ing event: Whereas reefs subjected to grazing by large herbivorous fish species exhibited resilience in recovery, recruiting new corals to the reef and keeping algal growth in check, the reef areas from which large fish were excluded showed a distinct erosion in reef quality, with assemblages of algae and plant life overgrowing the reef and preventing the recruitment of new coral.

The study's findings indicate that grazing by large herbivorous fishes plays a key role in the ability of coral reef ecosystems to recover from bleaching events and maintain resilience in the face of thermal stress due to rises in ocean temperatures. On a practical level, the work strongly suggests that local management efforts aimed at preventing chronic overfishing may not only help ensure reef health under stable conditions, but may also significantly boost the resilience of coral reefs in the face of bleaching events and, potentially, other aspects of environmental thermal stress.

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Contact: Erin Doonan
edoonan@cell.com
617-397-2802
Cell Press
8-Feb-2007

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