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1. Diet and condition of mesopredators on coral reefs in relation to shark abundance.

Author

Shanta C Barley, Mark G Meekan, and Jessica J Meeuwig

Subjects
Medicine, Science
Abstract

Reef sharks may influence the foraging behaviour of mesopredatory teleosts on coral reefs via both risk effects and competitive exclusion. We used a "natural experiment" to test the hypothesis that the loss of sharks on coral reefs can influence the diet and body condition of mesopredatory fishes by comparing two remote, atoll-like reef systems, the Rowley Shoals and the Scott Reefs, in northwestern Australia. The Rowley Shoals are a marine reserve where sharks are abundant, whereas at the Scott Reefs numbers of sharks have been reduced by centuries of targeted fishing. On reefs where sharks were rare, the gut contents of five species of mesopredatory teleosts largely contained fish while on reefs with abundant sharks, the same mesopredatory species consumed a larger proportion of benthic invertebrates. These measures of diet were correlated with changes in body condition, such that the condition of mesopredatory teleosts was significantly poorer on reefs with higher shark abundance. Condition was defined as body weight, height and width for a given length and also estimated via several indices of condition. Due to the nature of natural experiments, alternative explanations cannot be discounted. However, the results were consistent with the hypothesis that loss of sharks may influence the diet and condition of mesopredators and by association, their fecundity and trophic role. Regardless of the mechanism (risk effects, competitive release, or other), our findings suggest that overfishing of sharks has the potential to trigger trophic cascades on coral reefs and that further declines in shark populations globally should be prevented to protect ecosystem health.

Published
2017
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2. Ecological redundancy between coral reef sharks and predatory teleosts

Author

Timothy Clark, Shanta C. Barley, and Jessica J. Meeuwig

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, geography, geography.geographical_feature_category, biology, Ecology, 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology, Reef shark, Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos, Coral reef, Aquatic Science, biology.organism_classification, 010603 evolutionary biology, 01 natural sciences, Predation, Guild, Caranx, Trophic cascade, Reef
Abstract

Reef sharks may be ecologically redundant, such that other mesopredatory fishes compensate for their functions when they decline in number, preventing trophic cascades. Oral jaw gape, hereafter referred to as gape, determines maximum prey size in many piscivores and therefore affects the size structure of prey assemblages. Here, we examine whether gape and maximum prey size differ between five species of reef shark and 21 species of teleost (n = 754) using data collected from 38 reefs in the Indo-Pacific. Sharks displayed relatively small gape dimensions compared to most teleost species and, at smaller sizes, the giant trevally Caranx ignobilis and other teleosts may be able to consume larger prey than similar-sized sharks. However, ecological redundancy between reef sharks and teleosts appears to decline at larger sizes, such that the grey reef shark Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos, for example, may be capable of consuming larger prey than any other reef predator at its largest sizes, regardless of prey body shape. Moreover, sharks may be able to consume proportionally larger prey as they grow, in contrast to reef teleosts, which may largely be limited by their gapes to ever-smaller prey as a proportion of their body size. Our results also suggest that reef sharks may be unable to swallow whole prey that are > 36% of their length, consistent with gut-content studies. Conservation of reef ecological function may therefore depend not only on the protection of sharks but also particular size classes and key components of the mesopredatory guild.

Published
2019
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3. WTO must ban harmful fisheries subsidies

