Response of Caribbean coral reef assemblages to a category 5 Hurricane

Abstract Chinchorro Bank is the largest atoll reef in the northern Mesoamerican Reef, and due to the location, the coral assemblage is highly vulnerable to storms and hurricanes. In the context of climate change, with more intense hurricanes, it is highly relevant to analyze the damage and response of the hermatypic coral assemblage after these events. Three sites (La Caldera, La Baliza, and Chancay) at two zones [shallow (≤ 12 m) and deep (> 12 m)] were surveyed before and after the passage of Hurricane Dean (Category 5, Saffir–Simpson scale) in 2007. The results indicated that deeper zones recorded higher sponge (4.8%) and macroalgae (26.3%) coverage, and topographic complexity (C = 0.27), while the shallower zones harboured the highest live coral coverage. Hurricane Dean modified the structure of the coral assemblage with a loss of species and richness of morpho-functional groups and a reduction in the live coral cover, with differences among sites and zones. La Baliza recorded the highest losses in live coral cover (43.3%), species richness (48.7%), and diversity (37.5%), with no apparent recovery. Shallower reef zones were more negatively affected than deeper areas, showing an average loss of 24.3% live coral coverage following the disturbance. These results suggest that coral reefs have different susceptibilities to tropical cyclones in the same region and across depths, which, in both the short and long term, will shape the assemblage and persistence of Chinchorro Bank coral reefs.