Benefits of herbivorous fish outweigh costs of corallivory in coral nurseries placed close to a Kenyan patch reef
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Published source details
Knoester E.G., Murk A.J. & Osinga R. (2019) Benefits of herbivorous fish outweigh costs of corallivory in coral nurseries placed close to a Kenyan patch reef. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 611, 143-155.
Published source details Knoester E.G., Murk A.J. & Osinga R. (2019) Benefits of herbivorous fish outweigh costs of corallivory in coral nurseries placed close to a Kenyan patch reef. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 611, 143-155.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Transplant wild-grown coral onto artificial substrate Action Link |
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Transplant wild-grown coral onto artificial substrate
A replicated, controlled study in 2016 at a coral reef near Wasini Island, Kenya (Knoester et al. 2019) found that transplanting stony coral Acropora verweyi fragments under cages to exclude fishes led to fewer bites by coral-eating fishes, but lower growth and survival, and higher levels of biofouling, than uncaged or partially caged fragments. Bite rates by coral-eating fishes were lower for caged fragments (0 g/min) compared to uncaged (0.32 g/min) and partially-caged (0.09 g/min), but there was no difference between uncaged and partially-caged. Specific growth rate/day (see original paper for equation) of caged fragments was lower (0.0047) than uncaged (0.0078) and partially-caged (0.0099). After 100 days, survival was lower for caged (89%) than uncaged (98%) and partially-caged (99%) fragments. There was no difference in growth or survival between uncaged and partially-caged fragments. Total fouling (including molluscs, algae, and crustose coralline algae) was higher in caged (484 g/m2) compared to uncaged (61 g/m2) and partially-caged (78 g/m2) structures, and there was no difference between uncaged and partially-caged. In April 2016, forty-five frames, comprising four 26 cm PVC pipes forming a cross, were installed 3 m deep at each of 15 locations along a 100 m stretch of reef. Four hundred and fifty naturally broken fragments of stony coral were collected from a reef, cut into 4 cm lengths, and suspended from the frames by fishing line (10 fragments/frame). A wire cage (0.5 × 0.25 × 0.25 m, 1.3 × 1.3 cm mesh size) was attached to 15 frames, a wire cage with two open sides was placed on 15 frames, and the remaining 15 frames were left uncovered. Bite rate (reported as fish-size-related mass in g/min – see original paper), growth, and survival were estimated each month using photographs. The experiment lasted 100 days.
(Summarised by: Ann Thornton)
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