Global regime shift dynamics of catastrophic sea urchin overgrazing

Author:

Ling S. D.1,Scheibling R. E.2,Rassweiler A.3,Johnson C. R.1,Shears N.4,Connell S. D.5,Salomon A. K.6,Norderhaug K. M.7,Pérez-Matus A.8,Hernández J. C.9,Clemente S.9,Blamey L. K.10,Hereu B.11,Ballesteros E.12,Sala E.13,Garrabou J.14,Cebrian E.12,Zabala M.15,Fujita D.16,Johnson L. E.17

Affiliation:

1. Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 129, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia

2. Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

3. Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA

4. University of Auckland, Leigh Marine Laboratory, Auckland, New Zealand

5. School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

6. School of Resource and Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

7. Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Oslo and University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

8. Subtidal Ecology Laboratory and Marine Conservation Center, Estación Costera de Investigaciones Marinas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago, Chile

9. Departamento de Biología Animal, Universidad de La Laguna, Canary Islands, Spain

10. Marine Research Institute, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

11. Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

12. Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes, CEAB-CSIC, Blanes, Spain

13. National Geographic Society, Washington, DC, USA

14. Centre Mediterrani d'Investigacions Marines i Ambientals, ICM-CSIC, Barcelona, Spain

15. Departament d'Ecologia, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

16. Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Tokyo, Japan

17. Département de biologie and Québec-Océan, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, Canada G1V 0A6

Abstract

A pronounced, widespread and persistent regime shift among marine ecosystems is observable on temperate rocky reefs as a result of sea urchin overgrazing. Here, we empirically define regime-shift dynamics for this grazing system which transitions between productive macroalgal beds and impoverished urchin barrens. Catastrophic in nature, urchin overgrazing in a well-studied Australian system demonstrates a discontinuous regime shift, which is of particular management concern as recovery of desirable macroalgal beds requires reducing grazers to well below the initial threshold of overgrazing. Generality of this regime-shift dynamic is explored across 13 rocky reef systems (spanning 11 different regions from both hemispheres) by compiling available survey data (totalling 10 901 quadrats surveyed in situ ) plus experimental regime-shift responses (observed during a total of 57 in situ manipulations). The emergent and globally coherent pattern shows urchin grazing to cause a discontinuous ‘catastrophic’ regime shift, with hysteresis effect of approximately one order of magnitude in urchin biomass between critical thresholds of overgrazing and recovery. Different life-history traits appear to create asymmetry in the pace of overgrazing versus recovery. Once shifted, strong feedback mechanisms provide resilience for each alternative state thus defining the catastrophic nature of this regime shift. Importantly, human-derived stressors can act to erode resilience of desirable macroalgal beds while strengthening resilience of urchin barrens, thus exacerbating the risk, spatial extent and irreversibility of an unwanted regime shift for marine ecosystems.

Publisher

The Royal Society

Subject

General Agricultural and Biological Sciences,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

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