Tropicalization strengthens consumer pressure on habitat-forming seaweeds

Abstract Ocean warming is driving species poleward, causing a ‘tropicalization’ of temperate ecosystems around the world. Increasing abundances of tropical herbivores on temperate reefs could accelerate declines in habitat-forming seaweeds with devastating consequences for these important marine eco...

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Autores principales:	Salvador Zarco-Perello, Thomas Wernberg, Tim J. Langlois, Mathew A. Vanderklift
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Nature Portfolio 2017
Materias:	Medicine R Science Q
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/33e31a60afb84825abbb0cf42ac373a3
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:33e31a60afb84825abbb0cf42ac373a32021-12-02T11:40:50ZTropicalization strengthens consumer pressure on habitat-forming seaweeds10.1038/s41598-017-00991-22045-2322https://doaj.org/article/33e31a60afb84825abbb0cf42ac373a32017-04-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-00991-2https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract Ocean warming is driving species poleward, causing a ‘tropicalization’ of temperate ecosystems around the world. Increasing abundances of tropical herbivores on temperate reefs could accelerate declines in habitat-forming seaweeds with devastating consequences for these important marine ecosystems. Here we document an expansion of rabbitfish (Siganus fuscescens), a tropical herbivore, on temperate reefs in Western Australia following a marine heatwave and demonstrate their impact on local kelp forests (Ecklonia radiata). Before the heatwave there were no rabbitfish and low rates of kelp herbivory but after the heatwave rabbitfish were common at most reefs and consumption of kelp was high. Herbivory increased 30-fold and kelp abundance decreased by 70% at reefs where rabbitfish had established. In contrast, where rabbitfish were absent, kelp abundance and herbivory did not change. Video-analysis confirmed that rabbitfish were the main consumers of kelp, followed by silver drummers (Kyphosus sydneyanus), a temperate herbivore. These results represent a likely indirect effect of the heatwave beyond its acute impacts, and they provide evidence that range-shifting tropical herbivores can contribute to declines in habitat-forming seaweeds within a few years of their establishment.Salvador Zarco-PerelloThomas WernbergTim J. LangloisMathew A. VanderkliftNature PortfolioarticleMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 7, Iss 1, Pp 1-8 (2017)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Medicine R Science Q Salvador Zarco-Perello Thomas Wernberg Tim J. Langlois Mathew A. Vanderklift Tropicalization strengthens consumer pressure on habitat-forming seaweeds
description	Abstract Ocean warming is driving species poleward, causing a ‘tropicalization’ of temperate ecosystems around the world. Increasing abundances of tropical herbivores on temperate reefs could accelerate declines in habitat-forming seaweeds with devastating consequences for these important marine ecosystems. Here we document an expansion of rabbitfish (Siganus fuscescens), a tropical herbivore, on temperate reefs in Western Australia following a marine heatwave and demonstrate their impact on local kelp forests (Ecklonia radiata). Before the heatwave there were no rabbitfish and low rates of kelp herbivory but after the heatwave rabbitfish were common at most reefs and consumption of kelp was high. Herbivory increased 30-fold and kelp abundance decreased by 70% at reefs where rabbitfish had established. In contrast, where rabbitfish were absent, kelp abundance and herbivory did not change. Video-analysis confirmed that rabbitfish were the main consumers of kelp, followed by silver drummers (Kyphosus sydneyanus), a temperate herbivore. These results represent a likely indirect effect of the heatwave beyond its acute impacts, and they provide evidence that range-shifting tropical herbivores can contribute to declines in habitat-forming seaweeds within a few years of their establishment.
format	article
author	Salvador Zarco-Perello Thomas Wernberg Tim J. Langlois Mathew A. Vanderklift
author_facet	Salvador Zarco-Perello Thomas Wernberg Tim J. Langlois Mathew A. Vanderklift
author_sort	Salvador Zarco-Perello
title	Tropicalization strengthens consumer pressure on habitat-forming seaweeds
title_short	Tropicalization strengthens consumer pressure on habitat-forming seaweeds
title_full	Tropicalization strengthens consumer pressure on habitat-forming seaweeds
title_fullStr	Tropicalization strengthens consumer pressure on habitat-forming seaweeds
title_full_unstemmed	Tropicalization strengthens consumer pressure on habitat-forming seaweeds
title_sort	tropicalization strengthens consumer pressure on habitat-forming seaweeds
publisher	Nature Portfolio
publishDate	2017
url	https://doaj.org/article/33e31a60afb84825abbb0cf42ac373a3
work_keys_str_mv	AT salvadorzarcoperello tropicalizationstrengthensconsumerpressureonhabitatformingseaweeds AT thomaswernberg tropicalizationstrengthensconsumerpressureonhabitatformingseaweeds AT timjlanglois tropicalizationstrengthensconsumerpressureonhabitatformingseaweeds AT mathewavanderklift tropicalizationstrengthensconsumerpressureonhabitatformingseaweeds
_version_	1718395510312665088

Tropicalization strengthens consumer pressure on habitat-forming seaweeds

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