Volume 63
Parrotfish as Ecosystem Engineers on U.S. Caribbean Coral Reefs.
Authors
Kimmel, J., W. Arnold, B. Tokotch, and J. Rueter Download PDF Open PDF in BrowserOther Information
Date: November, 2010
Pages: 536
Event: Proceedings of the Sixty-Third Annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute
City: San Juan
Country: Puerto Rico
Abstract
Coral reefs provide a variety of ecosystem services, but a myriad of threats act synergistically to stress reefs in U.S. Caribbean waters. We consider the contribution of parrotfish grazing to coral reef health, evaluate the spatial variation in fishing activities that impact parrotfish abundance, and discuss the trade-offs between cultural and ecological obligations that are inherent to effective management of parrotfish in the U.S. Caribbean.