| ABSTRACT Dead Acropora palmata branches colonized by the excavating sponge Cliona tenuis are prone to dislodgement, breakage, and translocation during heavy surge and swell from storms or hurricanes, favoring the dispersion of this sponge. At Islas del Rosario (Colombia, Caribbean), adult C. tenuis carried by A. palmata fragments that fell onto live massive corals were able to colonize the new coral, subsequently killing live tissue of the newly invaded coral. Corals that recruited onto fallen A. palmata branches overgrown with adult C. tenuis were also invaded once the sponge reached their base. To determine if the incidence of this phenomenon has increased since 2002 when it was first documented, the mode and prevalence of colonization of corals by C.... |
