- http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110114164516.htm
- http://www.reef2reef.com/forums/reef-aquarium-discussion/53447-sea-urchins-destroy-reef-building-algae-overfished-sites-kenyas-coast.html
- lib.bioinfo.pl/news/similar/492104
An study of Kenya's coral reefs by the University of California at Santa Cruz found that overfished reef systems have more sea urchins. Sea urchins eat coral algae that build tropical a reef. The scientist found that reefs with large numbers of sea urchins reduced the coralline algae. This species of algae allow for reef growth. The researchers found that sea urchins were the dominant grazer in the fished reefs, where the predators of sea urchins were fairly absent. These under-appreciated coralline algae are known to bind and stabilize reef skeletons and sand as well as grow small corals by providing a place for their larvae to settle. The study shows the cascading effects of predator loss on a reef.
Overall, reefs with more sea urchins grew significantly slower than ones with more complete fish communities.
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Sea urchins are voracious eaters that also destroy kelp forests. In this article, kelp forests are being lost and eaten by sea urchins, and the only way to keep the kelp alive is for sea otters to feast upon sea urchins.
ReplyDeleteAdrianna Tan
http://suite101.com/article/sea-otters-and-sea-urchins-a75485
I know sea urchins are spiky and poisonous. They also use their spines for movement. They wiggle the spines and it acts like a spinning, spiky, wheel of death! They are also masters of disguise. They use the spines and tube feet to move rocks and seaweed onto themselves and hide beneath it. I did not know what they ate or how much it affects the system.
ReplyDeletehttp://animal.discovery.com/marine-life/sea-urchin-info.htm
I know that every reef community needs every organism to live within its niche and carry out its role so the community operates as smoothly as possible. Didn't really consider that there needs to be that one fish who eats the sea urchin, but if it's over fished; it only makes sense that things could fall out of balance within a community pretty easily. Another big predator of the sea urchin is the wolf eel.
ReplyDeletefor more info on wolf eel:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf_eel