Cryptobenthic crab assemblages are more distinct across a 90 m depth gradient than 2500 km of shallow marine habitat in the Hawaiian archipelago
Abstract Despite high biodiversity and the recognized importance of mesophotic habitats, most studies of coral reef community structure have focused on conspicuous taxa such as fishes and corals in shallow habitat <30 m. Here, we examined the variability of crab assemblages from Autonomous Reef M...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-10232-6 |
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| author | Mykle L. Hoban Kaleonani K. C. Hurley Kerry Reardon Derek J. Skillings Molly A. Timmers Robert J. Toonen |
| author_facet | Mykle L. Hoban Kaleonani K. C. Hurley Kerry Reardon Derek J. Skillings Molly A. Timmers Robert J. Toonen |
| author_sort | Mykle L. Hoban |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Despite high biodiversity and the recognized importance of mesophotic habitats, most studies of coral reef community structure have focused on conspicuous taxa such as fishes and corals in shallow habitat <30 m. Here, we examined the variability of crab assemblages from Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures deployed on shallow reefs across the Hawaiian Islands and a mesophotic depth gradient on O’ahu. We tested the effects of environmental, ecological, and anthropogenic factors on shallow (8–17 m) crab assemblages. These assemblages were significantly different between the densely inhabited high islands (Main Hawaiian Islands) and the relatively pristine uninhabited atolls of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Drivers of these differences include sea-surface temperature, chlorophyll-A, depth, island slope, potential larval immigration, and human impacts. We then compared shallow assemblages to those sampled along a depth gradient (12–90 m) on O’ahu. Despite considerable variability among sites distributed across nearly 10 degrees of latitude, differences along the depth gradient on O’ahu alone were greater than among the shallow assemblages across the entire archipelago. This finding suggests that 90 m of depth is a stronger driver of brachyuran assemblage structure than the latitudinal, environmental, and anthropogenic gradients across the entire ~2500 km span of the Hawaiian Islands. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a61d2f43ef054f0fa4de19919c3a10de |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
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| spelling | doaj-art-a61d2f43ef054f0fa4de19919c3a10de2025-08-20T03:04:38ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115111310.1038/s41598-025-10232-6Cryptobenthic crab assemblages are more distinct across a 90 m depth gradient than 2500 km of shallow marine habitat in the Hawaiian archipelagoMykle L. Hoban0Kaleonani K. C. Hurley1Kerry Reardon2Derek J. Skillings3Molly A. Timmers4Robert J. Toonen5Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai’iHawai’i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai’iNational Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationUniversity of North CarolinaHawai’i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai’iHawai’i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai’iAbstract Despite high biodiversity and the recognized importance of mesophotic habitats, most studies of coral reef community structure have focused on conspicuous taxa such as fishes and corals in shallow habitat <30 m. Here, we examined the variability of crab assemblages from Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures deployed on shallow reefs across the Hawaiian Islands and a mesophotic depth gradient on O’ahu. We tested the effects of environmental, ecological, and anthropogenic factors on shallow (8–17 m) crab assemblages. These assemblages were significantly different between the densely inhabited high islands (Main Hawaiian Islands) and the relatively pristine uninhabited atolls of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Drivers of these differences include sea-surface temperature, chlorophyll-A, depth, island slope, potential larval immigration, and human impacts. We then compared shallow assemblages to those sampled along a depth gradient (12–90 m) on O’ahu. Despite considerable variability among sites distributed across nearly 10 degrees of latitude, differences along the depth gradient on O’ahu alone were greater than among the shallow assemblages across the entire archipelago. This finding suggests that 90 m of depth is a stronger driver of brachyuran assemblage structure than the latitudinal, environmental, and anthropogenic gradients across the entire ~2500 km span of the Hawaiian Islands.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-10232-6Mesophotic coral ecosystemsCommunity structureDepth gradientEnvironmental driversHawaiiAutonomous reef monitoring structures |
| spellingShingle | Mykle L. Hoban Kaleonani K. C. Hurley Kerry Reardon Derek J. Skillings Molly A. Timmers Robert J. Toonen Cryptobenthic crab assemblages are more distinct across a 90 m depth gradient than 2500 km of shallow marine habitat in the Hawaiian archipelago Scientific Reports Mesophotic coral ecosystems Community structure Depth gradient Environmental drivers Hawaii Autonomous reef monitoring structures |
| title | Cryptobenthic crab assemblages are more distinct across a 90 m depth gradient than 2500 km of shallow marine habitat in the Hawaiian archipelago |
| title_full | Cryptobenthic crab assemblages are more distinct across a 90 m depth gradient than 2500 km of shallow marine habitat in the Hawaiian archipelago |
| title_fullStr | Cryptobenthic crab assemblages are more distinct across a 90 m depth gradient than 2500 km of shallow marine habitat in the Hawaiian archipelago |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cryptobenthic crab assemblages are more distinct across a 90 m depth gradient than 2500 km of shallow marine habitat in the Hawaiian archipelago |
| title_short | Cryptobenthic crab assemblages are more distinct across a 90 m depth gradient than 2500 km of shallow marine habitat in the Hawaiian archipelago |
| title_sort | cryptobenthic crab assemblages are more distinct across a 90 m depth gradient than 2500 km of shallow marine habitat in the hawaiian archipelago |
| topic | Mesophotic coral ecosystems Community structure Depth gradient Environmental drivers Hawaii Autonomous reef monitoring structures |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-10232-6 |
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