Sentences with phrase «herbivorous fish»
The phrase "herbivorous fish" refers to fish that primarily eat plants. They don't consume other animals, but they feed on algae, seaweed, or aquatic plants as their main source of food. Full definition
Work on Aquarius has so far given valuable insights into the physiology of corals and their symbiotic algae, the effects of herbivorous fish on coral growth, and the resistance of sponges to higher temperatures and levels of carbon dioxide.
newscientist.com
For example, not only do other fish suffer (in some cases native fish populations dropped nearly 80 percent in just a few weeks), but algae is often left unchecked and can destroy coral reefs when herbivorous fish are depleted.
Thus, Dr Doropoulos said a network of well - connected reefs with abundant herbivorous fish populations was needed to maintain long - term reef resilience.
The new study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, argues that science should be used to revise current fisheries practices for herbivorous fish.
The study revealed that herbivorous fish greatly preferred to feed at low tide in the isolated lagoons, when predators were absent and the threat of predation was low.
It's common practice to find these substandard or incomplete herbivorous fish food products.
Scarus guacamaia, the largest herbivorous fish in the Atlantic, uses all three provinces of the Mesoamerican Reef in the course of its life.
Aside from the rapid and immediate mortality of marine life, the loss of herbivorous fish will also set the stage for seaweed to potentially overwhelm the coral reefs and disrupt the delicate ecological balance in which they exist.
In addition, some ecological signals were consistently noted in both the reserve and fished sites, such as in increase in the number of herbivorous fish.
By observing reef communities in Fiji's Votua Marine Reserve, Rasher and his team discovered that sharks do in fact influence plant growth on the reefs — by scaring the herbivorous fish away from eating them.
The study, led by University of Queensland researchers, reveals that Caribbean coral reefs are experiencing mounting pressure from global warming, local pollution and over-fishing of herbivorous fish.
«Where shark numbers are reduced due to commercial fishing, there is also a decrease in the herbivorous fishes which play a key role in promoting reef health,» said Jonathan Ruppert, a recent University of Toronto PhD graduate.
He was first tempted into marine science by a trip to the coral reefs of Saudi Arabia, where he studied behaviour and coexistence of herbivorous fishes.
While the outlook for reefs in the fact of today's rapid global warming is exceptionally serious, the authors provide remedial options for management interventions that will increase reef resilience, including: a) reduce the harvest of herbivorous fish to sustainable levels, b) protect sharks and other top predators, c) manage all aspects of water quality, and d) diminish direct anthropogenic impacts and stressors.
The loss of the herbivorous fish on the reefs will set the stage for seaweed to potentially overwhelm the coral reefs and disrupt the stability of the environment in which they exist.