Impacts of hurricanes and disease on Diadema antillarum in shallow water reef and mangrove locations in St John, USVI.
The 1983-1984 mortality event of the long-spined sea urchin Diadema antillarum reduced their population by up to 99% and was accompanied by a phase shift from coral dominated to algal dominated reefs in the Caribbean. Modest rebounds of D. antillarum populations in the Caribbean have been noted, and...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2024-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0297026&type=printable |
| _version_ | 1797301418822991872 |
|---|---|
| author | Renee D Godard C Morgan Wilson Caleb G Amstutz Natalie Badawy Brittany Richardson |
| author_facet | Renee D Godard C Morgan Wilson Caleb G Amstutz Natalie Badawy Brittany Richardson |
| author_sort | Renee D Godard |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The 1983-1984 mortality event of the long-spined sea urchin Diadema antillarum reduced their population by up to 99% and was accompanied by a phase shift from coral dominated to algal dominated reefs in the Caribbean. Modest rebounds of D. antillarum populations in the Caribbean have been noted, and here we document the impacts of two major hurricanes (2017, Irma and Maria) and the 2022 disease outbreak on populations of D. antillarum found by targeted surveys in the urchin zone at nine fringing reef and three mangrove sites on St. John, USVI. D. antillarum populations at the reef sites had declined by 66% five months after the hurricanes but showed significant recovery just one year later. The impact of recent disease on these populations was much more profound, with all reef populations exhibiting a significant decline (96.4% overall). Fifteen months after the disease was first noted, D. antillarum at reef sites exhibited a modest yet significant recovery (15% pre-disease density). D. antillarum populations in mangrove sites were impacted by the hurricanes but exhibited much higher density than reef sites after the disease outbreak, suggesting that at D. antillarum in some locations may be less vulnerable to disease. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T23:21:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-dcd6bcc571b64987b3b92037ca418c07 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T23:21:20Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-dcd6bcc571b64987b3b92037ca418c072024-02-21T05:31:49ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032024-01-01192e029702610.1371/journal.pone.0297026Impacts of hurricanes and disease on Diadema antillarum in shallow water reef and mangrove locations in St John, USVI.Renee D GodardC Morgan WilsonCaleb G AmstutzNatalie BadawyBrittany RichardsonThe 1983-1984 mortality event of the long-spined sea urchin Diadema antillarum reduced their population by up to 99% and was accompanied by a phase shift from coral dominated to algal dominated reefs in the Caribbean. Modest rebounds of D. antillarum populations in the Caribbean have been noted, and here we document the impacts of two major hurricanes (2017, Irma and Maria) and the 2022 disease outbreak on populations of D. antillarum found by targeted surveys in the urchin zone at nine fringing reef and three mangrove sites on St. John, USVI. D. antillarum populations at the reef sites had declined by 66% five months after the hurricanes but showed significant recovery just one year later. The impact of recent disease on these populations was much more profound, with all reef populations exhibiting a significant decline (96.4% overall). Fifteen months after the disease was first noted, D. antillarum at reef sites exhibited a modest yet significant recovery (15% pre-disease density). D. antillarum populations in mangrove sites were impacted by the hurricanes but exhibited much higher density than reef sites after the disease outbreak, suggesting that at D. antillarum in some locations may be less vulnerable to disease.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0297026&type=printable |
| spellingShingle | Renee D Godard C Morgan Wilson Caleb G Amstutz Natalie Badawy Brittany Richardson Impacts of hurricanes and disease on Diadema antillarum in shallow water reef and mangrove locations in St John, USVI. PLoS ONE |
| title | Impacts of hurricanes and disease on Diadema antillarum in shallow water reef and mangrove locations in St John, USVI. |
| title_full | Impacts of hurricanes and disease on Diadema antillarum in shallow water reef and mangrove locations in St John, USVI. |
| title_fullStr | Impacts of hurricanes and disease on Diadema antillarum in shallow water reef and mangrove locations in St John, USVI. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impacts of hurricanes and disease on Diadema antillarum in shallow water reef and mangrove locations in St John, USVI. |
| title_short | Impacts of hurricanes and disease on Diadema antillarum in shallow water reef and mangrove locations in St John, USVI. |
| title_sort | impacts of hurricanes and disease on diadema antillarum in shallow water reef and mangrove locations in st john usvi |
| url | https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0297026&type=printable |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT reneedgodard impactsofhurricanesanddiseaseondiademaantillaruminshallowwaterreefandmangrovelocationsinstjohnusvi AT cmorganwilson impactsofhurricanesanddiseaseondiademaantillaruminshallowwaterreefandmangrovelocationsinstjohnusvi AT calebgamstutz impactsofhurricanesanddiseaseondiademaantillaruminshallowwaterreefandmangrovelocationsinstjohnusvi AT nataliebadawy impactsofhurricanesanddiseaseondiademaantillaruminshallowwaterreefandmangrovelocationsinstjohnusvi AT brittanyrichardson impactsofhurricanesanddiseaseondiademaantillaruminshallowwaterreefandmangrovelocationsinstjohnusvi |