Author

Gert van Santen, John M. Anderies, Donovan Campbell, Tyler D. Eddy, Omu Kakujaha-Matundu, Bryce D. Stewart, Marten Scheffer, Jessica Fanzo, Rowenna Gryba, F. Stuart Chapin, Denis Worlanyo Aheto, Katina Roumbedakis, Ibrahim Issifu, Gordon R. Munro, Shakuntala H. Thilsted, Ibukun Jacob Adewumi, Evgeny A. Pakhomov, Grant Murray, Jason F. Shogren, Unai Pascual, Satoshi Yamazaki, Margaret Spring, Carlos M. Duarte, Kathleen Segerson, U. Rashid Sumaila, Precious Agbeko Dzorgbe Mattah, Kyle Gillespie, Saleem Mustafa, Lan Xiao, Joshua Adotey, Frances Westley, Francis K. E. Nunoo, Frank Asche, Zuzy Anna, Boris Worm, D. R. Fraser Taylor, Diva J. Amon, Roshni S. Mangar, Cassandra M. Brooks, Frederik Noack, Brooks Kaiser, Nathan J. Bennett, William W. L. Cheung, Dwight Owens, S. Kim Juniper, Derek Armitage, Karly McMullen, Dawn Kotowicz, Enric Sala, Paul O. Onyango, Francis E. Asuquo, Kristin M. Kleisner, Monirul Islam, Juliano Palacios Abrantes, Tony Charles, Dana D. Miller, Sarah Harper, Louise S. L. Teh, Juan José Alava, Aurélien Paulmier, Jeremy B. C. Jackson, Santiago de la Puente, Colin W. Clark, Jennifer J. Silver, Robert Blasiak, Colette C. C. Wabnitz, Gretchen C. Daily, Lydia C. L. Teh, John A. List, Alessandro Tavoni, Philippe D. Tortell, Tabitha Mallory, Jaime Mendo, Amadou Tall, Essam Yassin Mohammed, Romola V. Thumbadoo, Kristen Hopewell, Rebecca R. Helm, Mauricio Castrejón, Elena M. Bennett, Jean-Baptiste Thiebot, Jorge Jimenez Ramon, Patrick Kimani, Gerald G. Singh, Kátia Meirelles Felizola Freire, Johannes A. Iitembu, Sara E. Cannon, Jorge Ramírez, Richard S.J. Tol, Evelyn Pinkerton, Andrew Forrest, Juan Camilo Cárdenas Campo, Sadique Isahaku, Dyhia Belhabib, Moenieba Isaacs, Laura G. Elsler, Alessandro Tagliabue, Tom Okey, Tessa Owens, Alex J. Caveen, José-María Da-Rocha, Isigi Kadagi, Hong Yang, Ekow Prah, Glenn-Marie Lange, Mary S. Wisz, Vicky W. L. Lam, Maartje Oostdijk, Daniel Pauly, Torsten Thiele, Michel J. Kaiser, Christina C. Hicks, Nancy C. Doubleday, Nicholas K. Dulvy, Line Gordon, Thomas L. Frölicher, Kwasi Appeaning Addo, Katherine Millage, Alfredo Giron-Nava, Heike K. Lotze, Lincoln Hood, Michelle Tigchelaar, Keita Abe, S. Karuaihe, Nancy Knowlton, Jessica A. Gephart, Noble K. Asare, Werner Antweiler, Christopher D. G. Harley, Kai M. A. Chan, Rodrigue Orobiyi Edéya Pèlèbè, Duncan Burnside, Sarah Glaser, Hussain Sinan, Garry D. Peterson, Olaf P. Jensen, Don Robadue, Mafaniso Hara, Sahir Advani, Andreea L. Cojocaru, Fiorenza Micheli, Gakushi Ishimura, Berchie Asiedu, Tu Nguyen, Mohammed Oyinlola, Lubna Alam, Maria A. Gasalla, Priscila