Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 6 January 2006:
Vol. 311. no. 5757, pp. 98 - 101
DOI: 10.1126/science.1121129
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Reports

Fishing, Trophic Cascades, and the Process of Grazing on Coral Reefs

Peter J. Mumby,1 Craig P. Dahlgren,2 Alastair R. Harborne,1 Carrie V. Kappel,3 Fiorenza Micheli,3 Daniel R. Brumbaugh,4 Katherine E. Holmes,4 Judith M. Mendes,5 Kenneth Broad,6 James N. Sanchirico,7 Kevin Buch,2 Steve Box,1 Richard W. Stoffle,8 Andrew B. Gill9

Since the mass mortality of the urchin Diadema antillarum in 1983, parrotfishes have become the dominant grazer on Caribbean reefs. The grazing capacity of these fishes could be impaired if marine reserves achieve their long-term goal of restoring large consumers, several of which prey on parrotfishes. Here we compare the negative impacts of enhanced predation with the positive impacts of reduced fishing mortality on parrotfishes inside reserves. Because large-bodied parrotfishes escape the risk of predation from a large piscivore (the Nassau grouper), the predation effect reduced grazing by only 4 to 8%. This impact was overwhelmed by the increase in density of large parrotfishes, resulting in a net doubling of grazing. Increased grazing caused a fourfold reduction in the cover of macroalgae, which, because they are the principal competitors of corals, highlights the potential importance of reserves for coral reef resilience.

1 Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, School of BioSciences, University of Exeter, Prince of Wales Road, Exeter EX4 4PS, UK.
2 Perry Institute for Marine Science, 100 North U.S. Highway 1, Suite 202, Jupiter, FL 33477, USA.
3 Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Oceanview Boulevard, Pacific Grove, CA 93950–3094, USA.
4 Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024–5192, USA.
5 Department of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica.
6 Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, Division of Marine Affairs and Policy, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149, USA.
7 Resources for the Future, 1616 P Street NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA.
8 The Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology, University of Arizona, Post Office Box 210030, Tucson, AZ 85721–0030, USA.
9 Institute of Water and Environment, Cranfield University, Silsoe, Bedfordshire MK45 4DT, UK.

Read the Full Text


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Functionally diverse reef-fish communities ameliorate coral disease.
L. J. Raymundo, A. R. Halford, A. P. Maypa, and A. M. Kerr (2009)
PNAS 106, 17067-17070
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Herbivore species richness and feeding complementarity affect community structure and function on a coral reef.
D. E. Burkepile and M. E. Hay (2008)
PNAS 105, 16201-16206
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
A clear human footprint in the coral reefs of the Caribbean.
C. Mora (2008)
Proc R Soc B 275, 767-773
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Coral Reefs Under Rapid Climate Change and Ocean Acidification.
O. Hoegh-Guldberg, P. J. Mumby, A. J. Hooten, R. S. Steneck, P. Greenfield, E. Gomez, C. D. Harvell, P. F. Sale, A. J. Edwards, K. Caldeira, et al. (2007)
Science 318, 1737-1742
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Trophic cascade facilitates coral recruitment in a marine reserve.
P. J. Mumby, A. R. Harborne, J. Williams, C. V. Kappel, D. R. Brumbaugh, F. Micheli, K. E. Holmes, C. P. Dahlgren, C. B. Paris, and P. G. Blackwell (2007)
PNAS 104, 8362-8367
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Dynamic fragility of oceanic coral reef ecosystems.
N. A. J. Graham, S. K. Wilson, S. Jennings, N. V. C. Polunin, J. P. Bijoux, and J. Robinson (2006)
PNAS 103, 8425-8429
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)