Partitioning patterns of fish and sea urchin herbivory from tropical to temperate reefs
- 1Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7004 Australia
Abstract
Herbivory can structure vegetation and affect the states of sunlit ecosystems. On shallow tropical and temperate reefs, herbivory can inhibit macroalgal dominance and promote turf-dominated benthic states. However, standardised comparisons of tropical and temperate herbivory are primarily focussed on fish, leaving the relative contributions of sea urchins poorly understood. Here, we examined thermal realm (tropical vs temperate) and depth (2, 5, 8 and 12-m) effects on relative herbivory patterns and herbivore distributions, using standardised macroalgal assays (N = 1,340) and underwater visual surveys (N = 67 surveys) at 49 sites across six locations spanning approximately 29° of latitude in eastern Australia. Assays were deployed to partition the relative intensity of herbivory using two partitioning treatments: 1) assays were suspended above the benthos allowing only fish consumption (water-column herbivory), and 2) assays were laid flat on the benthos enabling fish and urchin consumption (benthic herbivory). Assay results showed higher fish herbivory on tropical reefs than on temperate reefs, whereas relative benthic herbivory did not differ between thermal realms. Variation in assay consumption across depth was limited. Results from assays and surveys aligned, with higher herbivorous fish abundance on tropical reefs and higher urchin abundance on temperate reefs. Relative patterns in fish and urchin herbivory between thermal realms underscores differences in how herbivory occurs and where in the water-column it predominates, highlighting a key axis of variation for tropicalizing reefs.
Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-026-05997-0.
Related
- Larval thermal tolerances and future dispersal potential of the subtropical-to-temperate sea urchin Tripneustes australiae
- Transcriptomic and lipidomic profiles reveal higher thermal adaptability in a tropical versus a temperate isolate of Chromera velia
- Genetic architecture of node-specific leaf length and candidate gene identification in maize revealed by a temperate-tropical multiparental population.
- A systematic map of agricultural practices affecting insectivorous bats in temperate regions: cross‐scale evidence patterns and implications for bat-friendly farming
- Seasonal patterns in Synechococcus pigment diversity at two temperate sites with contrasting oceanic regimes
BibTeX
@article{rose2026partitioning,
title = {{Partitioning patterns of fish and sea urchin herbivory from tropical to temperate reefs}},
author = {Matthew Rose and Paula A. Ruiz-Ruiz and Sterling B. Tebbett and Tyson R. Jones and Yann Herrera-Fuchs and Lara Denis-Roy and Claire L. Butler and Scott D. Ling},
journal = {Oecologia},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1007/s00442-026-05997-0},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-026-05997-0},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Partitioning patterns of fish and sea urchin herbivory from tropical to temperate reefs
AU - Matthew Rose
AU - Paula A. Ruiz-Ruiz
AU - Sterling B. Tebbett
AU - Tyson R. Jones
AU - Yann Herrera-Fuchs
AU - Lara Denis-Roy
AU - Claire L. Butler
AU - Scott D. Ling
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/25
JO - Oecologia
DO - 10.1007/s00442-026-05997-0
UR - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-026-05997-0
AB - Herbivory can structure vegetation and affect the states of sunlit ecosystems. On shallow tropical and temperate reefs, herbivory can inhibit macroalgal dominance and promote turf-dominated benthic states. However, standardised comparisons of tropical and temperate herbivory are primarily focussed on fish, leaving the relative contributions of sea urchins poorly understood. Here, we examined thermal realm (tropical vs temperate) and depth (2, 5, 8 and 12-m) effects on relative herbivory patterns and herbivore distributions, using standardised macroalgal assays (N = 1,340) and underwater visual surveys (N = 67 surveys) at 49 sites across six locations spanning approximately 29° of latitude in eastern Australia. Assays were deployed to partition the relative intensity of herbivory using two partitioning treatments: 1) assays were suspended above the benthos allowing only fish consumption (water-column herbivory), and 2) assays were laid flat on the benthos enabling fish and urchin consumption (benthic herbivory). Assay results showed higher fish herbivory on tropical reefs than on temperate reefs, whereas relative benthic herbivory did not differ between thermal realms. Variation in assay consumption across depth was limited. Results from assays and surveys aligned, with higher herbivorous fish abundance on tropical reefs and higher urchin abundance on temperate reefs. Relative patterns in fish and urchin herbivory between thermal realms underscores differences in how herbivory occurs and where in the water-column it predominates, highlighting a key axis of variation for tropicalizing reefs. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-026-05997-0.
SN - 0029-8549
SN - 1432-1939
ER -