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Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Coral Reef Arks: An In Situ Mesocosm and Toolkit for Assembling Reef Communities
Published on: January 6, 2023
Oceanic rafting by a coastal community
Ceridwen I Fraser1, Raisa Nikula, Jonathan M Waters
1Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. ceridwen.fraser@gmail.com
Marine macroalgal rafting facilitates the dispersal of diverse coastal invertebrate species across hundreds of kilometers of open ocean. This study provides the first direct evidence of multiple species successfully rafting from subantarctic islands to New Zealand.
Area of Science:
- Marine Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Biogeography
Background:
- Oceanic rafting is a proposed mechanism for assembling coastal ecosystems.
- Direct evidence for macroalgal rafting's role in species dispersal is limited.
- Understanding fauna survival during oceanic voyages is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To directly document macroalgal rafting of intertidal organisms.
- To assess the capacity of fauna to survive long-distance sea voyages.
- To provide genetic evidence for passive trans-oceanic transport.
Main Methods:
- Phylogeographic analysis of epifaunal invertebrates.
- Ecological data collection from bull kelp specimens.
- Tracking rafting events from subantarctic islands to New Zealand.
Main Results:
- 10 epifaunal invertebrate species were documented rafting.
- Species traveled on six bull kelp specimens over several weeks.
- Transport occurred over 400-600 km from subantarctic islands to New Zealand.
Conclusions:
- Passive macroalgal rafting enables simultaneous trans-oceanic transport of multiple coastal taxa.
- This study provides the first genetic evidence for successful long-distance rafting.
- Rafting is a significant process in assembling isolated coastal biological communities.
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