The Great Barrier Reef

Context and importance of the issue The oceans are changing with our constant interactions through fishing, pollution, and general use. With these disturbances sea temperature, organic matter, and nutrients are all increasing and altering each ecosystem (McClanahan et al 2002). Coral reefs are one of the main ecosystems of concern due to their ecological and economical importance. Coral reefs are undergoing "phase shifts to alternate, degraded assemblages" (Hughes et al 2007). It is suggested that reefs like the Great Barrier Reef are shifting towards an algal turf dominated ecological state (Bellwood and Fulton 2008; McClanahan et al 2002) rather than a macroalgae state like the Caribbean (McClanahan et al 2002). This means the thickness …show more content…
These fish, with a few exceptions, are opportunistic, typically nocturnal, piscivores or generalist feeders consuming fish, crustaceans, gastropods, and cephalopods (Connell 1998a; Randall 2004; Stewart and Jones 2001). The fish they consume include recruitment size epilithic algal matrix feeders, commonly referred to as herbivores, and other generalist or piscivore feeders (Connell 1998a; Connell 1998b; Randall 2004; Stewart and Jones 2001). Their size and day schooling behavior alters smaller fish behavior by causing fish to conjugate in certain areas and avoid others (Madin et al 2010). In addition, their presence and predation alters growth and abundance of functionally important fish as they are growing towards sexual maturity (Connell 1998a) While in their school, lutjanids use the coverage of the reef to protect them from larger organisms such as large groupers, sharks, and moray eels (Randall …show more content…
Prior to recruitment on the reef it is suggested that snappers use mangroves, sea grass beds, or near-shore reef patches as nurseries. Thus by using these non-reef environments as nurseries they are bringing outside carbon and other nutrients onto the reef (Nagelkerken 2007). If snappers are recruited to the reef first other fish from the same functional group like grunts and high-hats will have significantly less recruitment success than if they are second to the reef (Shulman et al 1983). As a mid and top level consumer and group that uses other non-reef environments from nurseries this family is not unique. There are many other families of fish and other organisms that feed on the same organisms and bring in nutrients from other ecosystems as juveniles (Boaden and Kingsford 2015; Newman and William 1996; Madin et al 2010; Nagelkerken 2007; Randall 2004; Stewart and Jones