CESAM
  • CESAM
    • ¿Quienes somos?
    • Directiva
  • BLOG
  • EVENTOS
    • Conferencias y Talleres >
      • ASLO 2019
      • Charlas Educativas 2018-2019
      • 2016
      • 2013
    • Actividades Recreativas >
      • Buceo
      • Snorkeling
      • Turismo Interno
    • Viajes Institucionales y Simposios >
      • 35th AMLC en Costa Rica
      • 36th AMLC en Jamaica
      • 64th GCFI en México
  • Información Educativa
    • Tortugas Marinas/ Marine Turtles >
      • Carey/ Hawksbill
      • Peje Blanco/ Green Turtle
      • Tinglar/ Leatherback
    • Peces/ Fish >
      • Ángel Francés/ French Angel
      • Ángel Gris/ Grey Angel
      • Chapín/ Trunkfish
      • Pez León/ Lionfish
      • Tiburón Gata/ Nurse Shark
    • Corales/ Corals >
      • Cuerno de Ciervo/ Staghorn
      • Cuerno de Alce/ Elkhorn
      • Tarrito de Venado
      • Coral de Fuego/ Fire Coral
  • Viajes de Campo
    • Costa Rica
    • Cuba
    • Culebra
    • Desecheo
    • Haití
    • Isla de Mona
    • Jamaica
    • México
    • Puerto Rico
    • St. Kitts
    • St. Cruz
  • Contactenos





CAPÍTULO ESTUDIANTIL DE LA SOCIEDAD AMbIENTE MARINO







Where Are All The Herbivores?

10/30/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
By Emily Kelly

In the community of coral reef managers and conservation practitioners, there is general consensus that herbivores are a critical component of the reef community. The herbivorous fishes that eat seaweed help to control the growth of these fleshy algae that compete with corals for space on the bottom. When too many herbivorous fishes are removed from a reef, the algae can grow with fewer constraints. In the worst case, this unrestricted algal growth can result in a reef losing most of its corals and becoming something of an algal landscape.

Here on Flint, there are very few herbivores. During any particular dive, we see only a couple species of herbivorous fish, with the only common herbivore being the Achilles tang. This is a black fish with a teardrop of orange at the base of its tail which is an attractive fish, but strangely enough a fish that stands pretty much as the sole member of the group of herbivores. Given that there is no fishing on Flint, the question emerges - where are all of the herbivores? Common paradigms would expect an unfished island to have lots of herbivores, including not only surgeonfish (like the Achilles tang) but also the parrotfishes.

Part of the answer, we believe, lies in the natural conditions here on Flint. With few nutrients in the water, there is little opportunity for algae to grow. Without algal productivity, there is simply not very much food for herbivorous fish to eat. No food, no herbivores…easy enough.

The application of these observations, however, is a bit of a challenge. One could imagine that if an unfished island like Flint naturally has very low herbivore density, then there is no clear expectation that inhabited and fished islands should not also have low herbivore density. A skeptic could then claim that a heavily fished island with a depauperate herbivore assemblage could be the ‘baseline’ case and that unregulated fishing may not substantively change the composition of the herbivore guild. Well, an important distinction lies in comparing the herbivore population to the density of herbivore food, namely to the density of algae. Here on Flint, there are few herbivores and little seaweed. In heavily fished islands, there are few herbivores and a lot of seaweed. With the removal of herbivores, the algal ‘fish food’ thrives. On this island, the low density of herbivores does not allow algae to bloom because of natural conditions.
                                                                                 
Coral reefs differ from place to place, and the local oceanographic conditions seem to matter quite a bit. The southern Line Islands are a fascinating natural laboratory for us to build our understanding of the potential of coral reef ecosystems and to apply this understanding to improve the management of reefs worldwide. This latter step of worldwide application, however, is a bit beyond the scope of our efforts today and tomorrow. At this point, we will keep our heads underwater and see what else we can learn during this unique research opportunity.

Recurso: http://coralreefsystems.org/http%3A/%252Fhttp%3A/%252Fcoralreefsystems.org/content/where-are-all-the-herbivores




0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archivos

    August 2017
    July 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    September 2016
    July 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    July 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011

