Patterns in Temporal Variability of Temperature, Oxygen and pH along an Environmental Gradient in a Coral Reef

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085213
• Publication Date: 2014-01-08T22:10:32Z
• Authors: Òscar Guadayol; Nyssa J. Silbiger; Megan J. Donahue; Florence I. M. Th...
• Keywords: Temporal scales; Environmental change; Environmental gradient

Spatial and temporal environmental variability are important drivers of ecological processes at all scales. As new tools allow the in situ exploration individual responses to fluctuations, ecologically meaningful ways characterizing organism scales needed. We investigated fine-scale spatial heterogeneity high-frequency temperature, dissolved oxygen concentration, pH experienced by benthic organisms a shallow coastal coral reef. used spatio-temporal sampling design, consisting 21 short-term time-series located along reef flat-to-reef slope transect, coupled long-term station monitoring water column changes. Spectral analyses revealed sharp gradients variance decomposed frequency, as well differences between physically-driven biologically-reactive parameters. These results highlight importance organismal present scheme for exploring this situ.