Removal of detritivore sea cucumbers from reefs increases coral disease
Removal of detritivore sea cucumbers from reefs increases coral disease
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DOI：
10.1038/s41467-024-45730-0
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发表时间：
2024-02-26
影响因子：
16.6
通讯作者：
Hay，Mark E.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Clements，Cody S.;Pratte，Zoe A.;Hay，Mark E.
珊瑚礁在全球范围内正在减少，珊瑚疾病起着重要作用。对于占太平洋所有珊瑚种类约25%的Acroporid珊瑚来说尤其如此，并产生了许多支持珊瑚礁生物多样性的地形复杂性。珊瑚疾病通常与沉积物有关，并可能因过度捕捞海参营养物而加剧，海参营养物可以清洁珊瑚礁沉积物，并可能抑制微生物病原体。在这里，我们通过在法属波利尼西亚和帕尔米拉环礁的实地操作表明，历史上过度捕捞的海参强烈抑制了与底栖沉积物接触的珊瑚的疾病。去除海参后，可使斑孔虫的组织死亡率提高370%，菌落死亡率提高1500%。此外，杀死鹿角藻来培养藻类花园的养殖鱼，通过将珊瑚与致病沉积物隔离开来，进一步抑制了疾病——尽管杀死了珊瑚基地，但它们的功能是共生的，而不是寄生虫。历史上对海参的过度捕捞增加了珊瑚疾病，并威胁到热带珊瑚礁的持久性。增加海参可以通过抑制疾病来增强珊瑚礁的恢复力。
Coral reefs are in global decline with coral diseases playing a significant role. This is especially true for Acroporid corals that represent ~25% of all Pacific coral species and generate much of the topographic complexity supporting reef biodiversity. Coral diseases are commonly sediment-associated and could be exacerbated by overharvest of sea cucumber detritivores that clean reef sediments and may suppress microbial pathogens as they feed. Here we show, via field manipulations in both French Polynesia and Palmyra Atoll, that historically overharvested sea cucumbers strongly suppress disease among corals in contact with benthic sediments. Sea cucumber removal increased tissue mortality ofAcropora pulchraby ~370% and colony mortality by ~1500%. Additionally, farmerfish that killAcropora pulchrabases to culture their algal gardens further suppress disease by separating corals from contact with the disease-causing sediment—functioning as mutualists rather than parasites despite killing coral bases. Historic overharvesting of sea cucumbers increases coral disease and threatens the persistence of tropical reefs. Enhancing sea cucumbers may enhance reef resilience by suppressing disease.