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The limited role of herbivorous fishes and turf-based trophic pathways in the functioning of turbid coral reefs

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Abstract

Herbivorous fishes, and the productivity of algal turfs, are widely viewed as central to the functioning of coral reefs. This understanding is largely based on clear-water reefs. Our knowledge of herbivorous fishes and the nature of their nutritional resources on turbid reefs, by contrast, remains relatively limited. We therefore explored the nature of herbivorous fishes and the epilithic algal matrix (EAM) on turbid coral reefs across the Dampier Archipelago in northern Western Australia. We conducted comprehensive surveys of herbivorous fish abundances across natural turbidity gradients. Moreover, we quantified the trophodynamic functioning of herbivorous fishes relative to EAM structure and productivity. We revealed a clear relationship between turbidity gradients and herbivorous fish abundance, with herbivorous fishes being virtually absent from high turbidity reefs. Across the Dampier Archipelago, EAMs were typified by sediment-laden turfs with a limited propensity to deliver nutritional resources to fishes, while the productivity (i.e. the capacity for individuals to grow and produce new biomass) of herbivorous fishes was low and a fraction of that documented on clear-water reefs in the Indo-Pacific. Given the tight coupling between herbivorous fishes and their nutritional resources, these findings imply bottom-up nutrient resource limitation, which is likely due to reduced light levels and sediment-laden conditions inhibiting EAM productivity on turbid reefs. Our results suggest that EAM-based trophic pathways may be particularly unproductive on turbid reefs, with this energetic pathway playing a limited role in reef functioning compared to reefs in clear water.

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Availability of data and materials

The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Code availability

Code is available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Zara Edmond, Tim Hunt, Suzie Glac and Cam Smith for field support; Rio Tinto and Pilbara Ports Authority for provision of hydrodynamic data used in model validation; and the Australian Research Council for financial support (DRB, Grant Number: FL190100062). Insightful reviewer comments improved this manuscript. MVWC acknowledges the support of resources provided by the Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre with funding from the Australian Government and the Government of Western Australia. This project was funded by the Woodside-operated Pluto Project for the State Environmental Offsets Program administered by the Western Australian Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA). The funders had no role in the preparation of the manuscript. We pay our respects to the Murujuga people and acknowledge their continual connection to the land and sea country on which this work was conducted.

Funding

This research was funded through: a research grant from the Australian Research Council (DRB: FL190100062); support of resources provided by the Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre with funding from the Australian Government (MVWC) and the Government of Western Australia (MVWC); and the Woodside-operated Pluto Project for the State Environmental Offsets Program administered by the Western Australian Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, and College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia

    Sterling B. Tebbett, David R. Bellwood & Helen F. Yan

  2. School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia

    Tahlia Bassett

  3. Oceans Graduate School, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia

    Michael V. W. Cuttler

  4. UWA Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia

    Michael V. W. Cuttler, Molly Moustaka, Shaun K. Wilson & Richard D. Evans

  5. Marine Science Program, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, WA, 6151, Australia

    Molly Moustaka, Shaun K. Wilson & Richard D. Evans

  6. Australian Institute of Marine Science, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia

    Shaun K. Wilson

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  1. Sterling B. Tebbett
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  2. David R. Bellwood
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  3. Tahlia Bassett
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  4. Michael V. W. Cuttler
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  7. Helen F. Yan
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  8. Richard D. Evans
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Contributions

All authors conceived the study; SBT, TB, MVWC, MM, SKW, HFY, and RDE collected and collated the data; SBT analysed the data; SBT, MM, and MVWC produced the figures; SBT led the writing; all authors contributed to revising.

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Correspondence to Sterling B. Tebbett.

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Tebbett, S.B., Bellwood, D.R., Bassett, T. et al. The limited role of herbivorous fishes and turf-based trophic pathways in the functioning of turbid coral reefs. Rev Fish Biol Fisheries 34, 439–460 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-023-09823-1

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