Transformation of algal turf by echinoids and scarid fishes on French Polynesian coral reefs

Coral Reefs ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mireille L. Harmelin-Vivien ◽  
Mireille Peyrot-Clausade ◽  
Jean-Claude Romano
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Algal Turf

scholarly journals Coral species composition drives key ecosystem function on coral reefs

2020 ◽  
Vol 287 (1921) ◽  
pp. 20192214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura E. Richardson ◽  
Nicholas A. J. Graham ◽  
Andrew S. Hoey
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Coral Species ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Reef Fishes ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Algal Turf ◽  
Benthic Assemblages ◽  
Ecosystem Recovery ◽  
Visual Occlusion

Rapid and unprecedented ecological change threatens the functioning and stability of ecosystems. On coral reefs, global climate change and local stressors are reducing and reorganizing habitat-forming corals and associated species, with largely unknown implications for critical ecosystem functions such as herbivory. Herbivory mediates coral–algal competition, thereby facilitating ecosystem recovery following disturbance such as coral bleaching events or large storms. However, relationships between coral species composition, the distribution of herbivorous fishes and the delivery of their functional impact are not well understood. Here, we investigate how herbivorous fish assemblages and delivery of two distinct herbivory processes, grazing and browsing, differ among three taxonomically distinct, replicated coral habitats. While grazing on algal turf assemblages was insensitive to different coral configurations, browsing on the macroalga Laurencia cf. obtusa varied considerably among habitats, suggesting that different mechanisms may shape these processes. Variation in browsing among habitats was best predicted by the composition and structural complexity of benthic assemblages (in particular the cover and composition of corals, but not macroalgal cover), and was poorly reflected by visual estimates of browser biomass. Surprisingly, the lowest browsing rates were recorded in the most structurally complex habitat, with the greatest cover of coral (branching Porites habitat). While the mechanism for the variation in browsing is not clear, it may be related to scale-dependent effects of habitat structure on visual occlusion inhibiting foraging activity by browsing fishes, or the relative availability of alternate dietary resources. Our results suggest that maintained functionality may vary among distinct and emerging coral reef configurations due to ecological interactions between reef fishes and their environment determining habitat selection.

Algal turf productivity on coral reefs: A meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 168 ◽  
pp. 105311
Author(s):  
Sterling B. Tebbett ◽  
David R. Bellwood
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Algal Turf

scholarly journals Algal turf sediments on coral reefs: what's known and what's next

2019 ◽  
Vol 149 ◽  
pp. 110542 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sterling B. Tebbett ◽  
David R. Bellwood
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Algal Turf

Farming damselfishes shape algal turf sediment dynamics on coral reefs

2020 ◽  
Vol 160 ◽  
pp. 104988 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sterling B. Tebbett ◽  
Tory J. Chase ◽  
David R. Bellwood
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Sediment Dynamics ◽  
Algal Turf

Algal turf consumption by sea urchins and fishes is mediated by fisheries management on coral reefs in Kenya

Coral Reefs ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 1137-1146 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. T. Humphries ◽  
T. R. McClanahan ◽  
C. D. McQuaid
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Sea Urchins ◽  
Algal Turf

Algal turf sediments limit the spatial extent of function delivery on coral reefs

2020 ◽  
Vol 734 ◽  
pp. 139422
Author(s):  
Sterling B. Tebbett ◽  
Christopher H.R. Goatley ◽  
Robert P. Streit ◽  
David R. Bellwood
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Spatial Extent ◽  
Algal Turf
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