Overfishing and the ecological impacts of extirpating large parrotfish from Caribbean coral reefs

Shantz, Andrew A.; Ladd, Mark C.; Burkepile, Deron E.

doi:10.1002/ecm.1403

Cited by 62 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 102 publications

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“…7), having the lowest macroalgal cover (Fig. 4b), consistent with the report that macroalgal cover was inversely related to the density of large parrotfish across the Caribbean (Shantz, Ladd and Burkpile, 2020). However, none of my results derive from experimental manipulations so the finding that sites with large parrotfish are associated with lower macroalgal cover as are sites with sea urchins (Fig.…”

Section: Significance Of Parrotfishsupporting

confidence: 89%

“…Fishing tends to disproportionately remove larger parrotfish, and thus smaller parrotfish tend to be less responsive to fishing pressure (Bonaldo, Hoey, and Bellwood, 2014). Shantz, Ladd and Burkpile (2020) reported that across the Caribbean, parrotfish assemblages are disproportionately represented by fish smaller than 11 cm, in agreement with the data in my study (Fig. 7) and Seemann et al (2018) comm.)…”

Section: Significance Of Parrotfishsupporting

confidence: 87%

“…Over the last forty years, coral reefs of the Caribbean have experienced widespread phase shifts from stony coral dominance to macroalgal dominance with a concomitant decrease in reef structure, function and biodiversity (Adam et al, 2015;Bruno, Coté, and Toth, 2019;Shantz, Ladd and Burkpile, 2020). It is well-established that macroalgae out-compete coral for substrate and light, through a variety of mechanisms including their more rapid growth rate, mechanical and allelochemical inhibition, and alteration of the benthic microbiome (Arnold, Steneck, and Mumby, 2010;Box and Mumby, 2007;Foster, Box, and Mumby, 2008;Thurber et al, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sea urchins, parrotfish and coral reefs in Grand Cayman, BWI: exemplar or outlier?

Sherman

2020

Preprint

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The change in state of Caribbean coral reefs over the last 40 years has been characterized by phase shifts from scleractinian coral cover to macroalgal cover, the loss of structural complexity and a decline in biodiversity. Not only do scientists want to understand these changes, but also predict the future of coral reefs and their capacity for resilience. In particular, the loss of herbivory, due to declines in parrotfish and the sea urchin Diadema antillarum, has been implicated in many studies as a proximate cause of the coral to macroalgal phase shift. However, reports of the particular role of these putative herbivores have varied, with some studies claiming a causal role for parrotfish, others for Diadema and still others suggesting no such relationships. Often these studies just examined one response measure of coral reef biodiversity. In this paper, I report the relationship between parrotfish and Diadema to many metrics of reef organization surveyed simultaneously in the same transects in reefs outside and within the Marine Protected Area (MPA) of Grand Cayman, an island that has been affected by increasing tourism over the last 30 years. The magnitudes of the various measures of reef diversity reported here are consistent with those reported elsewhere. The relationships among those measures are consistent with those reported in some prior studies and inconsistent with others, reflecting the variation in responses documented in prior studies. The presence of sea urchins was associated with survey sites having higher levels of coral cover, lower levels of macroalgae cover, and lower densities of parrotfish than survey sites without sea urchins. Moreover, parrotfish abundance was associated with a decrease in coral cover and little relationship to macroalgae cover. Neither coral cover nor macroalgae cover was different in sites within the MPA compared to sites outside the MPA. I argue that the combination of site-specific local stressors and their interaction with global stressors makes it unlikely that any one island or even regional reef system could serve as an exemplar for Caribbean-wide reef degradation. Moreover, it is difficult to assess the potential for reef resilience in the face of the ongoing assaults from increasing tourism pressures and global climate change.

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Section: Significance Of Parrotfishsupporting

confidence: 89%

Section: Significance Of Parrotfishsupporting

confidence: 87%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sea urchins, parrotfish and coral reefs in Grand Cayman, BWI: exemplar or outlier?

