Corals fail to recover at a Caribbean marine reserve despite ten years of reserve designation |
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Authors: | Email author" target="_blank">B?E?HuntingtonEmail author M?Karnauskas D?Lirman |
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Institution: | (1) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33133, USA |
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Abstract: | The ability of reserves to replenish fish stocks is relatively well documented, but the evidence of their ability to induce
positive effects on benthic communities remains inconclusive. Here, we test whether 10 years of reserve designation have translated
into positive effects on coral communities in Glover’s Reef, Belize. Surveys of 87 patch reefs inside and outside the reserve
revealed no clear indication of reserve implementation benefitting coral cover, coral colony size, or abundance of juvenile
corals. Furthermore, massive broadcasting coral species exhibited greater losses over time than their smaller-sized counterparts
across all sites, suggesting that local management actions have not alleviated the regional trend of high mortality for these
species. We detected no difference in herbivorous fish abundances or macroalgal cover between reserve and fished sites, providing
a potential explanation for the lack of cascading positive effects on the coral community. We conclude that patterns of regional
coral decline are evident at Glover’s Reef, including a shift in dominance from broadcasting species to brooding species and
declines in mean colony size. Our findings suggest that regional stressors are overwhelming local management efforts and that
additional strategies are required to improve local coral condition. |
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