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Parrotfish provide important ecological functions on coral reefs, including the provision of new settlement space through grazing and the generation of sediment through bioerosion of reef substrate. Estimating these functions at an ecosystem level depends on accurately quantifying the functional impact of individuals, yet parrotfish feeding metrics are only available for a limited range of sites, species and size classes. We quantified bite rates, proportion of bites leaving scars and scar sizes in situ for the dominant excavator (Cetoscarus ocellatus, Chlorurus strongylocephalus, Ch. sordidus) and scraper species (Scarus rubroviolaceus, S. frenatus, S. niger, S. tricolor, S. scaber, S. psittacus) in the central Indian Ocean. This includes the first record of scar frequencies and sizes for the latter three species. Bite rates varied with species and life phase and decreased with body size. The proportion of bites leaving scars and scar sizes differed among species and increased with body size. Species-level allometric relationships between body size and each of these feeding metrics were used to parameterize annual individual grazing and bioerosion rates which increase non-linearly with body size. Large individuals of C. ocellatus, Ch. strongylocephalus and S. rubroviolaceus can graze 200–400 m2 and erode >500 kg of reef substrate annually. Smaller species graze 1–100 m2 yr−1 and erode 0.2–30 kg yr−1. We used these individual functional rates to quantify community grazing and bioerosion levels at 15 sites across the Maldives and the Chagos Archipelago. Although parrotfish density was 2.6 times higher on Maldivian reefs, average grazing (3.9 ± 1.4 m2 m−2 reef yr−1) and bioerosion levels (3.1 ± 1.2 kg m−2 reef yr−1) were about 15% lower than in the Chagos Archipelago (4.5 ± 2.3 and 3.7 ± 3.0, respectively), due to the dominance of small species and individuals in the Maldives (90% <30 cm length). This demonstrates that large-bodied species and individuals contribute d

Sea-level rise (SLR) is predicted to elevate water depths above coral reefs and to increase coastal wave exposure asecological degradation limits vertical reef growth, but projections lack data on interactions between local rates of reefgrowth and sea level rise. Here we calculate the vertical growth potential of more than 200 tropical western Atlanticand Indian Ocean reefs, and compare these against recent and projected rates of SLR under different RepresentativeConcentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios. Although many reefs retain accretion rates close to recent SLR trends, few willhave the capacity to track SLR projections under RCP4.5 scenarios without sustained ecological recovery, and underRCP8.5 scenarios most reefs are predicted to experience mean water depth increases of more than 0.5 m by 2100. Coralcover strongly predicts reef capacity to track SLR, but threshold cover levels that will be necessary to prevent submergenceare well above those observed on most reefs. Urgent action is thus needed to mitigate climate, sea-level and futureecological changes in order to limit the magnitude of future reef submergence.

Sea-level rise (SLR) is predicted to elevate water depths above coral reefs and to increase coastal wave exposure asecological degradation limits vertical reef growth, but projections lack data on interactions between local rates of reefgrowth and sea level rise. Here we calculate the vertical growth potential of more than 200 tropical western Atlanticand Indian Ocean reefs, and compare these against recent and projected rates of SLR under different RepresentativeConcentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios. Although many reefs retain accretion rates close to recent SLR trends, few willhave the capacity to track SLR projections under RCP4.5 scenarios without sustained ecological recovery, and underRCP8.5 scenarios most reefs are predicted to experience mean water depth increases of more than 0.5 m by 2100. Coralcover strongly predicts reef capacity to track SLR, but threshold cover levels that will be necessary to prevent submergenceare well above those observed on most reefs. Urgent action is thus needed to mitigate climate, sea-level and futureecological changes in order to limit the magnitude of future reef submergence.

Possible applications of the Landsat system for remote sensing and its future use as a tool for resources planning and management are discussed. Details of the technology involved in the system are given., Possible applications of the Landsat system for remote sensing and its future use as a tool for resources planning and management are discussed. Details of the technology involved in the system are given.