F. M. Lopes, Mary Karumba, Austin J. Gallagher, Sufian Jusoh, Brian R. Copeland, Christopher M. Anderson, Alberta Jonah, Christopher D. Golden, Fabrice Stephenson, Douglas J. McCauley, Isaac Okyere, Jennifer Jacquet, Elke U. Weber, Benjamin S. Halpern, Olanike Kudirat Adeyemo, Neil Adger, Nina Wambiji, Kristina M. Gjerde, A. Eyiwunmi Falaye, Polina Orlov, Umi Muawanah, Trevor Church, Denise Breitburg, J. P. Walsh, Edward H. Allison, Cullen S. Hendrix, Curtis A. Suttle, Thuy Thi Thanh Pham, Cesar Bordehore, Michael Harte, Xavier Basurto, Carol McAusland, Rainer Froese, Adibi R. M. Nor, Anne-Sophie Crépin, Karen C. Seto, Abhipsita Das, Philippe Cury, Masahide Kaeriyama, Peter Freeman, Dacotah-Victoria Splichalova, Nobuyuki Yagi, Natalie C. Ban, Larry B. Crowder, Véronique Garçon, Amanda T. Lombard, Katie R. N. Florko, Nicolás Talloni-Álvarez, Riad Sultan, Lisa A. Levin, Mimi E. Lam, Evans K. Arizi, Richard T. Carson, Megan Bailey, Steven J. Lade, Zahidah Afrin, Dianne Newell, Shanta C. Barley, Colin Barnes, Villy Christensen, Dirk Zeller, Simon A. Levin, Kolliyil Sunil Mohamed, Marta Flotats Aviles, Jonathan D. R. Houghton, Daniel J. Skerritt, Karin E. Limburg, Meaghan Efford, Michael C. Melnychuk, Lanre Badmus, Sebastián Villasante, Carie Hoover, Evan Andrews, Daniel Peñalosa, Allison N. Cutting, Nathan Pacoureau, Melissa Walsh, Wisdom Akpalu, Kafayat Adetoun Fakoya, Ling Cao, Edward B. Barbier, Clare Fitzsimmons, Alex Rogers, Robert Arthur, Daniel Marszalec, Jean-Baptiste Jouffray, Carl Folke, Anna Schuhbauer, Mazlin Mokhtar, Juan Mayorga, Ingrid van Putten, S.L. Akintola, Stephen Polasky, Lance Morgan, Jesper Stage, Lucas Brotz, M. Selçuk Uzmanoğlu, Boris Dewitte, Ahmed Khan, Ernest Obeng Chuku, Veronica Relano, Nicholas Polunin, Griffin Carpenter, Virginie Bornarel, Max Troell, Bárbara Horta e Costa, Lian E. Kwong, Mairin C. M. Deith, Valérie Le Brenne, Dan Laffoley, Hugh Govan, Ronaldo Angelini, Juan Carlos Villaseñor-Derbez, Mark J. Gibbons, Ambre Soszynski, Ola Flaaten, Stella Williams, M. Nicole Chabi, S. R. Carpenter, Prateep Kumar Nayak, David Obura, Scott Barrett, Philippe Le Billon, Patrízia Raggi Abdallah, John J. Bohorquez, Adriana Rosa Carvalho, Andrés M. Cisneros-Montemayor, Paul R. Ehrlich, John Kurien, Juan Carlos Seijo, Dominique Benzaken, Brian Crawford, Callum M. Roberts, Gabriel Reygondeau, Xue Jin, Julia Adelsheim, Mohd Talib Latif, Annie Mejaes, Frank Meere, Jeffrey McLean, Jennifer Dianto Kemmerly, Henrik Österblom, Savior K. S. Deikumah, Tayler M. Clarke, Aart de Zeeuw, Frédéric Le Manach, Maria Grazia Pennino, Quentin A Hanich, David R. Boyd, Sumaila, U