Sargassum blooms in the Caribbean alter the trophic structure of the sea urchin Diadema antillarum.

ABSTRACT: The arrival of large masses of drifting Sargassum since 2011 has caused changes in the natural dynamics of Caribbean coastal ecosystems. In the summer of 2015, unprecedented and massive mats of S. fluitans and S. natans have been observed throughout the Mexican Caribbean including exceptional accumulations ashore. This study uses stable isotopes to assess the impact of Sargassum blooms on the trophic dynamics of the Diadema antillarum sea urchin, a keystone herbivore on many Caribbean reefs. Bayesian models were used to estimate the variations in the relative proportions of carbon and nitrogen of assimilated algal resources. At three lagoon reef sites, the niche breadth of D. antillarum was analysed and compared under massive influx of drifting

SUBMITTER: Cabanillas-Teran N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6718159 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature