IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v15y2024i1d10.1038_s41467-024-45730-0.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Removal of detritivore sea cucumbers from reefs increases coral disease

Author

Listed:
  • Cody S. Clements

    (Georgia Institute of Technology)

  • Zoe A. Pratte

    (Montana State University)

  • Frank J. Stewart

    (Montana State University)

  • Mark E. Hay

    (Georgia Institute of Technology)

Abstract

Coral reefs are in global decline with coral diseases playing a significant role. This is especially true for Acroporid corals that represent ~25% of all Pacific coral species and generate much of the topographic complexity supporting reef biodiversity. Coral diseases are commonly sediment-associated and could be exacerbated by overharvest of sea cucumber detritivores that clean reef sediments and may suppress microbial pathogens as they feed. Here we show, via field manipulations in both French Polynesia and Palmyra Atoll, that historically overharvested sea cucumbers strongly suppress disease among corals in contact with benthic sediments. Sea cucumber removal increased tissue mortality of Acropora pulchra by ~370% and colony mortality by ~1500%. Additionally, farmerfish that kill Acropora pulchra bases to culture their algal gardens further suppress disease by separating corals from contact with the disease-causing sediment—functioning as mutualists rather than parasites despite killing coral bases. Historic overharvesting of sea cucumbers increases coral disease and threatens the persistence of tropical reefs. Enhancing sea cucumbers may enhance reef resilience by suppressing disease.

Suggested Citation

  • Cody S. Clements & Zoe A. Pratte & Frank J. Stewart & Mark E. Hay, 2024. "Removal of detritivore sea cucumbers from reefs increases coral disease," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-45730-0
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45730-0
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-45730-0
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-024-45730-0?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. D. R. Bellwood & T. P. Hughes & C. Folke & M. Nyström, 2004. "Confronting the coral reef crisis," Nature, Nature, vol. 429(6994), pages 827-833, June.
    2. Markandya, Anil & Taylor, Tim & Longo, Alberto & Murty, M.N. & Murty, S. & Dhavala, K., 2008. "Counting the cost of vulture decline--An appraisal of the human health and other benefits of vultures in India," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(2), pages 194-204, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Wenjie Pan & Xuan Wang & Chunhua Ren & Xiao Jiang & Sanqiang Gong & Zhenyu Xie & Nai-Kei Wong & Xiaomin Li & Jiasheng Huang & Dingding Fan & Peng Luo & Yun Yang & Xinyue Ren & Suzhong Yu & Zhou Qin & , 2024. "Sea cucumbers and their symbiotic microbiome have evolved to feed on seabed sediments," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-14, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yu-Rong Cheng & Chi-Hsiang Chin & Ding-Fa Lin & Chao-Kang Wang, 2020. "The Probability of an Unrecoverable Coral Community in Dongsha Atoll Marine National Park Due to Recurrent Disturbances," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-20, October.
    2. Christine Bergman & Rochelle Good & Andrew Moreo, 2022. "Influencing Hotel Patrons to Use Reef-Safe Sunscreen," Tourism and Hospitality, MDPI, vol. 3(3), pages 1-22, June.
    3. Matthew J. Powell-Palm & E. Michael Henley & Anthony N. Consiglio & Claire Lager & Brooke Chang & Riley Perry & Kendall Fitzgerald & Jonathan Daly & Boris Rubinsky & Mary Hagedorn, 2023. "Cryopreservation and revival of Hawaiian stony corals using isochoric vitrification," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    4. Brathwaite, Angelique & Pascal, Nicolas & Clua, Eric, 2021. "When are payment for ecosystems services suitable for coral reef derived coastal protection?: A review of scientific requirements," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    5. Muko, Soyoka & Arakaki, Seiji & Tamai, Reiko & Sakai, Kazuhiko, 2014. "An individual-based model for population viability analysis of the brooding coral Seriatopora hystrix," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 277(C), pages 68-76.
    6. Alexandre C. Siqueira & Wolfgang Kiessling & David R. Bellwood, 2022. "Fast-growing species shape the evolution of reef corals," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.
    7. Meixia Zhao & Haiyang Zhang & Yu Zhong & Dapeng Jiang & Guohui Liu & Hongqiang Yan & Hongyu Zhang & Pu Guo & Cuitian Li & Hongqiang Yang & Tegu Chen & Rui Wang, 2019. "The Status of Coral Reefs and Its Importance for Coastal Protection: A Case Study of Northeastern Hainan Island, South China Sea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(16), pages 1-13, August.
    8. Jan Tebben & James R Guest & Tsai M Sin & Peter D Steinberg & Tilmann Harder, 2014. "Corals Like It Waxed: Paraffin-Based Antifouling Technology Enhances Coral Spat Survival," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(1), pages 1-8, January.
    9. Plaza, Pablo Ignacio & Lambertucci, Sergio Agustín, 2022. "Mitigating GHG emissions: A global ecosystem service provided by obligate scavenging birds," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    10. Juan Shi & Chunhou Li & Teng Wang & Jinfa Zhao & Yong Liu & Yayuan Xiao, 2022. "Distribution Pattern of Coral Reef Fishes in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-16, November.
    11. Alva-Basurto, Jorge Christian & Arias-González, Jesús Ernesto, 2014. "Modelling the effects of climate change on a Caribbean coral reef food web," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 289(C), pages 1-14.
    12. Aart Zeeuw & Chuan-Zhong Li, 2016. "The Economics of Tipping Points," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 65(3), pages 513-517, November.
    13. Shinichiro Kakuma, 2022. "Satoumi Systems Promoting Integrated Coastal Resources Management: An Empirical Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-21, September.
    14. Shankar Aswani & Ingrid Putten & Sara Miñarro, 2017. "Environmental and social recovery asymmetries to large-scale disturbances in small island communities," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 86(1), pages 241-262, March.
    15. Pahl, Cameron C. & Ruedas, Luis A., 2021. "Carnosaurs as Apex Scavengers: Agent-based simulations reveal possible vulture analogues in late Jurassic Dinosaurs," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 458(C).
    16. Dercole, Fabio & Della Rossa, Fabio, 2017. "A deterministic eco-genetic model for the short-term evolution of exploited fish stocks," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 343(C), pages 80-100.
    17. Carissa J Klein & Natalie C Ban & Benjamin S Halpern & Maria Beger & Edward T Game & Hedley S Grantham & Alison Green & Travis J Klein & Stuart Kininmonth & Eric Treml & Kerrie Wilson & Hugh P Possing, 2010. "Prioritizing Land and Sea Conservation Investments to Protect Coral Reefs," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 5(8), pages 1-8, August.
    18. Buckwell, Andrew & Fleming, Christopher & Smart, James & Mackey, Brendan & Ware, Daniel & Hallgren, Willow & Sahin, Oz & Nalau, Johanna, 2018. "Valuing aggregated ecosystem services at a national and regional scale for Vanuatu using a remotely operable, rapid assessment methodology," 2018 Conference (62nd), February 7-9, 2018, Adelaide, Australia 273524, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.
    19. Farley, Joshua, 2012. "Ecosystem services: The economics debate," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 1(1), pages 40-49.
    20. Grilli, Maricel Graña & Bildstein, Keith L. & Lambertucci, Sergio A., 2019. "Nature’s clean-up crew: Quantifying ecosystem services offered by a migratory avian scavenger on a continental scale," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 39(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-45730-0. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.