Rashid, Skerritt, Daniel J, Schuhbauer, Anna, Villasante, Sebastian, Cisneros-Montemayor, Andrés M, Sinan, Hussain, Burnside, Duncan, Abdallah, Patrízia Raggi, Abe, Keita, Addo, Kwasi A, Adelsheim, Julia, Adewumi, Ibukun J, Adeyemo, Olanike K, Adger, Neil, Adotey, Joshua, Advani, Sahir, Afrin, Zahidah, Aheto, Deni, Akintola, Shehu L, Akpalu, Wisdom, Alam, Lubna, Alava, Juan José, Allison, Edward H, Amon, Diva J, Anderies, John M, Anderson, Christopher M, Andrews, Evan, Angelini, Ronaldo, Anna, Zuzy, Antweiler, Werner, Arizi, Evans K, Armitage, Derek, Arthur, Robert I, Asare, Noble, Asche, Frank, Asiedu, Berchie, Asuquo, Franci, Badmus, Lanre, Bailey, Megan, Ban, Natalie, Barbier, Edward B, Barley, Shanta, Barnes, Colin, Barrett, Scott, Basurto, Xavier, Belhabib, Dyhia, Bennett, Elena, Bennett, Nathan J, Benzaken, Dominique, Blasiak, Robert, Bohorquez, John J, Bordehore, Cesar, Bornarel, Virginie, Boyd, David R, Breitburg, Denise, Brooks, Cassandra, Brotz, Luca, Campbell, Donovan, Cannon, Sara, Cao, Ling, Cardenas Campo, Juan C, Carpenter, Steve, Carpenter, Griffin, Carson, Richard T, Carvalho, Adriana R, Castrejón, Mauricio, Caveen, Alex J, Chabi, M Nicole, Chan, Kai M A, Chapin, F Stuart, Charles, Tony, Cheung, William, Christensen, Villy, Chuku, Ernest O, Church, Trevor, Clark, Colin, Clarke, Tayler M, Cojocaru, Andreea L, Copeland, Brian, Crawford, Brian, Crépin, Anne-Sophie, Crowder, Larry B, Cury, Philippe, Cutting, Allison N, Daily, Gretchen C, Da-Rocha, Jose Maria, Das, Abhipsita, de la Puente, Santiago, de Zeeuw, Aart, Deikumah, Savior K S, Deith, Mairin, Dewitte, Bori, Doubleday, Nancy, Duarte, Carlos M, Dulvy, Nicholas K, Eddy, Tyler, Efford, Meaghan, Ehrlich, Paul R, Elsler, Laura G, Fakoya, Kafayat A, Falaye, A Eyiwunmi, Fanzo, Jessica, Fitzsimmons, Clare, Flaaten, Ola, Florko, Katie R N, Aviles, Marta Flotat, Folke, Carl, Forrest, Andrew, Freeman, Peter, Freire, Kátia M F, Froese, Rainer, Frölicher, Thomas L, Gallagher, Austin, Garcon, Veronique, Gasalla, Maria A, Gephart, Jessica A, Gibbons, Mark, Gillespie, Kyle, Giron-Nava, Alfredo, Gjerde, Kristina, Glaser, Sarah, Golden, Christopher, Gordon, Line, Govan, Hugh, Gryba, Rowenna, Halpern, Benjamin S, Hanich, Quentin, Hara, Mafaniso, Harley, Christopher D G, Harper, Sarah, Harte, Michael, Helm, Rebecca, Hendrix, Cullen, Hicks, Christina C, Hood, Lincoln, Hoover, Carie, Hopewell, Kristen, Horta E Costa, Bárbara B, Houghton, Jonathan D R, Iitembu, Johannes A, Isaacs, Moenieba, Isahaku, Sadique, Ishimura, Gakushi, Islam, Monirul, Issifu, Ibrahim, Jackson, Jeremy, Jacquet, Jennifer, Jensen, Olaf