    Categorías

    All
    Actividades Culturales
    Actividades En UPR Rio Piedras
    Acuicultura
    Adaptación Del Cefalopodo
    AEE Pagará $205 Millones A Windmar
    Aquaculture
    Arrecife Isla Verde
    Arrestado Por Matar Tinglar
    Atipur En Ocean Park
    Australia Largest Amp
    Bahia Bioluminiscente
    Barnacles
    Blanket Octopus
    Bumphead Parrotfish Rivals
    Buque Isla De Mona
    Cambio Climático
    Caparazón De Una Tortuga Marina
    Caribbean Coral Reefs
    Caribe
    Carnivorous Sponge
    Catastrofe En Mona
    Cave Diving
    CESAM
    Charlas
    Cigarette Butts
    Climate Change
    Conversaciones De Ostras
    Coral Adaptation To Global Change
    Coral For Sunscreen
    Coral Reefs Vs Climate Change
    Corals
    Corals Benefit
    Costa Rica Tortugas
    Crustaceo Venenoso
    Cuba
    Cueva Ventana
    Culebra
    Daño Ambiental
    Deforestación En Culebra
    Delfinario Del Escambrón
    Delfines
    Deshielo En Ártico
    Designación Reserva Isla Verde
    Diseases Outbreak
    Dorado Conservación
    Dunas
    Eat Lionfish?
    Ecoturismo
    El Carey
    Electricity On Corals
    Emergencia Ambiental En Italia
    En Peligro Palominito
    Ensuciando El Orgullo Pr
    Erosión En Rincón
    Especies Invasivas
    Estrellas De Mar
    Estuario: Vertedero Ecologico
    Festival Del Tinglar
    Forosocial En Brazil
    Fósil Marino Antiguo
    [[\\\"Four Tracks\\\"]] En Bosque Seco De Guanica?
    Global Warming In 26 Sec
    Gran Barrera De Australia
    Hawaii Bans Plastic Bags
    Hawksbill Tracking
    Heat Effect On Sea-turtle Egg
    Huracán
    Huracán
    Impacto Del Desarrollo Costero En Pr
    Impacto Del Snorkeling Y Buceo
    Incineradora En Arecibo
    Invasive Starfish
    Jellyfish Scourge Threatens Israel
    Jireh En Mona
    Kayakeando Por El Caribe
    Kony 2012
    Leatherback
    Leatherbacks Crushed
    Ley Del Cen
    Limitaciones A La Pesca
    Limpieza De Costa
    Lionfish
    Lluvias Fuertes En Pr
    Manatee
    Manatíes En Peligro
    Mangroves As Filters
    Maricultura
    Mesa Informativa
    Mesophotic Reefs
    Mpa
    Muere Manati En Guayama
    Multa Por Basura
    Multa Por Tirar Basura
    Nieve En El Mar
    Nivel Del Mar
    Noche De San Juan
    Northeast Ecological Corridor
    Northeast Reserve Pr
    Observadores En El Embassy
    Overfishing
    Palau
    Parrotfish
    Penguins From Space
    Perspectiva Ambiental Del Candidato Santorum
    Pesca De Tiburones
    Pez Con Cancer563d9b013c
    Pitcairn
    Playa Isla Verde
    Playas Puerto Rico
    Pollution
    Praderas Submarinas
    Protección De Corales
    Puerto Rico
    Reserva Isla Verde
    Reserva Natura Culebra
    Samuel Suleiman
    Sea Turtle
    Sea Urchin
    Seaweed
    Seria Amenaza Al Cen
    Sharks
    Shark Trade Restrictions
    Tiburón Blanco
    Tiburones Del Pacifico
    Tinglar
    Tourism Marine
    Transgenicos
    Triunfo Del Arrecife Isla Verde
    Tuna
    Underwater Mystery Solved
    Varamientos
    Viajes De Campo
    Victoria Culebrense
    Vida Marina En Antartida
    Vieques
    White Marlin Pr

    Fuentes/
    Sources


    -Noticias Ambientales
    -Mi PR Verde
    -BBC Mundo
    -El Nuevo Día
    -Diálogo
    -Sea Grant Puerto Rico
    -
    NOAA Science Blog
    -TELESUR
    -NotiCel
    -Índice
    -The Atlantic
    - ScienceDaily
    -The Guardian
    -Compass Caiman
    -La Nación
    -ThinkProgress.Org
    - Greenerideal
    -Mi Nación
    -News.mongabay.com
    -CIELUPRM
    -
    Phys.org
    -
    Goedenshark.blogspot.com
    -Conservationmagazine.org/

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • CESAM
    • ¿Quienes somos?
    • Directiva
  • BLOG
  • EVENTOS
    • Conferencias y Talleres >
      • ASLO 2019
      • Charlas Educativas 2018-2019
      • 2016
      • 2013
    • Actividades Recreativas >
      • Buceo
      • Snorkeling
      • Turismo Interno
    • Viajes Institucionales y Simposios >
      • 35th AMLC en Costa Rica
      • 36th AMLC en Jamaica
      • 64th GCFI en México
  • Información Educativa
    • Tortugas Marinas/ Marine Turtles >
      • Carey/ Hawksbill
      • Peje Blanco/ Green Turtle
      • Tinglar/ Leatherback
    • Peces/ Fish >
      • Ángel Francés/ French Angel
      • Ángel Gris/ Grey Angel
      • Chapín/ Trunkfish
      • Pez León/ Lionfish
      • Tiburón Gata/ Nurse Shark
    • Corales/ Corals >
      • Cuerno de Ciervo/ Staghorn
      • Cuerno de Alce/ Elkhorn
      • Tarrito de Venado
      • Coral de Fuego/ Fire Coral
  • Viajes de Campo
    • Costa Rica
    • Cuba
    • Culebra
    • Desecheo
    • Haití
    • Isla de Mona
    • Jamaica
    • México
    • Puerto Rico
    • St. Kitts
    • St. Cruz
  • Contactenos