The role of turtles as coral reef macroherbivores.
Herbivory is widely accepted as a vital function on coral reefs. To date, the majority of studies examining herbivory in coral reef environments have focused on the roles of fishes and/or urchins, with relatively few studies considering the potential role of macroherbivores in reef processes. Here,...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2012-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3386948?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1818289886536400896 |
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| author | Christopher H R Goatley Andrew S Hoey David R Bellwood |
| author_facet | Christopher H R Goatley Andrew S Hoey David R Bellwood |
| author_sort | Christopher H R Goatley |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Herbivory is widely accepted as a vital function on coral reefs. To date, the majority of studies examining herbivory in coral reef environments have focused on the roles of fishes and/or urchins, with relatively few studies considering the potential role of macroherbivores in reef processes. Here, we introduce evidence that highlights the potential role of marine turtles as herbivores on coral reefs. While conducting experimental habitat manipulations to assess the roles of herbivorous reef fishes we observed green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) showing responses that were remarkably similar to those of herbivorous fishes. Reducing the sediment load of the epilithic algal matrix on a coral reef resulted in a forty-fold increase in grazing by green turtles. Hawksbill turtles were also observed to browse transplanted thalli of the macroalga Sargassum swartzii in a coral reef environment. These responses not only show strong parallels to herbivorous reef fishes, but also highlight that marine turtles actively, and intentionally, remove algae from coral reefs. When considering the size and potential historical abundance of marine turtles we suggest that these potentially valuable herbivores may have been lost from many coral reefs before their true importance was understood. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T02:19:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-710707e5c883453eb1d1fde1b534b2a7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T02:19:24Z |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-710707e5c883453eb1d1fde1b534b2a72022-12-22T00:02:49ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032012-01-0176e3997910.1371/journal.pone.0039979The role of turtles as coral reef macroherbivores.Christopher H R GoatleyAndrew S HoeyDavid R BellwoodHerbivory is widely accepted as a vital function on coral reefs. To date, the majority of studies examining herbivory in coral reef environments have focused on the roles of fishes and/or urchins, with relatively few studies considering the potential role of macroherbivores in reef processes. Here, we introduce evidence that highlights the potential role of marine turtles as herbivores on coral reefs. While conducting experimental habitat manipulations to assess the roles of herbivorous reef fishes we observed green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) showing responses that were remarkably similar to those of herbivorous fishes. Reducing the sediment load of the epilithic algal matrix on a coral reef resulted in a forty-fold increase in grazing by green turtles. Hawksbill turtles were also observed to browse transplanted thalli of the macroalga Sargassum swartzii in a coral reef environment. These responses not only show strong parallels to herbivorous reef fishes, but also highlight that marine turtles actively, and intentionally, remove algae from coral reefs. When considering the size and potential historical abundance of marine turtles we suggest that these potentially valuable herbivores may have been lost from many coral reefs before their true importance was understood.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3386948?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Christopher H R Goatley Andrew S Hoey David R Bellwood The role of turtles as coral reef macroherbivores. PLoS ONE |
| title | The role of turtles as coral reef macroherbivores. |
| title_full | The role of turtles as coral reef macroherbivores. |
| title_fullStr | The role of turtles as coral reef macroherbivores. |
| title_full_unstemmed | The role of turtles as coral reef macroherbivores. |
| title_short | The role of turtles as coral reef macroherbivores. |
| title_sort | role of turtles as coral reef macroherbivores |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3386948?pdf=render |
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