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Caribbean octocoral communities: finding the forest for the trees?

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Title: Caribbean octocoral communities: finding the forest for the trees?
Authors: Lasker, Howard R.1 (AUTHOR) hlasker@buffalo.edu, Bramanti, Lorenzo2 (AUTHOR), Edmunds, Peter J.3 (AUTHOR), Girard, John F.4 (AUTHOR), Pages, Nolwenn2 (AUTHOR), Tonra, Kaitlyn J.5 (AUTHOR), Wells, Christopher D.1,6 (AUTHOR), Guizien, Katell2 (AUTHOR)
Source: Coral Reefs. Feb2026, Vol. 45 Issue 1, p111-120. 10p.
Subject Terms: *Octocorallia, *Animal population density, *Coral reefs & islands, *Plant canopies, *Alcyonacea, *Climate change, *Biological fluid dynamics, *Fluid flow
Geographic Terms: Saint John (United States Virgin Islands), Caribbean, United States Virgin Islands
Abstract: Octocorals have increased in abundance on many Caribbean coral reefs, and at some sites, "octocoral forest" may be a better community descriptor than "coral reef." Implicit to the concept of a forest is that structural elements, i.e., trees, colonies, etc., alter the environment in ways that affect the structural elements themselves and the organisms that inhabit the forest. At what density do the structural elements create the emergent properties of a "forest?" Communities traditionally characterized as hardgrounds and coral reefs around Puerto Rico and St John, US Virgin Islands, varied in density of octocoral colonies from a few to > 100 colonies m−2 in surveys conducted in 2021 and 2022. Canopy cover was correlated with the density of colonies, but among the quadrats with the highest octocoral densities, there was no significant correlation between numbers of colonies and canopy cover. Frontal area, a measure related to the community's effect on water flow, as well as the volume occupied by colonies followed patterns similar to canopy cover. Vertical profiles of flow velocity were measured from the substratum to 2.3 m above the bottom on a reef on St John where octocoral population density ranged from 0 to 16 colonies m−2. Profiles of orbital velocity exhibited perturbations which were more pronounced in locations with > 10 colonies m−2. Using the effect on flow as a criterion, four of the eight surveyed sites would function as octocoral forests. Understanding the density of organisms at which emergent properties appear is essential to understanding the bio-physical interactions affecting the community. Developing explicit definitions of animal forests such as octocoral forests and coral reefs is critical to following the trajectories of these ecosystems in a world of changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Database: Energy & Power Source
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Header DbId: enr
DbLabel: Energy & Power Source
An: 191659469
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
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  Label: Title
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  Data: Caribbean octocoral communities: finding the forest for the trees?
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lasker%2C+Howard+R%2E%22">Lasker, Howard R.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> hlasker@buffalo.edu</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Bramanti%2C+Lorenzo%22">Bramanti, Lorenzo</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Edmunds%2C+Peter+J%2E%22">Edmunds, Peter J.</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Girard%2C+John+F%2E%22">Girard, John F.</searchLink><relatesTo>4</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Pages%2C+Nolwenn%22">Pages, Nolwenn</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Tonra%2C+Kaitlyn+J%2E%22">Tonra, Kaitlyn J.</searchLink><relatesTo>5</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wells%2C+Christopher+D%2E%22">Wells, Christopher D.</searchLink><relatesTo>1,6</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Guizien%2C+Katell%22">Guizien, Katell</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Coral+Reefs%22">Coral Reefs</searchLink>. Feb2026, Vol. 45 Issue 1, p111-120. 10p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subject Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Octocorallia%22">Octocorallia</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Animal+population+density%22">Animal population density</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Coral+reefs+%26+islands%22">Coral reefs & islands</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Plant+canopies%22">Plant canopies</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Alcyonacea%22">Alcyonacea</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Climate+change%22">Climate change</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Biological+fluid+dynamics%22">Biological fluid dynamics</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Fluid+flow%22">Fluid flow</searchLink>
– Name: SubjectGeographic
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Saint+John+%28United+States+Virgin+Islands%29%22">Saint John (United States Virgin Islands)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Caribbean%22">Caribbean</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22United+States+Virgin+Islands%22">United States Virgin Islands</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Octocorals have increased in abundance on many Caribbean coral reefs, and at some sites, "octocoral forest" may be a better community descriptor than "coral reef." Implicit to the concept of a forest is that structural elements, i.e., trees, colonies, etc., alter the environment in ways that affect the structural elements themselves and the organisms that inhabit the forest. At what density do the structural elements create the emergent properties of a "forest?" Communities traditionally characterized as hardgrounds and coral reefs around Puerto Rico and St John, US Virgin Islands, varied in density of octocoral colonies from a few to > 100 colonies m−2 in surveys conducted in 2021 and 2022. Canopy cover was correlated with the density of colonies, but among the quadrats with the highest octocoral densities, there was no significant correlation between numbers of colonies and canopy cover. Frontal area, a measure related to the community's effect on water flow, as well as the volume occupied by colonies followed patterns similar to canopy cover. Vertical profiles of flow velocity were measured from the substratum to 2.3 m above the bottom on a reef on St John where octocoral population density ranged from 0 to 16 colonies m−2. Profiles of orbital velocity exhibited perturbations which were more pronounced in locations with > 10 colonies m−2. Using the effect on flow as a criterion, four of the eight surveyed sites would function as octocoral forests. Understanding the density of organisms at which emergent properties appear is essential to understanding the bio-physical interactions affecting the community. Developing explicit definitions of animal forests such as octocoral forests and coral reefs is critical to following the trajectories of these ecosystems in a world of changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=enr&AN=191659469
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1007/s00338-025-02692-z
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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      Pagination:
        PageCount: 10
        StartPage: 111
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Octocorallia
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Animal population density
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Coral reefs & islands
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Plant canopies
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Alcyonacea
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      – SubjectFull: Climate change
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      – SubjectFull: Biological fluid dynamics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Fluid flow
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Saint John (United States Virgin Islands)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Caribbean
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: United States Virgin Islands
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    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Caribbean octocoral communities: finding the forest for the trees?
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              Text: Feb2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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