P, Ramon, Jorge Jimenez, Jin, Xue, Jonah, Alberta, Jouffray, Jean-Baptiste, Juniper, S Kim, Jusoh, Sufian, Kadagi, Isigi, Kaeriyama, Masahide, Kaiser, Michel J, Kaiser, Brooks Alexandra, Kakujaha-Matundu, Omu, Karuaihe, Selma T, Karumba, Mary, Kemmerly, Jennifer D, Khan, Ahmed S, Kimani, Patrick, Kleisner, Kristin, Knowlton, Nancy, Kotowicz, Dawn, Kurien, John, Kwong, Lian E, Lade, Steven, Laffoley, Dan, Lam, Mimi E, Lam, Vicky W L, Lange, Glenn-Marie, Latif, Mohd T, Le Billon, Philippe, Le Brenne, Valérie, Le Manach, Frédéric, Levin, Simon A, Levin, Lisa, Limburg, Karin E, List, John, Lombard, Amanda T, Lopes, Priscila F M, Lotze, Heike K, Mallory, Tabitha G, Mangar, Roshni S, Marszalec, Daniel, Mattah, Preciou, Mayorga, Juan, McAusland, Carol, McCauley, Douglas J, McLean, Jeffrey, McMullen, Karly, Meere, Frank, Mejaes, Annie, Melnychuk, Michael, Mendo, Jaime, Micheli, Fiorenza, Millage, Katherine, Miller, Dana, Mohamed, Kolliyil Sunil, Mohammed, Essam, Mokhtar, Mazlin, Morgan, Lance, Muawanah, Umi, Munro, Gordon R, Murray, Grant, Mustafa, Saleem, Nayak, Prateep, Newell, Dianne, Nguyen, Tu, Noack, Frederik, Nor, Adibi M, Nunoo, Francis K E, Obura, David, Okey, Tom, Okyere, Isaac, Onyango, Paul, Oostdijk, Maartje, Orlov, Polina, Österblom, Henrik, Owens, Dwight, Owens, Tessa, Oyinlola, Mohammed, Pacoureau, Nathan, Pakhomov, Evgeny, Abrantes, Juliano Palacio, Pascual, Unai, Paulmier, Aurélien, Pauly, Daniel, Pèlèbè, Rodrigue Orobiyi Edéya, Peñalosa, Daniel, Pennino, Maria G, Peterson, Garry, Pham, Thuy T T, Pinkerton, Evelyn, Polasky, Stephen, Polunin, Nicholas V C, Prah, Ekow, Ramírez, Jorge, Relano, Veronica, Reygondeau, Gabriel, Robadue, Don, Roberts, Callum, Rogers, Alex, Roumbedakis, Katina, Sala, Enric, Scheffer, Marten, Segerson, Kathleen, Seijo, Juan Carlo, Seto, Karen C, Shogren, Jason F, Silver, Jennifer J, Singh, Gerald, Soszynski, Ambre, Splichalova, Dacotah-Victoria, Spring, Margaret, Stage, Jesper, Stephenson, Fabrice, Stewart, Bryce D, Sultan, Riad, Suttle, Curti, Tagliabue, Alessandro, Tall, Amadou, Talloni-Álvarez, Nicolá, Tavoni, Alessandro, Taylor, D R Fraser, Teh, Louise S L, Teh, Lydia C L, Thiebot, Jean-Baptiste, Thiele, Torsten, Thilsted, Shakuntala H, Thumbadoo, Romola V, Tigchelaar, Michelle, Tol, Richard S J, Tortell, Philippe, Troell, Max, Uzmanoğlu, M Selçuk, van Putten, Ingrid, van Santen, Gert, Villaseñor-Derbez, Juan Carlo, Wabnitz, Colette C C, Walsh, Melissa, Walsh, J P, Wambiji, Nina, Weber, Elke U, Westley, France, Williams, Stella, Wisz, Mary S, Worm, Bori, Xiao, Lan, Yagi, Nobuyuki, Yamazaki, Satoshi, Yang, Hong, and Zeller, Dirk