Sherman

2020

Preprint

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“…Although the change in the size-frequency distribution of parrotfishes towards smallbodied individuals might not be so evident in terms of the total size spectrum, the impact on the erosional potential of this group is significant because the capacity of parrotfishes to erode substrate (i.e. as a function of bite rate and the amount of mass removed per bite) is highly positively correlated with body size and life-phase [34,41]. Furthermore, it is precisely at the smaller sizes (i.e.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Two decades of carbonate budget change on shifted coral reef assemblages: are these reefs being locked into low net budget states?

et al. 2020

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The ecology of coral reefs is rapidly shifting from historical baselines. One key-question is whether under these new, less favourable ecological conditions, coral reefs will be able to sustain key geo-ecological processes such as the capacity to accumulate carbonate structure. Here, we use data from 34 Caribbean reef sites to examine how the carbonate production, net erosion and net carbonate budgets, as well as the organisms underlying these processes, have changed over the past 15 years in the absence of further severe acute disturbances. We find that despite fundamental benthic ecological changes, these ecologically shifted coral assemblages have exhibited a modest but significant increase in their net carbonate budgets over the past 15 years. However, contrary to expectations this trend was driven by a decrease in erosion pressure, largely resulting from changes in the abundance and size-frequency distribution of parrotfishes, and not by an increase in rates of coral carbonate production. Although in the short term, the carbonate budgets seem to have benefitted marginally from reduced parrotfish erosion, the absence of these key substrate grazers, particularly of larger individuals, is unlikely to be conducive to reef recovery and will thus probably lock these reefs into low budget states.

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“…With their fused beaks, parrotfishes are particularly efficient at removing algae, consequently freeing up space for coral recruits and reducing coral–algal interactions (Abelson et al ., 2016b; Bellwood et al ., 2004; Ogden & Lobel, 1978), either through targeting algae directly (Adam et al ., 2018) or indirectly while feeding as microphages (Clements et al ., 2017). Although seemingly less clear in the Pacific (Russ et al ., 2015), in the Caribbean there are evident relationships between parrotfish biomass and the abundance of large‐sized individuals with macroalgal cover (Shantz et al ., 2020; Williams & Polunin, 2001), and consequently restoring parrotfish populations is often the focus of conservation initiatives in the western Atlantic (Jackson et al ., 2014). Nonetheless, it is necessary to rebuild the entire herbivorous fish guild, including macroalgae‐eating browsers to keep algae communities in an early successional stage (Adam et al ., 2015; Burkepile & Hay, 2010; Cheal et al ., 2010).…”

Section: The Role Of Herbivorous Fishesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interactions between coral restoration and fish assemblages: implications for reef management

Seraphim

Sloman

Alexander

et al. 2020

Journal of Fish Biology

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Corals create complex reef structures that provide both habitat and food for many fish species. Because of numerous natural and anthropogenic threats, many coral reefs are currently being degraded, endangering the fish assemblages they support. Coral reef restoration, an active ecological management tool, may help reverse some of the current trends in reef degradation through the transplantation of stony corals. Although restoration techniques have been extensively reviewed in relation to coral survival, our understanding of the effects of adding live coral cover and complexity on fishes is in its infancy with a lack of scientifically validated research. This study reviews the limited data on reef restoration and fish assemblages, and complements this with the more extensive understanding of complex interactions between natural reefs and fishes and how this might inform restoration efforts. It also discusses which key fish species or functional groups may promote, facilitate or inhibit restoration efforts and, in turn, how restoration efforts can be optimised to enhance coral fish assemblages. By highlighting critical knowledge gaps in relation to fishes and restoration interactions, the study aims to stimulate research into the role of reef fishes in restoration projects. A greater understanding of the functional roles of reef fishes would also help inform whether restoration projects can return fish assemblages to their natural compositions or whether alternative species compositions develop, and over what timeframe. Although alleviation of local and global reef stressors remains a priority, reef restoration is an important tool; an increased understanding of the interactions between replanted corals and the fishes they support is critical for ensuring its success for people and nature.

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Overfishing and the ecological impacts of extirpating large parrotfish from Caribbean coral reefs

Abstract: 2020. Overfishing and the ecological impacts of extirpating large parrotfish from Caribbean coral reefs. Ecological Monographs 90(2):

Cited by 62 publications

References 102 publications

Sea urchins, parrotfish and coral reefs in Grand Cayman, BWI: exemplar or outlier?

Sea urchins, parrotfish and coral reefs in Grand Cayman, BWI: exemplar or outlier?

Two decades of carbonate budget change on shifted coral reef assemblages: are these reefs being locked into low net budget states?

Interactions between coral restoration and fish assemblages: implications for reef management

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