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High herbivory despite high sediment loads on a fringing coral reef

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Abstract

Algal turfs are expected to increasingly dominate the benthos of coral reefs in the Anthropocene, becoming important sources of reef productivity. The sediments trapped within algal turfs are known to determine turf condition and influence a range of key ecological processes, particularly the feeding behavior of fishes. Yet, our understanding of the interactions between turfs, sediments and fishes is largely derived from offshore reef systems, where turfs typically contain relatively low sediment loads. Here, we expand on this knowledge by characterizing the properties of turfs and their interactions with fishes on a large, mainland fringing reef system, Ningaloo Reef. Algal turfs varied in algal biomass, height and percent of organic content in the sediment between sites, while the total inorganic and organic sediment loads were comparable. Despite being located in an arid climate with low riverine sediment inputs, turfs in Ningaloo contained an average of 3.5 kg m−2 of inorganic sediment, one of the highest loads reported in the literature. Yet, turf feeding rates by fishes in our study were comparable to locations where inorganic sediment loads are substantially lower. Feeding was dominated by herbivorous fishes (> 80% of the bites on average), with surgeonfishes being the dominant herbivore feeders (72% of the herbivore bites). In particular, the sediment sucker Acanthurus grammoptilus and the cropper Acanthurus triostegus—which crops off algal filaments protruding above the sediment layer—were the dominant and most commonly observed feeders. Our results suggest that cropping and sediment-sucking surgeonfishes are able to feed on turfs with high sediment loads, an ability that may prove advantageous in sediment-laden turf-dominated-reefs of the future.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge Baiyungu, Thalanyji and Yinikurtura People as the original custodians of the land and water where this research was conducted. We thank C.H.R. Goatley, F.X. Latrille, A. Oakley-Cogan, M. Mihalitsis, K. Filbee-Dexter, the Lizard Island Research Station staff and the Orpheus Island Research Station staff for field support; two anonymous reviewers for insightful comments; and the Australian Research Council (TW: DP190100058, DRB: FL190100062) and the Orpheus Island Research Station Morris Family Trust (SBT) for financial support. A.P. is grateful for support from the Australian Government International Research Training Program, the Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment and UWA Convocation of Graduates. N.B is grateful for the support from the SeaWorld foundation through the SeaWorld Rescue Foundation Animal Grants (SWR/14/2019).

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  1. Oceans Institute and School of Biological Sciences, UWA Oceans, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia

    Albert Pessarrodona, Nestor E. Bosch & Thomas Wernberg

  2. ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia

    Sterling B. Tebbett & David R. Bellwood

  3. College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia

    Sterling B. Tebbett & David R. Bellwood

  4. Institute of Marine Research, His, Norway

    Thomas Wernberg

  5. Roskilde University, Box 260, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark

    Thomas Wernberg

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Pessarrodona, A., Tebbett, S.B., Bosch, N.E. et al. High herbivory despite high sediment loads on a fringing coral reef. Coral Reefs 41, 161–173 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-021-02211-w

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