Cascading effects of fishing on Galapagos rocky reef communities

2007 ◽  
Vol 343 ◽  
pp. 77-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
JI Sonnenholzner ◽  
LB Ladah ◽  
KD Lafferty
Keyword(s):  
Rocky Reef ◽  
Cascading Effects ◽  
Reef Communities

scholarly journals Long Term Interactions of Native and Invasive Species in a Marine Protected Area Suggest Complex Cascading Effects Challenging Conservation Outcomes

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 71
Author(s):  
Charalampos Dimitriadis ◽  
Ivoni Fournari-Konstantinidou ◽  
Laurent Sourbès ◽  
Drosos Koutsoubas ◽  
Stelios Katsanevakis
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Habitat Degradation ◽  
Population Increase ◽  
Rocky Reef ◽  
Cascading Effects ◽  
High Level

Understanding the interactions among invasive species, native species and marine protected areas (MPAs), and the long-term regime shifts in MPAs is receiving increased attention, since biological invasions can alter the structure and functioning of the protected ecosystems and challenge conservation efforts. Here we found evidence of marked modifications in the rocky reef associated biota in a Mediterranean MPA from 2009 to 2019 through visual census surveys, due to the presence of invasive species altering the structure of the ecosystem and triggering complex cascading effects on the long term. Low levels of the populations of native high-level predators were accompanied by the population increase and high performance of both native and invasive fish herbivores. Subsequently the overgrazing and habitat degradation resulted in cascading effects towards the diminishing of the native and invasive invertebrate grazers and omnivorous benthic species. Our study represents a good showcase of how invasive species can coexist or exclude native biota and at the same time regulate or out-compete other established invaders and native species.

scholarly journals Interactions between sea urchin grazing and prey diversity on temperate rocky reef communities

Ecology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 94 (7) ◽  
pp. 1636-1646 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jarrett E. K. Byrnes ◽  
Bradley J. Cardinale ◽  
Daniel C. Reed
Keyword(s):  
Sea Urchin ◽  
Rocky Reef ◽  
Temperate Rocky Reef ◽  
Reef Communities ◽  
Prey Diversity ◽  
Urchin Grazing

scholarly journals Evidence of the top–down role of predators in structuring sublittoral rocky-reef communities in a Marine Protected Area and nearby areas of the Canary Islands

2008 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina Clemente ◽  
José Carlos Hernández ◽  
Alberto Brito
Keyword(s):  
Canary Islands ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Rocky Reef ◽  
Adult Density ◽  
Top Down ◽  
El Hierro ◽  
Reef Communities ◽  
Predation Rates

Abstract Clemente, S., Hernández, J. C., and Brito, A. 2009. Evidence of the top–down role of predators in structuring sublittoral rocky-reef communities in a Marine Protected Area and nearby areas of the Canary Islands. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66: 64–71. Differences in the sea urchin Diadema aff. antillarum population structure, which have been attributed to removal of predatory fish through overfishing, are observed throughout the Canary Islands. Low urchin abundances and a “desired conservation state” are currently found in Mar de Las Calmas Marine Protected Area and nearby fished areas (FAs) in El Hierro Island, in contrast to the occurrence of high urchin densities and the “undesired conservation state” in the highly FAs (HFAs) of Tenerife Island. Under these different levels of fishing pressure, we consider a set of ecological variables potentially affecting urchin populations (settlement, recruitment, adult urchin densities, predation rates, and abundance of urchin fish predators) to infer their magnitude and relative importance in addressing community-wide changes. No differences in settlement and recruitment rates were found, but predation pressure was higher in El Hierro, where adult density was low and predation rates were high. The combination of these factors provides evidence of a top–down control of sublittoral reef communities. Although the effect of protection was less clear, we demonstrate the positive effects of reduced fishing effort in enhancing trophic cascade processes and reducing the establishment of barren grounds.

The Fish Connection: A Trophic Link Between Planktonic and Rocky Reef Communities?

Science ◽  
1981 ◽  
Vol 214 (4517) ◽  
pp. 204-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. N. BRAY ◽  
A. C. MILLER ◽  
G. G. GEESEY
Keyword(s):  
Rocky Reef ◽  
Trophic Link ◽  
Reef Communities
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