Sala E et al. (2011), Alien marine fishes deplete algal biomass in th...

ECB-ART-41936

PLoS One 2011 Feb 22;62:e17356. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0017356.

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Alien marine fishes deplete algal biomass in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Sala E , Kizilkaya Z , Yildirim D , Ballesteros E .

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One of the most degraded states of the Mediterranean rocky infralittoral ecosystem is a barren composed solely of bare rock and patches of crustose coralline algae. Barrens are typically created by the grazing action of large sea urchin populations. In 2008 we observed extensive areas almost devoid of erect algae, where sea urchins were rare, on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. To determine the origin of those urchin-less ''barrens'', we conducted a fish exclusion experiment. We found that, in the absence of fish grazing, a well-developed algal assemblage grew within three months. Underwater fish censuses and observations suggest that two alien herbivorous fish from the Red Sea (Siganus luridus and S. rivulatus) are responsible for the creation and maintenance of these benthic communities with extremely low biomass. The shift from well-developed native algal assemblages to ''barrens'' implies a dramatic decline in biogenic habitat complexity, biodiversity and biomass. A targeted Siganus fishery could help restore the macroalgal beds of the rocky infralittoral on the Turkish coast.

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Genes referenced: LOC100887844 LOC115925415 ncaph ROCK

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References [+] :

Coll, The biodiversity of the Mediterranean Sea: estimates, patterns, and threats. 2010, Pubmed

	Figure 1. Infralittoral barrens at 10 m depth near Kas, Turkey, May 2008.Note the absence of erect algae and sea urchins.
	Figure 2. Location of study sites.
	Figure 3. Evolution of total algal biomass inside the fish exclusion cages and controls (mean ± S.E., n = 12) at the three study sites.
	Figure 4. An exclusion cage at Kas in August 2009, five months after the beginning of the experiment.Inside the cage there is a well-developed algal assemblage, in contrast to the surroundings where only a few Padina pavonica stand out.
	Figure 5. School of thousands of juvenile Siganus luridus at Kas, Turkey, after a massive recruitment event in September 2009.
	Figure 6. Experimental cages and surroundings, like this one at Kas, Turkey, were cleaned up by juvenile Siganus within a month.