Behavioural ecology of space use, mobility, and vigilance

我们建议研究小但极具攻击性的丹自鱼在促进藻类生长方面的可能作用，这些藻类可能会抑制珊瑚礁的恢复。丹自鱼可以扮演这样的角色，因为它们以藻类为食，并通过赶走其他食草动物，如鹦鹉鱼和海胆，允许藻类在其领土上生长。藻类与珊瑚争夺空间，可以扼杀幼年珊瑚，或者根本阻止它们开始生长。这项研究将1)审查西印度群岛巴巴多斯关于其他草食动物丰度随着丹自鱼密度的逐渐减少而变化的实地数据，2)比较以前去除丹自鱼并以不同程度恢复的地区的珊瑚、藻类、食草鱼和海胆的丰度，以及3)使用模拟模型来检验在何种理论条件下，丹自鱼可以阻止珊瑚的恢复。

We propose to examine the possible role of small but highly aggressive damselfish in favoring the growth of algae that may inhibit the recovery of coral reefs. Damselfish could play such a role because they feed on algae and permit its growth in their territories by chasing away other herbivores such as parrotfish and sea urchins. Algae compete for space with corals and can smother the juvenile corals or prevent them from starting to grow at all. The study will 1) examine field data from Barbados, West Indies, on changes in the abundance of other herbivores in response to gradual reductions in damselfish density, 2) compare the abundance of corals, algae, herbivorous fish, and sea urchins in areas where damselfish were previous removed and have recovered to different degrees, and 3) use simulation models to examine the theoretical conditions under which damselfish could prevent the recovery of coral.