Decreasing sea urchin numbers in the Caribbean Sea could lead to the extinction of many corals in the region. Florida State University reports.
sea urchin species Diadema antilllarum has long been considered the most important herbivorous in the Caribbean, feeding on algae that would otherwise invade the reef and inhibit coral growth. But in the last 40 years, two events have led to a drastic decline in sea urchin numbers. In 1983, an unknown aquatic pathogen wiped out 99% of species across its entire range in the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and the western Atlantic. Since then, the population has partially recovered, mostly due to shallow water habitats.
New to workJohn’s Island (Virgin Islands) made it possible to take a closer look at the dynamics of hedgehog numbers. The second mass extinction occurred in 2022, and scientists have now found that it resulted in a population reduction of 98.00% compared to 2021 and 99.96% compared to 1983. At the same time, in 2021 the area of coral cover was at an almost all-time low during the entire observation period – that is, the coral ecosystem was in a vulnerable position and there was no new increase in mortality.
Small populations by 2021 D. antilarum They persisted in the shallow water where they grazed and created algae-free areas where coral larvae could cling to and settle on reefs and breed. A recent increase in mortality has virtually wiped out these populations.
Now, scientists fear that these areas will disappear soon, which will seriously undermine the coral population in the Caribbean.
formerly rare cheetah cub dead from kidney failure in Iran.