Science 1979 Jan 05;2034375:47-9. doi: 10.1126/science.203.4375.47.

Coral reef growth in the galapagos: limitation by sea urchins.

Abstract
The regular echinoid Eucidaris thouarsii is a conspicuous omnivore on coral bottoms in the Galápagos. Unlike Eucidaris in Panama and mainland Ecuador, Galápagos Eucidaris are large and abundant and graze heavily in the open on live corals day and night. These differences are probably due in large part to more intense predation by fishes on mainland compared with island urchin populations. An assessment of coral growth versus coral attrition from grazing shows that Eucidaris interferes with the establishment of pocilloporid reef frame and therefore reduces reef growth in the Galápagos.

PubMed ID: 17840510
Article link: Science


Genes referenced: LOC100887844 LOC115925415