Grazing Effects of Fish versus Sea Urchins on Turf Algae and Coral Recruits : Possible Implications for Coral Reef Resilience and Restoration
Joint Authors
Korzen, Leor
Abelson, Avigdor
Israel, Alvaro
Source
Issue
Vol. 2011, Issue 2011 (31 Dec. 2011), pp.1-8, 8 p.
Publisher
Hindawi Publishing Corporation
Publication Date
2011-08-09
Country of Publication
Egypt
No. of Pages
8
Main Subjects
Abstract EN
Herbivory is an important structuring factor in coral reefs, influencing seaweed abundance, competitive interactions between seaweeds and corals, and coral reef resilience.
Despite reports of a drastic increase in the cover of benthic algae and turf dominancy in the coral reefs of Eilat, Red Sea, very little is known about the factors responsible for this phenomenon or the possible effects of herbivory on turf algae and coral recruits.
Here, we examine the effects of herbivory by experimentally exposing turf algae and coral recruits to grazing activities of herbivorous fish and sea urchins.
Using remote video cameras to document removal of algae and coral spats, we show that the main grazing impact is due to daily grazing by fishes, whereas the significant impact of sea urchins is mainly expressed in their adverse effect on the survival of coral recruits, with a relatively low effect on algal biomass.
These findings contribute to our understanding of the factors influencing turf algae establishment and proliferation, and the survival of coral recruits on the coral reefs of Eilat.
The clear differences between the impact of herbivorous fish and that of sea urchins, on the Eilat reefs, have critical implications for reef resilience and restoration measures.
American Psychological Association (APA)
Korzen, Leor& Israel, Alvaro& Abelson, Avigdor. 2011. Grazing Effects of Fish versus Sea Urchins on Turf Algae and Coral Recruits : Possible Implications for Coral Reef Resilience and Restoration. Journal of Marine Biology،Vol. 2011, no. 2011, pp.1-8.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-511569
Modern Language Association (MLA)
Korzen, Leor…[et al.]. Grazing Effects of Fish versus Sea Urchins on Turf Algae and Coral Recruits : Possible Implications for Coral Reef Resilience and Restoration. Journal of Marine Biology No. 2011 (2011), pp.1-8.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-511569
American Medical Association (AMA)
Korzen, Leor& Israel, Alvaro& Abelson, Avigdor. Grazing Effects of Fish versus Sea Urchins on Turf Algae and Coral Recruits : Possible Implications for Coral Reef Resilience and Restoration. Journal of Marine Biology. 2011. Vol. 2011, no. 2011, pp.1-8.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-511569
Data Type
Journal Articles
Language
English
Notes
Includes bibliographical references
Record ID
BIM-511569