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management, Multidisciplinary, WIMEK, 010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences, Natural resource economics, 530 Physics, 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology, Subsidy, Aquatische Ecologie en Waterkwaliteitsbeheer, 01 natural sciences, WTO, fishery, subsidy, 13. Climate action, 550 Earth sciences & geology, SUBSÍDIOS, Life Science, 14. Life underwater, Business, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Abstract

Sustainably managed wild fisheries support food and nutritional security, livelihoods, and cultures (1). Harmful fisheries subsidies—government payments that incentivize overcapacity and lead to overfishing—undermine these benefits yet are increasing globally (2). World Trade Organization (WTO) members have a unique opportunity at their ministerial meeting in November to reach an agreement that eliminates harmful subsidies (3). We—a group of scientists spanning 46 countries and 6 continents—urge the WTO to make this commitment...

Published
2021
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4. A review of a decade of lessons from one of the world’s largest MPAs: conservation gains and key challenges

Author

Charles Sheppard, Margaux Steyaert, Heather J. Koldewey, Mark G. Meekan, David Tickler, David M. P. Jacoby, Robert B. Dunbar, Julian Engel, Mark Spalding, Robin Freeman, Stephen G. Preston, Clara Diaz, Aaron B. Carlisle, Stephen C. Votier, Ines D. Lange, Nicole Esteban, Guy Stevens, David J. Curnick, Jamie M. McDevitt-Irwin, Ana Nuno, Jeanne A. Mortimer, Matthew Gollock, Emma Levy, Catherine E. I. Head, Anne Sheppard, Nigel E. Hussey, Adrian Smith, Joanna L. Harris, Nicholas A. J. Graham, Emma V. Sheehan, Malcolm A. C. Nicoll, Phil Hosegood, John R. Turner, Francesco Ferretti, Sivajyodee Sannassy Pilly, Taylor K. Chapple, Melissa Schiele, Robert J. Schallert, Kerry L. Howell, Cassandra E. Benkwitt, Daniel T. I. Bayley, Brett M. Taylor, Alice M. Trevail, Sarah Stiffel, Hannah Wood, Samantha Andrzejaczek, Nicola L. Foster, Shanta C. Barley, Dannielle S. Eager, Fiorenza Micheli, Graeme C. Hays, Ronan C. Roche, Rachel Jones, Barbara A. Block, Tom B. Letessier, Mathilde Lindhart, Edward Robinson, Alex Rattray, Nicholas Dunn, Jessica J. Meeuwig, Andrew O. M. Mogg, Peter W. Carr, Gareth J. Williams, Michael J. Williamson, Bry Wilson, Pablo Trueba, Martin J. Attrill, Clare B. Embling, Chris T. Perry, Benjamin Williamson, Claire Collins, David A. Mucciarone, and Bradley Soule

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, Marine conservation, geography, geography.geographical_feature_category, Ecology, Coral bleaching, 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology, Atoll, Pelagic zone, Marine life, Coral reef, Aquatic Science, Biology, 010603 evolutionary biology, 01 natural sciences, Fishery, Archipelago, Marine protected area, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Abstract

Given the recent trend towards establishing very large marine protected areas (MPAs) and the high potential of these to contribute to global conservation targets, we review outcomes of the last decade of marine conservation research in the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), one of the largest MPAs in the world. The BIOT MPA consists of the atolls of the Chagos Archipelago, interspersed with and surrounded by deep oceanic waters. Islands around the atoll rims serve as nesting grounds for sea birds. Extensive and diverse shallow and mesophotic reef habitats provide essential habitat and feeding grounds for all marine life, and the absence of local human impacts may improve recovery after coral bleaching events. Census data have shown recent increases in the abundance of sea turtles, high numbers of nesting seabirds and high fish abundance, at least some of which is linked to the lack of recent harvesting. For example, across the archipelago the annual number of green turtle clutches (Chelonia mydas) is ~ 20,500 and increasing and the number of seabirds is ~ 1 million. Animal tracking studies have shown that some taxa breed and/or forage consistently within the MPA (e.g. some reef fishes, elasmobranchs and seabirds), suggesting the MPA has the potential to provide long-term protection. In contrast, post-nesting green turtles travel up to 4000 km to distant foraging sites, so the protected beaches in the Chagos Archipelago provide a nesting sanctuary for individuals that forage across an ocean basin and several geopolitical borders. Surveys using divers and underwater video systems show high habitat diversity and abundant marine life on all trophic levels. For example, coral cover can be as high as 40–50%. Ecological studies are shedding light on how remote ecosystems function, connect to each other and respond to climate-driven stressors compared to other locations that are more locally impacted. However, important threats to this MPA have been identified, particularly global heating events, and Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing activity, which considerably impact both reef and pelagic fishes.

