Abstract

The productivity and biomass of pristine coral reef ecosystems is poorly understood, particularly in the Caribbean where communities have been impacted by overfishing and multiple other stressors over centuries. Using historical data on the spatial distribution and abundance of the extinct Caribbean monk seal (Monachus tropicalis), this study reconstructed the population size, structure, and ecological role of this once common predator within coral reef communities, and provides evidence that historical reefs supported biomasses of fish and invertebrates up to six times greater than are found on typical modern Caribbean reefs. An estimated 233,000 to 338,000 monk seals were distributed among thirteen colonies across the Caribbean. The biomass of reef fish and invertebrates needed to support historical seal populations was 732 to 1018 g/m2 of reef. Quantitative estimates of historically dense monk seal colonies and their consumption rates on pristine reefs provide concrete data on the magnitude of decline in animal biomass on Caribbean coral reefs. Realistic reconstruction of these past ecosystems is critical to understanding the profound and long lasting effect of human hunting on the functioning of coral reef ecosystems.

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