Ecological insights from environmental disturbances in mesophotic coral ecosystems

Roa rumsfeldi, a new butterflyfish (Teleostei, Chaetodontidae) from mesophotic coral ecosystems of the Philippines

A new species of the butterflyfish genus Roa is herein described from the Verde Island Passage in the Philippines, West Pacific Ocean. Roa rumsfeldisp. n. was found on mesophotic coral ecosystems at Puerto Galera and Batangas, and sampled through technical mixed-gas rebreather diving at 100-130 m depth. This represents the fifth known species of Roa. The main differences between Roa rumsfeldisp...

Seriatopora Diversity Preserved in Upper Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems in Southern Japan

Coral reefs worldwide are facing increasing stress due to drastic changes in their environment. Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) have been considered as a potential refuge from several major stressors, such as warm-water bleaching events. However, their role as a subsequent source of larvae remains unclear for many species, particularly as genetic differentiation of corals over depth has freq...

A comprehensive investigation of mesophotic coral ecosystems in the Hawaiian Archipelago

Although the existence of coral-reef habitats at depths to 165 m in tropical regions has been known for decades, the richness, diversity, and ecological importance of mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) has only recently become widely acknowledged. During an interdisciplinary effort spanning more than two decades, we characterized the most expansive MCEs ever recorded, with vast macroalgal commu...

Mesophotic Coral Reef Ecosystems in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area

Mesophotic Coral Reef Ecosystems of the US Virgin Islands and the Caribbean

Mesophotic coral reefs (MPR) are some of the least studied and most poorly understood light dependant coral habitats in the world. These reefs form in deep, dimly lit waters around the globe in what has been called the “Twilight Zone”. Available data for the Caribbean and extrapolation from bathymetric data suggest that these environments are extensive between 30 and 100 m. These systems are sp...