Quantifying production rates and size fractions of parrotfish-derived sediment: A key functional role on Maldivian coral reefs.

ABSTRACT: Coral reef fish perform numerous important functional roles on coral reefs. Of these, carbonate sediment production, as a by-product of parrotfish feeding, is especially important for contributing to reef framework construction and reef-associated landform development. However, only limited data exist on: (i) how production rates vary among reef habitats as a function of parrotfish assemblages, (ii) the relative importance of sediment produced from eroded, reworked, and endogenous sources, or (iii) the size fractions of sediment generated by different parrotfish species and size classes. These parameters influence not only overall reef-derived sediment supply, but also influence the transport potential and depositional fate of this sedimentary material. Here, we show that parrotfish sedime

SUBMITTER: Yarlett RT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8601892 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature