Table 7 Typology of ecological performance outcomes.
Category | Definition | Examples |
|---|---|---|
Bioaccumulation | Outcomes focused on characteristics related to bioaccumulation of chemicals in coral | Chemical concentration in coral |
Biological interactions | Outcomes focused on characteristics of or changes in biological or species interactions like facilitation, competition, predation | Competition; predation; mutualism; commensalism; facilitation; herbivory; omnivory; zooplanktivory; invasive or non-native species interactions with other organisms; succession |
Calcification | Outcomes focused on characteristics related to calcification of coral | Calcification rate; skeletal structure; skeletal density; accretion |
Condition | Outcomes focused on characteristics related to the physical condition of coral, including bleaching and disease | Coral condition; fragmentation; breakage; color change; bleaching rate; bleaching frequency or proportion; amount bleached; bleaching prevalence; disease frequency; disease incidence; disease prevalence and occurrence |
Connectivity | Outcomes focused on characteristics related to connectivity of coral at any scale (colony, population, system) | Population connectivity; genetic connectivity; metapopulation connectivity; ecosystem connectivity; dispersal; habitat connectivity; habitat corridors |
Cover | Outcomes focused on characteristics related to cover of coral | Coral cover; percent cover |
Distribution | Outcomes focused on characteristics related to the spatial distribution of coral | Spatial distribution; spatial occurrence; spatial presence / absence |
Diversity | Outcomes focused on characteristics related to community metrics or diversity of coral | Taxa richness; diversity index; species richness; species diversity; taxa composition; community composition |
Genetic | Outcomes focused on characteristics related to genetics of coral | Gene expression; population genetic structure |
Growth | Outcomes focused on characteristics related to growth of coral | Skeletal growth; tissue growth; linear extension |
Microbiome | Outcomes focused on characteristics related to the microbiome associated with coral | Density and characteristics of Symbiodiniaceae and other coral-associated microorganisms (zooxanthellae, other microorganisms in mucus, etc.) |
Mortality | Outcomes focused on characteristics related to mortality (including survival) of coral | Mortality; survival; larval mortality; larval survival |
Physiology | Outcomes focused on characteristics related to physiology of coral | Content in carbohydrates, lipid, protein, or other biomolecule; enzyme activity; histology; metabolism; mucus production; photopigment concentration; photosynthesis efficiency; respirate rates |
Recruitment | Outcomes focused on characteristics related to recruitment and settlement of coral | Settlement success; number of recruits; settlement metrics; colonization |
Reef structure | Outcomes focused on characteristics related to reef structure formed by coral | Rugosity; structural complexity; surface area; volume; roughness; friction factor; reef height; vertical relief; slope; aspect; bathymetry; curvature |
Reproduction | Outcomes focused on characteristics related to reproduction of coral | Fertilization success; embryo development; state of reproductive structure; planulation |
Species or population | Outcomes focused on characteristics of species or populations | Abundance; density; size; size structure; size classes; community structure |