Published
2020
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5. Predator declines and morphological changes in prey: evidence from coral reefs depleted of sharks

Author

Emily R. Nelson, Mark G. Meekan, Duncan J. Irschick, Jessica J. Meeuwig, Shanta C. Barley, and Neil Hammerschlag

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, geography, education.field_of_study, geography.geographical_feature_category, History, Ecology, 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology, Population, Fishing, Wildlife, Coral reef, Aquatic Science, 010603 evolutionary biology, 01 natural sciences, Fishery, Scholarship, Sustainability, Commonwealth, education, Reef, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Abstract

We thank the Western Australian Departments of Fisheries, Parks and Wildlife (DPaW), the Commonwealth Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities for arranging permits to conduct research at the Scott Reefs and the Rowley Shoals. We acknowledge the crew on board the RV 'Solander,' Kim Brooks, Paul Tinkler and numerous volunteers for aid in the field. Thanks also to Paddy Ryan who provided images for the figures. Special thanks to Sarah Hirth, Gammon Koval, Rachel Skubel and Marcelo Costa Lopez for help with some figures. This research was funded in part by the Australian Institute of Marine Science, an International Postgraduate Research Scholarship to S.C.B., the Save our Seas Foundation and the University of Western Australia, Perth, under UWA Ethics Approvals: RA3/100/1279, RA3/100/1172. We thank Ashley Frisch and several reviewers who provided valuable comments that improved our manuscript.

Published
2018
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6. Species diversity, abundance, biomass, size and trophic structure of fish on coral reefs in relation to shark abundance

Author

Jessica J. Meeuwig, Shanta C. Barley, and Mark G. Meekan

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, geography, education.field_of_study, geography.geographical_feature_category, Ecology, Coral reef fish, 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology, Population, Wildlife, Coral reef, Aquatic Science, Biology, 010603 evolutionary biology, 01 natural sciences, Fishing down the food web, Fishery, Abundance (ecology), education, Reef, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Apex predator
Abstract

We thank the University of Western Australia (UWA), Perth, which partly funded this research via an International Postgraduate Research Scholarship and the Australian Institute of Marine Science. We also thank the Department of Fisheries, the Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) and the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities for arranging permits to conduct research at the Scott Reefs and the Rowley Shoals. Thank you also to the crew on board the RV 'Solander'. This research was permitted under UWA Ethics Approvals: RA3/100/1279, RA3/100/1172.

Published
2017
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7. The Power and the Pitfalls of Large-scale, Unreplicated Natural Experiments

Author

Jessica J. Meeuwig and Shanta C. Barley

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, Great power, Replication crisis, Natural experiment, Ecology, Resistance (ecology), 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology, Scale (chemistry), Ecology (disciplines), Context (language use), Biology, 010603 evolutionary biology, 01 natural sciences, Data science, Environmental Chemistry, Mainstream, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Abstract

Large-scale, unreplicated natural experiments (LUNEs) have a unique power to test hypotheses at ecologically realistic scales and have delivered insights of great power into cosmology, evolution and geology. Yet, LUNEs are relatively rare in the field of ecology and continue to meet resistance due to their lack of replication. However, in the vast majority of cases, large-scale experiments cannot be replicated for practical and ethical reasons. Here, we make the case that LUNEs have had a disproportionately positive effect on conservation policy and are a crucial next step in the extrapolation of our understanding of ecological processes from small-scale experiments to relevant scales, particularly in the context of the current “replication crisis” affecting many sciences. Greater inclusion of LUNEs in mainstream ecology will help humanity to solve global problems as human transformation of the planet accelerates in coming decades.

