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    Rights statement: This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Dajka, J-C, Beasley, V, Gendron, G, Barlow, J, Graham, NAJ. Weakening macroalgal feedbacks through shading on degraded coral reefs. Aquatic Conserv: Mar Freshw Ecosyst. 2021; 31, 7 : 1660– 1669. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.3546 which has been published in final form at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aqc.3546 This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.

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Weakening macroalgal feedbacks through shading on degraded coral reefs

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

E-pub ahead of print

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Weakening macroalgal feedbacks through shading on degraded coral reefs. / Dajka, J.-C.; Beasley, V.; Gendron, G. et al.
In: Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, Vol. 31, No. 7, 21.02.2021, p. 1660-1669.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Harvard

Dajka, J-C, Beasley, V, Gendron, G, Barlow, J & Graham, NAJ 2021, 'Weakening macroalgal feedbacks through shading on degraded coral reefs', Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, vol. 31, no. 7, pp. 1660-1669. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.3546

APA

Dajka, J-C., Beasley, V., Gendron, G., Barlow, J., & Graham, N. A. J. (2021). Weakening macroalgal feedbacks through shading on degraded coral reefs. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 31(7), 1660-1669. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.3546

Vancouver

Dajka J-C, Beasley V, Gendron G, Barlow J, Graham NAJ. Weakening macroalgal feedbacks through shading on degraded coral reefs. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. 2021 Feb 21;31(7):1660-1669. Epub 2021 Feb 21. doi: 10.1002/aqc.3546

Author

Dajka, J.-C. ; Beasley, V. ; Gendron, G. et al. / Weakening macroalgal feedbacks through shading on degraded coral reefs. In: Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. 2021 ; Vol. 31, No. 7. pp. 1660-1669.

Bibtex

@article{15961f5fcd6644479fa5234e8e8fffb2,
title = "Weakening macroalgal feedbacks through shading on degraded coral reefs",
abstract = "Extensive and dense macroalgal fields can compromise the ecosystem function of habitat mosaics on reefs owing to their limiting effect on patch connectivity. Macroalgae can maintain and increase their dominance with effective self-reinforcing feedback mechanisms. For example, macroalgae can form dense beds, supressing coral settlement and grazing by herbivores. This compromised ecosystem function can lead to major socioeconomic and ecological changes. Dense macroalgal beds were shaded with submerged shade sails of two sizes and changes to the underlying benthos and feeding rates of herbivorous fishes were recorded. The shade sails reduced the algae's ability to photosynthesize by 29%. After 6 weeks, macroalgal cover was reduced by 24% under small sails and by 51% under large sails. Small shade sails reduced turf algal growth by 23%, while large sails reduced growth by 82%. Three months after removal of the shade sails, algal beds had almost completely regrown. During this regrowth period, herbivore bites taken from the experiment's substrates were recorded, with grazing impact reducing significantly with time. This study is the first to achieve macroalgal reduction via the alteration of the light regime. While macroalgae regrew in this relatively short-term experiment, shading may be a viable reef management approach that aims to maximize habitat mosaics on coral reefs, particularly if used in combination with other intervention methods. ",
keywords = "algae, biomanipulation, fish, habitat management, new techniques, reef",
author = "J.-C. Dajka and V. Beasley and G. Gendron and J. Barlow and N.A.J. Graham",
note = "This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Dajka, J-C, Beasley, V, Gendron, G, Barlow, J, Graham, NAJ. Weakening macroalgal feedbacks through shading on degraded coral reefs. Aquatic Conserv: Mar Freshw Ecosyst. 2021; 31, 7 : 1660– 1669. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.3546 which has been published in final form at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aqc.3546 This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving. ",
year = "2021",
month = feb,
day = "21",
doi = "10.1002/aqc.3546",
language = "English",
volume = "31",
pages = "1660--1669",
journal = "Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems",
issn = "1052-7613",
publisher = "John Wiley and Sons Ltd",
number = "7",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Weakening macroalgal feedbacks through shading on degraded coral reefs

AU - Dajka, J.-C.

AU - Beasley, V.

AU - Gendron, G.

AU - Barlow, J.

AU - Graham, N.A.J.

N1 - This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Dajka, J-C, Beasley, V, Gendron, G, Barlow, J, Graham, NAJ. Weakening macroalgal feedbacks through shading on degraded coral reefs. Aquatic Conserv: Mar Freshw Ecosyst. 2021; 31, 7 : 1660– 1669. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.3546 which has been published in final form at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aqc.3546 This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.

PY - 2021/2/21

Y1 - 2021/2/21

N2 - Extensive and dense macroalgal fields can compromise the ecosystem function of habitat mosaics on reefs owing to their limiting effect on patch connectivity. Macroalgae can maintain and increase their dominance with effective self-reinforcing feedback mechanisms. For example, macroalgae can form dense beds, supressing coral settlement and grazing by herbivores. This compromised ecosystem function can lead to major socioeconomic and ecological changes. Dense macroalgal beds were shaded with submerged shade sails of two sizes and changes to the underlying benthos and feeding rates of herbivorous fishes were recorded. The shade sails reduced the algae's ability to photosynthesize by 29%. After 6 weeks, macroalgal cover was reduced by 24% under small sails and by 51% under large sails. Small shade sails reduced turf algal growth by 23%, while large sails reduced growth by 82%. Three months after removal of the shade sails, algal beds had almost completely regrown. During this regrowth period, herbivore bites taken from the experiment's substrates were recorded, with grazing impact reducing significantly with time. This study is the first to achieve macroalgal reduction via the alteration of the light regime. While macroalgae regrew in this relatively short-term experiment, shading may be a viable reef management approach that aims to maximize habitat mosaics on coral reefs, particularly if used in combination with other intervention methods. 

AB - Extensive and dense macroalgal fields can compromise the ecosystem function of habitat mosaics on reefs owing to their limiting effect on patch connectivity. Macroalgae can maintain and increase their dominance with effective self-reinforcing feedback mechanisms. For example, macroalgae can form dense beds, supressing coral settlement and grazing by herbivores. This compromised ecosystem function can lead to major socioeconomic and ecological changes. Dense macroalgal beds were shaded with submerged shade sails of two sizes and changes to the underlying benthos and feeding rates of herbivorous fishes were recorded. The shade sails reduced the algae's ability to photosynthesize by 29%. After 6 weeks, macroalgal cover was reduced by 24% under small sails and by 51% under large sails. Small shade sails reduced turf algal growth by 23%, while large sails reduced growth by 82%. Three months after removal of the shade sails, algal beds had almost completely regrown. During this regrowth period, herbivore bites taken from the experiment's substrates were recorded, with grazing impact reducing significantly with time. This study is the first to achieve macroalgal reduction via the alteration of the light regime. While macroalgae regrew in this relatively short-term experiment, shading may be a viable reef management approach that aims to maximize habitat mosaics on coral reefs, particularly if used in combination with other intervention methods. 

KW - algae

KW - biomanipulation

KW - fish

KW - habitat management

KW - new techniques

KW - reef

U2 - 10.1002/aqc.3546

DO - 10.1002/aqc.3546

M3 - Journal article

VL - 31

SP - 1660

EP - 1669

JO - Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems

JF - Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems

SN - 1052-7613

IS - 7

ER -