Friend of the dead: Zoanthids enhance the persistence of dead coral reef framework under high consumer pressure
Patrick H. Saldaña,
Natalie L. Lang,
Andrew H. Altieri
Abstract:Consumers can play critical roles in ecosystem resilience by modifying community resistance and recovery rates. In coral reefs, grazers can increase reef resilience by controlling algae and maintaining open space for coral recruitment, but can also erode the reef framework critical for coral recovery. Here we examine the context‐dependent effects of herbivores on reef persistence in Caribbean Panamá. Using a series of lab and field experiments, we found that the erosional effects of the herbivorous reef urchin… Show more
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