Published
2016
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8. Diet and condition of mesopredators on coral reefs in relation to shark abundance

Author

Mark G. Meekan, Shanta C. Barley, and Jessica J. Meeuwig

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, Male, Coral reef fish, Gastropoda, lcsh:Medicine, Marine and Aquatic Sciences, Predation, 01 natural sciences, Mesopredator release hypothesis, Food Web Structure, lcsh:Science, Chondrichthyes, Trophic level, Apex predator, Multidisciplinary, geography.geographical_feature_category, Ecology, Coral Reefs, Marine reserve, Fishes, Coral reef, Trophic Interactions, Community Ecology, Vertebrates, Female, geographic locations, Research Article, Conservation of Natural Resources, Food Chain, Brachyura, chemical and pharmacologic phenomena, Marine Biology, Biology, 010603 evolutionary biology, Animals, Reef, Ecosystem, geography, Overfishing, 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology, lcsh:R, fungi, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, technology, industry, and agriculture, Organisms, Australia, Biology and Life Sciences, Feeding Behavior, Invertebrates, Bivalvia, Diet, Perciformes, Fishery, Cypriniformes, Earth Sciences, Reefs, Sharks, lcsh:Q, human activities, Elasmobranchii
Abstract

Reef sharks may influence the foraging behaviour of mesopredatory teleosts on coral reefs via both risk effects and competitive exclusion. We used a "natural experiment" to test the hypothesis that the loss of sharks on coral reefs can influence the diet and body condition of mesopredatory fishes by comparing two remote, atoll-like reef systems, the Rowley Shoals and the Scott Reefs, in northwestern Australia. The Rowley Shoals are a marine reserve where sharks are abundant, whereas at the Scott Reefs numbers of sharks have been reduced by centuries of targeted fishing. On reefs where sharks were rare, the gut contents of five species of mesopredatory teleosts largely contained fish while on reefs with abundant sharks, the same mesopredatory species consumed a larger proportion of benthic invertebrates. These measures of diet were correlated with changes in body condition, such that the condition of mesopredatory teleosts was significantly poorer on reefs with higher shark abundance. Condition was defined as body weight, height and width for a given length and also estimated via several indices of condition. Due to the nature of natural experiments, alternative explanations cannot be discounted. However, the results were consistent with the hypothesis that loss of sharks may influence the diet and condition of mesopredators and by association, their fecundity and trophic role. Regardless of the mechanism (risk effects, competitive release, or other), our findings suggest that overfishing of sharks has the potential to trigger trophic cascades on coral reefs and that further declines in shark populations globally should be prevented to protect ecosystem health.

Published
2017

9. To knot or not? Novel feeding behaviours in moray eels

Author

Mark G. Meekan, Jessica J. Meeuwig, Shanta C. Barley, and Rita S. Mehta

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, geography, geography.geographical_feature_category, biology, 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology, Coral reef, Aquatic Science, Oceanography, biology.organism_classification, Gymnothorax, 010603 evolutionary biology, 01 natural sciences, Gymnothorax favagineus, Predation, Fishery, Knot (unit), Moray eel, Reef, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Behavioural repertoire
Abstract

We report observations of a novel feeding behaviour in the moray eel Gymnothorax favagineus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) and a previously undocumented application of “knotting” behaviour in G. fimbriatus (Bennett, 1832). Moray eels were filmed by baited remote underwater video systems (BRUVS) at the Scott Reefs, a remote group of atoll-like reefs on the edge of the continental shelf in tropical, northwestern Australia. Two behaviours were observed as the moray eels tried to dislodge food from a bait bag: (1) G. favagineus used its tail as a “paddle” to gain leverage on the bag, and (2) G. fimbriatus tied a knot in its tail in order to extract food from the bag. Our observations suggest that morays have an extensive behavioural repertoire for manipulating and extracting large prey items from the interstices of the reefs where they typically hunt.

Published
2015
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