|
|
Fishing ban boosts coral growth
|
Marine biologists researching in the Caribbean have found that a commercial fishing ban led to healthier coral reefs.
|
|
The study, led by Peter Mumby of Devon?s Exeter University, concentrated on a marine park in the Bahamas. It found that, following a ban on commercial fishing, the return of top predators ? sharks and, in particular, the Nassau grouper ? helped corals to grow more efficiently.
The findings contained a surprising twist. Higher numbers of the top predators meant that more parrotfish were eaten ? and, as parrotfish nibble away and clear reefs of coral-inhibiting weed, one might expect this to have been bad news.
But it transpired that the consumption of some parrotfish allowed other parrotfish to grow larger. Once they reached a length of about 30cm, they became immune to being swallowed by predators, while their size also meant a bigger appetite.
The overall result was more, not less weed removed from the reefs. Nature?s balancing of species is indeed a complex business!
The Exeter team?s study report has been published by Science, the magazine of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Related links
AAAS website
|
Start a Forum discussion on this topic
|
Archive | 
