A Fishy story about hurricanes and herbivory: seven years of research on a reef in St John, US Virgin Islands
Rogers CS, Garrison V, Grober-Dunsmore R. 1997. A Fishy story about hurricanes and herbivory: seven years of research on a reef in St John, US Virgin Islands. Proceedings of the 8th International Coral Reef Symposium. 1:555-559
Author's abstract: "During the last seven years, hard coral cover decreased and algal growth increased on a reef in Virgin Islands National Park on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Coral cover declined from about 20% to 13% as a direct result of Hurricane Hugo. By the time Hurricanes Luis and Marilyn struck St. John in September 1995, the amount living coral cover on the reef was still at the level observed after Hugo. Macroalgal cover went from less than 5% before Hugo to over 21% within two months as algae exploited new substrate Opened up by the storm. Although fluctuating, macroalgal cover reached its highest level (31%) after Hurricanes Luis and Marilyn. The combination of hurricane damage and fishing pressure on this reef may cause further declines in coral and increases in algal cover, and the reef may never recover to its pro-Hugo condition. The dominant coral, Montastraea annularis, grows slowly and produces few recruits. Grazing by herbivorous fishes is not intense enough to control growth by macroalgae, which hinders coral regeneration and recruitment." The study site was a reef in Lameshur Bay.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Rogers, Caroline; Garrison, Virginia; Grober-Dunsmore, Rikki
- Units
- VIIS
- Keywords
- Algae, Animal Studies, Coral, Fishing, Hurricanes, Lameshur Bay, Percent Cover, Plant Studies, Recovery, St. John, US Virgin Islands