana Chile, the postdoctoral Fondecyt N° 3160195 grant to JA, Fondecyt N° 1181153 to JS, and the Chilean National Oceanographic Committee grant C22 16-09.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, TX, USA

    Erin E. Easton

  2. Millennium Nucleus for Ecology and Sustainable Management of Oceanic Islands (ESMOI), Departamento de Biología Marina, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile

    Erin E. Easton, Ariadna Mecho, Javier Sellanes, Carlos F. Gaymer & Jaime Aburto

  3. Oceana Chile, Santiago, Chile

    Matthias Gorny

  4. Department of Botany, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA

    Heather L. Spalding

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  1. Erin E. Easton
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  2. Matthias Gorny
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  3. Ariadna Mecho
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  4. Javier Sellanes
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  5. Carlos F. Gaymer
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  6. Heather L. Spalding
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  7. Jaime Aburto
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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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Easton, E.E. et al. (2019). Chile and the Salas y Gómez Ridge. 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_27

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