Hungry, Hungry Herbivores:
How do predation risk and coral reef structure interact to shape herbivore foraging decisions?
Is your next meal worth becoming a meal yourself? This is the question that herbivores must contemplate every time they make a feeding decision.
Coral reefs often go unseen by most people, but are incredibly important ecosystems, both economically and ecologically. They rival tropical rainforests in their biodiversity and are valued around 30 billion dollars globally! Multiple factors threaten their existence including the loss of top-level predators like sharks, groupers, and jacks. These fish are the targets of fishing. When they are lost, there are cascading consequences for lower trophic levels. Ultimately, their loss can influence the foundational species in these ecosystems – the corals themselves. By unraveling the complex interactions between predators, their prey (the herbivores!), and their prey’s food resources (the primary producers like seagrass and algae), we can better understand the effects of overfishing and how we can help to mitigate these effects. In this activity you will learn about the factors that influence herbivore decision-making and the potential consequences their decisions have for coral reef ecosystems.
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