Acute effects of removing large fish from a near-pristine coral reef

Douglas J. McCauley; Fiorenza Micheli; Hillary S. Young; Derek P. Tittensor; Daniel R. Brumbaugh; Elizabeth M.P. Madin; Katherine E. Holmes; Jennifer E. Smith; Heike K. Lotze; Paul A. DeSalles; Suzanne N. Arnold; Boris Worm

doi:10.1007/s00227-010-1533-2

Acute effects of removing large fish from a near-pristine coral reef

Douglas J. McCauley, Fiorenza Micheli, Hillary S. Young, Derek P. Tittensor, Daniel R. Brumbaugh, Elizabeth M.P. Madin, Katherine E. Holmes, Jennifer E. Smith, Heike K. Lotze, Paul A. DeSalles, Suzanne N. Arnold, Boris Worm

Medicine

Medicine

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

56 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Large animals are severely depleted in many ecosystems, yet we are only beginning to understand the ecological implications of their loss. To empirically measure the short-term effects of removing large animals from an ocean ecosystem, we used exclosures to remove large fish from a near-pristine coral reef at Palmyra Atoll, Central Pacific Ocean. We identified a range of effects that followed from the removal of these large fish. These effects were revealed within weeks of their removal. Removing large fish (1) altered the behavior of prey fish; (2) reduced rates of herbivory on certain species of reef algae; (3) had both direct positive (reduced mortality of coral recruits) and indirect negative (through reduced grazing pressure on competitive algae) impacts on recruiting corals; and (4) tended to decrease abundances of small mobile benthic invertebrates. Results of this kind help advance our understanding of the ecological importance of large animals in ecosystems.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2739-2750
Number of pages	12
Journal	Marine Biology
Volume	157
Issue number	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-010-1533-2
Publication status	Published - Dec 2010

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Acknowledgments We thank the US Fish and Wildlife Service for permission to conduct this research in the Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and the staV of the Nature Conservancy for on-site logistical support. Funding was provided for by the National Science Foundation (GRFPs to DJM and EM); the Lenfest Foundation; the Woods Institute for the Environment; the Myers Oceanographic and Marine Biology Trust; a Chambers, and an Alden H. and Winifred Brown Fellowship (FM); and the JaVe Family Foundation, Pamela Farkas, and NOAA grant number NA055SEC46391002 (DRB and KEH). For reviews that improved this manuscript, we thank Rodolfo Dirzo, Jim Estes, and Steve Palumbi. For invaluable Weld or lab assistance we thank Lisa Max, Kevin McLean, Kevin Laferty, John McCallen, TC Robbins, Lauren Palumbi, Lee Love-Anderegg, Bob Steneck, and the crew of the SSV Robert C. Seamans. This is contribution number PARC-0050 of the Palmyra Atoll Research Consortium.

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Aquatic Science
Ecology

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10.1007/s00227-010-1533-2

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title = "Acute effects of removing large fish from a near-pristine coral reef",

abstract = "Large animals are severely depleted in many ecosystems, yet we are only beginning to understand the ecological implications of their loss. To empirically measure the short-term effects of removing large animals from an ocean ecosystem, we used exclosures to remove large fish from a near-pristine coral reef at Palmyra Atoll, Central Pacific Ocean. We identified a range of effects that followed from the removal of these large fish. These effects were revealed within weeks of their removal. Removing large fish (1) altered the behavior of prey fish; (2) reduced rates of herbivory on certain species of reef algae; (3) had both direct positive (reduced mortality of coral recruits) and indirect negative (through reduced grazing pressure on competitive algae) impacts on recruiting corals; and (4) tended to decrease abundances of small mobile benthic invertebrates. Results of this kind help advance our understanding of the ecological importance of large animals in ecosystems.",

author = "McCauley, {Douglas J.} and Fiorenza Micheli and Young, {Hillary S.} and Tittensor, {Derek P.} and Brumbaugh, {Daniel R.} and Madin, {Elizabeth M.P.} and Holmes, {Katherine E.} and Smith, {Jennifer E.} and Lotze, {Heike K.} and DeSalles, {Paul A.} and Arnold, {Suzanne N.} and Boris Worm",

note = "Funding Information: Acknowledgments We thank the US Fish and Wildlife Service for permission to conduct this research in the Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and the staV of the Nature Conservancy for on-site logistical support. Funding was provided for by the National Science Foundation (GRFPs to DJM and EM); the Lenfest Foundation; the Woods Institute for the Environment; the Myers Oceanographic and Marine Biology Trust; a Chambers, and an Alden H. and Winifred Brown Fellowship (FM); and the JaVe Family Foundation, Pamela Farkas, and NOAA grant number NA055SEC46391002 (DRB and KEH). For reviews that improved this manuscript, we thank Rodolfo Dirzo, Jim Estes, and Steve Palumbi. For invaluable Weld or lab assistance we thank Lisa Max, Kevin McLean, Kevin Laferty, John McCallen, TC Robbins, Lauren Palumbi, Lee Love-Anderegg, Bob Steneck, and the crew of the SSV Robert C. Seamans. This is contribution number PARC-0050 of the Palmyra Atoll Research Consortium.",

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AU - McCauley, Douglas J.

AU - Micheli, Fiorenza

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AU - Tittensor, Derek P.

AU - Brumbaugh, Daniel R.

AU - Madin, Elizabeth M.P.

AU - Holmes, Katherine E.

AU - Smith, Jennifer E.

AU - Lotze, Heike K.

AU - DeSalles, Paul A.

AU - Arnold, Suzanne N.

AU - Worm, Boris

N1 - Funding Information: Acknowledgments We thank the US Fish and Wildlife Service for permission to conduct this research in the Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and the staV of the Nature Conservancy for on-site logistical support. Funding was provided for by the National Science Foundation (GRFPs to DJM and EM); the Lenfest Foundation; the Woods Institute for the Environment; the Myers Oceanographic and Marine Biology Trust; a Chambers, and an Alden H. and Winifred Brown Fellowship (FM); and the JaVe Family Foundation, Pamela Farkas, and NOAA grant number NA055SEC46391002 (DRB and KEH). For reviews that improved this manuscript, we thank Rodolfo Dirzo, Jim Estes, and Steve Palumbi. For invaluable Weld or lab assistance we thank Lisa Max, Kevin McLean, Kevin Laferty, John McCallen, TC Robbins, Lauren Palumbi, Lee Love-Anderegg, Bob Steneck, and the crew of the SSV Robert C. Seamans. This is contribution number PARC-0050 of the Palmyra Atoll Research Consortium.

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Acute effects of removing large fish from a near-pristine coral reef

Abstract

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ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

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