Inter-Habitat Variability in Parrotfish Bioerosion Rates and Grazing Pressure on an Indian Ocean Reef Platform

摘要: Parrotfish perform a variety of vital ecological functions on coral reefs, but we have little understanding how these vary spatially as result inter-habitat variability in species assemblages. Here, examine two key that from parrotfish feeding, bioerosion and substrate grazing, between habitats over reef scale the central Maldives. Eight distinct were delineated early 2015, prior to 2016 bleaching event, each supporting unique assemblage. Bioerosion rates varied 0 0.84 ± 0.12 kg m−2 yr−1 highest rubble- Pocillopora spp.-dominated habitat. Grazing pressure also markedly followed different pattern bioerosion, with contributing species. Total grazing ranged ~264 16% available grazed yr-1 branching Acropora Despite importance influencing reef-scale physical structure health, occurred less than 30% platform area. The results presented here provide new insights into within-reef demonstrate considering interact influence geo-ecology.