Habitat and fishing control grazing potential on coral reefs

Fishing down nutrients on coral reefs

Fishing is widely considered a leading cause of biodiversity loss in marine environments, but the potential effect on ecosystem processes, such as nutrient fluxes, is less explored. Here, we test how fishing on Caribbean coral reefs influences biodiversity and ecosystem functions provided by the fish community, that is, fish-mediated nutrient capacity. Specifically, we modelled five processes o...

Coral Reefs: Fishing for Sustainability

Sustainable fisheries must ultimately reduce poverty while maintaining ecosystem productivity. On coral reefs, managing for 'concave' trophic pyramids might be a win-win for people and ecosystems, by providing higher-value fisheries and maintaining important ecological functions.

Fishing, trophic cascades, and the process of grazing on coral reefs.

Since the mass mortality of the urchin Diadema antillarum in 1983, parrotfishes have become the dominant grazer on Caribbean reefs. The grazing capacity of these fishes could be impaired if marine reserves achieve their long-term goal of restoring large consumers, several of which prey on parrotfishes. Here we compare the negative impacts of enhanced predation with the positive impacts of reduc...

Fishing , Ocean Recreation , and Threats to Hawaii ’ s Coral Reefs :

effeCts on CorAl reefs

A hurricane (also tropical cyclone, typhoon) is a warm-core, low-pressure system that develops over tropical or subtropical waters. Most hurricanes form from a trough of low-pressure, over ocean surface temperatures greater than 26°C. As air moves across the ocean surface, it extracts moisture (water vapour) and energy (as a result of evaporation) from the ocean. The low pressure draws air inwa...