Wednesday November 15, 2023
PhysOrg —
A new study by Dr. Lindsay Spiers (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission) and Professor Thomas Frazer (College of Marine Science at the University of South Florida), published in PeerJ presents crucial findings on the feeding preferences of herbivorous fishes and the sea urchin Diadema antillarum in Little Cayman.
The study, titled “Comparison of feeding preferences of herbivorous fishes and the sea urchin Diadema antillarum in Little Cayman,” sheds new light on the dynamics of these herbivores and their impact on the resilience of Caribbean coral reefs.
Caribbean coral reefs face significant challenges, including the decline of herbivorous fishes and Diadema antillarum populations, leading to the proliferation of macroalgae. These changes have been detrimental to the health and coral cover of these reefs. This research aims to understand the feeding preferences of these herbivores and their combined impact on macroalgal communities, which has been a relatively unexplored aspect of reef ecology.