Herbivory on Cuban Coral Reefs

Abstract

Herbivory is an essential ecological process on coral reefs because it balances competition among benthic organisms such as corals and macroalgae. The geomorphological diversity of Cuban coral reefs and their distinctive protection levels present a unique opportunity to showcase the impacts of herbivory on reef dynamics. In this chapter we compiled information on the distribution and abundance of the essential reef herbivores (sea urchins and fishes) on the Cuban shelf and analyzed these data in light of reef characteristics and functioning (e.g., structure, benthic composition). We report an overall low (<1 Ind. m−2) presence of Diadema antillarum on the Cuban shelf and herbivorous fish biomass ranging from 11 g m−2 (La Habana) to 60 g m−2 (Jardines de la Reina), which may explain the overall high macroalgal abundance (47{\%} cover). Our detailed review of Cuban reef literature reveals few studies addressing herbivory directly on coral reefs but many studies describing benthic and fish communities, which offer excellent potential for future studies. We describe two contrasting examples of herbivore effect on macroalgal communities and identify potential questions and research topics of interest for Cuba and the rest of the Greater Caribbean.