Department of Animal Sciences and Marine Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
Iranian National Institute for Oceanography and Atmospheric Science (INIOAS), Tehran, Iran.
Biofouling. 2023 Oct-Nov;39(9-10):1004-1014. doi: 10.1080/08927014.2023.2300141. Epub 2024 Jan 19.
Coral reefs are highly biodiverse ecosystems, enriched by a range of biofouling species. Temporal variations in biofouling can affect ecosystem stability, but these diverse coral-associated communities remain underexplored in some regions. In the present study, biofouling assemblages of coral reefs in the Chabahar Bay were investigated during a summer monsoon at three deployment periods. In total, 26 taxa were identified with barnacles and polychaetes being the dominant taxa during the whole study. The coverage percentage was driven mostly by the encrusting taxa such as bryozoans and algae while biomass was determined by the dominance of shell-forming taxa. The results of PERMANOVA showed that the effects of the submersion period were significant on the assemblage structure. Biofouling assessment plays a pivotal role in safeguarding the intricate balance and long-term health of coral reef ecosystems. For a comprehensive understanding of biofouling dynamics and interactions with coral-associated species, conducting long-term studies is vital.
珊瑚礁是高度多样化的生态系统，丰富多样的生物污损物种为其增色不少。生物污损的时间变化会影响生态系统的稳定性，但在某些地区，这些多样化的珊瑚相关群落仍未得到充分探索。在本研究中，在三个部署期内，对恰巴哈尔湾的珊瑚礁生物污损群落进行了夏季季风的调查。总共鉴定出 26 个分类群，藤壶和多毛类动物是整个研究期间的主要分类群。覆盖百分比主要受附生类群（如苔藓虫和藻类）驱动，而生物量则由造壳类群的优势决定。PERMANOVA 的结果表明，淹没期对群落结构的影响显著。生物污损评估在保护珊瑚礁生态系统的复杂平衡和长期健康方面起着关键作用。为了全面了解生物污损动态及其与珊瑚相关物种的相互作用，进行长期研究至关重要。
