4.5 Article

Spatial and Temporal Patterns in Macroherbivore Grazing in a Multi-Species Tropical Seagrass Meadow of the Great Barrier Reef

期刊

DIVERSITY-BASEL
卷 13, 期 1, 页码 -

出版社

MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/d13010012

关键词

seagrass ecosystem; herbivore; plant-herbivore interactions; grazing; fish; sea urchin; Marine Protected Area; Great Barrier Reef

资金

  1. Australian Research Council [LP160100492]
  2. Gladstone Ports Corporation
  3. HolsworthWildlife Research Endowment (Ecological Society of Australia)
  4. National Environment Science Programme Tropical Water Quality Hub
  5. Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship
  6. Australian Research Council [LP160100492] Funding Source: Australian Research Council

向作者/读者索取更多资源

The study found that macroherbivory in seagrass meadows around Green Island in the Great Barrier Reef was relatively low and highly variable, primarily caused by fish, with some involvement from sea urchins. The impact of macroherbivores was not intense enough to affect the overall structure of the seagrass meadows.
Macroherbivory is an important process in seagrass meadows worldwide; however, the impact of macroherbivores on seagrasses in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) has received little attention. We used exclusion cages and seagrass tethering assays to understand how the intensity of macroherbivory varies over space and time in the seagrass meadows around Green Island (Queensland), and what impact this has on overall meadow structure. Rates of macroherbivory were comparatively low, between 0.25-44% of daily seagrass productivity; however, rates were highly variable over a one-year period, and among sites. Loss of seagrass material to macroherbivory was predominantly due to fish; however, urchin herbivory was also taking place. Macroherbivory rates were of insufficient intensity to impact overall meadow structure. No macroherbivory events were identified on video cameras that filmed in the day, indicating that feeding may be occurring infrequently in large shoals, or at night. While relatively low compared to some meadows, seagrass macroherbivory was still an important process at this site. We suggest that in this highly protected area of the GBR, where the ecosystem and food webs remain largely intact, macroherbivory was maintained at a low level and was unlikely to cause the large-scale meadow structuring influence that can be seen in more modified seagrass systems.

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