Pre- and post-disturbance shifts of macroinvertebrate communities in Apo Reef Natural Park, Philippines
2024
Bacabac, M.M.A.
Globally, coral reefs have significantly declined over the past 40 years, reducing coral cover and the diversity of associated organisms. Research on offshore systems usually focuses on benthic habitat cover and reef fish, with limited information on post-disturbance macroinvertebrate communities on a local scale. This study examines the impact of two tropical cyclones on macroinvertebrate communities in Apo Reef Natural Park (ARNP) using remote sensing and standard community surveys. Typhoons Molave and Goni hit ARNP from October to November 2020, causing widespread damage to coral reefs particularly affecting branching corals. Despite observed benthic changes, macroinvertebrate communities maintained stable abundances over time, indicating inherent resilience. However, based on functional feeding groups (FFGs), specialists were sensitive to coral loss, while generalist taxa, dominated by echinoids, decapod crustaceans, and ophiuroids, remained unaffected. BIOENV and GLMM analyses revealed strong associations between macroinvertebrate communities, benthic cover, and predator biomass. Macroinvertebrates showed a positive relationship with hard coral and negative interactions with dead coral with algae (CA), and with invertivore reef fish in some reef types. These findings provide valuable insights into the dynamics of benthic macroinvertebrates in response to natural perturbations like severe tropical cyclones, contributing to our understanding of reef ecosystem resilience and adaptation.
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