Recovery of sea urchin Diadema antillarum populations is correlated to increased coral and reduced macroalgal cover

Myhre, Sarah E.; Acevedo‐Gutiérrez, Alejandro

doi:10.3354/meps329205

Cited by 61 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Carpenter and Edmunds (2006) reported similar observations from reefs elsewhere in the Caribbean (see also Chiappone et al 2001, Macintyre et al 2005, Weil et al 2005, Debrot and Nagelkerken 2006, Steiner and Williams 2006, Noriega et al 2006, Myhre and Acevedo-Gutiérrez 2007, Jordán-Garza et al 2008, Blanco et al 2010, Ruiz-Ramos et al 2011, Bodmer et al 2015.…”

Section: Tests Of the Hypothesessupporting

confidence: 54%

The sea urchin Diadema antillarum – keystone herbivore or redundant species?

Precht

Precht²

2015

Preprint

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Two main hypotheses have been developed for describing the role and importance of the sea urchin Diadema antillarum on reefs of the Caribbean region in both space and time.The first and most crucial is whether D. antillarum was the most important "keystone" grazer on Caribbean reefs? The alternate to this hypothesis is that D. antillarum was merely a redundant species, playing a secondary role to herbivorious fishes which only came into dominance after herbivorous fishes had been removed by man through exploitive fishing practices. To resolve this debate, we pose the question: "What is the role of Diadema antillarum in altering the composition of the benthic community on Caribbean coral reefs in time and space?" The interpretation presented herein implies that D. antillarum was and is the most important shallow-water herbivore on Caribbean coral reefs. This is contrary to a prevailing model but in substantial agreement with the historical importance of the species. If correct, the continued and future recovery of this sea urchin may be the key ingredient to facilitating coral reef recovery throughout the region. In addition, on coral reefs where the natural recovery of Diadema has been delayed or is absent (e.g. the Florida Reef Tract); measures to actively restore these urchins may be the most efficient and cost-effective tool for conserving and enhancing the ecological function of reefs. This debate also emphasizes the requirement for implementing ecologically-based, not ideologically-based management of natural systems.PeerJ PrePrints | https://doi.org/10.7287/peerj.preprints.1565v2 | CC-BY 4.0 Open Access |

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Section: Tests Of the Hypothesessupporting

confidence: 54%

The sea urchin Diadema antillarum – keystone herbivore or redundant species?

Precht

Precht²

2015

Preprint

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“…Diadema was also absent at reef slopes, except (Miller et al 2003) and earlier in Barbados (Hunte & Younglao 1988) indicated the possible beginning of a full population recovery in the Caribbean. Such a recovery has been recently documented in one site (0.01 ind./m 2 ), in Sabana-Camagüey Archipelago, north-central Cuba (Alcolado et al unpublished data), and absent at all sampled locations in Punta Francés, southwestern Cuba (Williams & Polunin 2001, Guardia et in Costa Rica (Alvarado et al 2004, Myhre & Acevedo-Gutiérrez 2007, Puerto Rico (Weil et al 2005) Barbados (Macintyre et al 2005, Carpenter & Edmunds 2006, Curaçao (Debrot & Nagelkerken 2006), Dominica (Steiner & Williams 2006), Jamaica, St. Croix, Grenada, Bonaire, Belize (Carpenter & Edmunds 2006), venezuela (Noriega et al 2006) and Yucatan (Jordán-Garza et al 2008).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 64%

Abundance, distribution and size structure of Diadema antillarum (Echinodermata: Diadematidae) in South Eastern Cuban coral reefs

Blanco¹,

Sansón²,

Amargós³

et al. 2009

RBT

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Abstract:The 1983-1984 mass mortality event of Diadema antillarum affected more than 93% of the total Caribbean population. Although there are no records about the status of Diadema populations before and after die-off on Cuban reefs, anecdotal information suggests that populations were struck. We analyzed spatial variation in the abundance and size structure of D. antillarum in 22 reefs sites in Jardines de la Reina, from June 2004 to September 2005. Counts of Diadema were performed in five 30x2m transects at each sampling site and sampling time, and test diameters were measured in September 2005 at the same fore reefs. Abundances were higher at reef crests (mean densities 0.08-2.18 ind./m 2 ), while reef slope populations reached a maximum site level of 0.13 ind./m 2 at only one site and showed values up to three orders of magnitude lower than those from reef crests. Highest abundance occurred at the west margin of major channels between keys where larval recruitment seems to be favored by local oceanographic features and facilitated by the abundance of Echinometra lucunter. The size frequency distribution of D. antillarum indicates that recruitment began to be noticeable three years before September 2005, suggesting these populations were depleted in the past and they are recovering now. Rev. Biol. Trop. 58 (2): 663-676. Epub 2010 June 02.

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“…Publications by Idjadi et al (2010) and Macintyre et al (2005) include photographs depicting the striking difference between the two areas. More juvenile coral colonies can be found in the Diadema zones (Carpenter & Edmunds 2006, Edmunds & Carpenter 2001, Furman & Heck 2009, Myhre & Acevedo-Gutierrez 2006. These colonies have higher survivorship and higher growth rates than colonies in algal zones (Idjadi et al 2010).…”

Section: Changes In Reef Communities In the Absence Of Diadema Antillmentioning

confidence: 98%

The Great Diadema antillarum Die-Off: 30 Years Later

Lessios

2016

Annu. Rev. Mar. Sci.

153

135

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In 1983-1984, the sea urchin Diadema antillarum suffered mass mortality throughout the Caribbean, Florida, and Bermuda. The demise of this herbivore contributed to a phase shift of Caribbean reefs from coral-dominated to alga-dominated communities. A compilation of published data of D. antillarum population densities shows that there has been moderate recovery since 1983, with the highest rates on islands of the eastern Caribbean. On the average the current population densities are approximately 12% of those before the die-off, apparently because of recruitment limitation, but the exact factors that are constraining the recovery are unclear. Scattered D. antillarum cohorts in some localities and aggregation of settled individuals in shallow water have created zones of higher herbivory in which juvenile coral recruitment, survivorship, and growth are higher than they are in alga-dominated areas. Unlike other stressors on Caribbean coral reefs, recent changes in D. antillarum populations progress toward aiding the recovery of coral cover.

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Recovery of sea urchin Diadema antillarum populations is correlated to increased coral and reduced macroalgal cover

Cited by 61 publications

References 20 publications

The sea urchin Diadema antillarum – keystone herbivore or redundant species?

The sea urchin Diadema antillarum – keystone herbivore or redundant species?

Abundance, distribution and size structure of Diadema antillarum (Echinodermata: Diadematidae) in South Eastern Cuban coral reefs

The Great Diadema antillarum Die-Off: 30 Years Later

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