Document of bibliographic reference 361965

BibliographicReference record

Type

Bibliographic resource

Type of document

Journal article

BibLvlCode

AS

Title

Invasive red alga Kappaphycus alvarezii on the reefs of the Gulf of Mannar, India – a persistent threat to the corals

Abstract

Habitat destruction by destroying the foundation species is one of the important damages caused by invasive species. The red alga Kappaphycus alvarezii is commercially important as a source of carrageenan and has been introduced in many countries for commercial cultivation. Due to its invasive potential, this red alga has been widely reported to be a big threat to coral reefs in many reef regions including the Gulf of Mannar (GoM) in India. Here we report the invasion of red alga K. alvarezii to new reef sites in Valai and Thalaiyari Islands within GoM and the coral mortality caused in the newly invaded sites from 2019 to 2021. We also discuss the geographical extension of K. alvarezii within GoM from its initial invasion point and its impact on corals from 2005 to 2021. During our regular reef monitoring surveys within GoM, we found K. alvarezii to be overgrowing live acroporan corals of Valai and Thalaiyari islands of GoM for the first time in May 2019 and we used standard underwater protocols to assess the impact of the alga on corals at different time periods between May 2019 and March 2021. Live coral cover in the invaded area decreased by 9.1% in Valai Island and by 3.9% in Thalaiyari Island due to the coral mortality caused by K. alvarezii during the study period. K. alvarezii was observed to overgrow live corals and kill them eventually at the affected sites. Acropora branching morphotype was found to be the most affected by K. alvarezii. Various measures including manual removal have been taken to keep the invasion under control. In spite of the efforts to eradicate K. alvarezii from the reefs of GoM, it remains a persistent threat to the survival of corals. We emphasize the importance of properly managing the already stressed and ecologically sensitive reef resources of GoM from the invasion of K. alvarezii in order to guarantee the long-term livelihood benefits of dependent fisher-folk.

WebOfScience code

https://www.webofscience.com/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:000953582000013

Bibliographic citation

Arasamuthu, A.; Laju, R.L.; Diraviya, R.K.; Ashok, K.T.K.; Leewis, R.; Patterson, E. (2023). Invasive red alga Kappaphycus alvarezii on the reefs of the Gulf of Mannar, India – a persistent threat to the corals. Bioinvasions Records 12(1): 151-166. https://dx.doi.org/10.3391/bir.2023.12.1.13

Topic

Marine

Is peer reviewed

true

Access rights

open access

Is accessible for free

true