Thresholds and the resilience of Caribbean coral reefs

Peter J. Mumby (), Alan Hastings and Helen J. Edwards
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Peter J. Mumby: Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, School of BioSciences, University of Exeter, Prince of Wales Road, Exeter EX4 4PS, UK
Alan Hastings: Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
Helen J. Edwards: Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, School of BioSciences, University of Exeter, Prince of Wales Road, Exeter EX4 4PS, UK

Nature, 2007, vol. 450, issue 7166, 98-101

Abstract: Reefs in peril Many coral reefs in the Caribbean are in poor health, having suffered coral losses and increases in macroalgae. Using models, Mumby et al. show that since the mass mortality of a grazing urchin in 1983, Caribbean reefs have shown a general loss of resilience. The reefs are now expected to be highly sensitive to parrot fish exploitation, but this modelling may help identify areas most resilient to both grazing and hurricane damage, with important consequences for reef management.

Date: 2007
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DOI: 10.1038/nature06252

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