Selective feeding in the hawksbill turtle, an important predator in coral reef ecosystems

Selective feeding in the hawksbill turtle, an important predator in coral reef ecosystems

We evaluated selective feeding in hawksbill turtles Eretmochelys imbricata by comparing ingested prey species with their availability at 2 sites in the SW Dominican Republic. Hawksbills fed on 6 benthic species: 5 demosponges (Chondrilla nucula, Geodia neptuni, Myriastra kalitetilla, Spirastrella coccinea, and Tethya crypta) and 1 corallimorpharian (Ricordea florida). Hawksbills showed positive...

Resetting predator baselines in coral reef ecosystems

What did coral reef ecosystems look like before human impacts became pervasive? Early efforts to reconstruct baselines resulted in the controversial suggestion that pristine coral reefs have inverted trophic pyramids, with disproportionally large top predator biomass. The validity of the coral reef inverted trophic pyramid has been questioned, but until now, was not resolved empirically. We use...

Submarine groundwater discharge: An important source of new inorganic nitrogen to coral reef ecosystems

Using radium (Ra) isotopes and nutrient analyses, we found that submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is an important source of ‘‘new’’ nutrients, particularly nitrogen, to coral reefs around the world. Nitrogen input estimates associated with SGD range from 3 to 800 mmol h21 per meter of shoreline. The use of Ra isotopes allows us to quantify the inorganic nitrogen input from this source of nu...

Ecomorphology of Feeding in Coral Reef Fishes

Once an observer gets past the stunning coloration, surely no feature inspires wonder in coral reef fishes so much as their morphological diversity. From large-mouthed groupers, to beaked parrot fish, barbeled goatfish, long-snouted trumpet fish, snaggletoothed tusk fish, tube-mouthed planktivores, and fatlipped sweet lips, coral reef fishes display a dazzling array of feeding structures. And, ...

Evolution and Function of Coral Reef Ecosystems