View in EDS

Does stocking of grazing crabs (Maguimithrax spinosissimus) facilitate the survival and growth of out‐planted corals?

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Does stocking of grazing crabs (Maguimithrax spinosissimus) facilitate the survival and growth of out‐planted corals?
Authors: Butler, Mark J.1 (AUTHOR) mjbutleriv@gmail.com
Source: Restoration Ecology. Mar2026, Vol. 34 Issue 3, p1-13. 13p.
Subjects: Coral reef restoration, Crabs, Reef ecology, Coral reefs & islands
Geographic Terms: Caribbean, Florida, Florida Keys (Fla.)
Abstract: Introduction: Macroalgal overgrowth on Caribbean coral reefs exacerbates coral disease and compromises the settlement, growth, and reproduction of corals. A new technique to combat the resultant coral‐to‐macroalgae phase shift is the stocking of native crabs (Maguimithrax spinosissimus) that graze on algae. Objectives: This study investigated the efficacy of crab stock enhancement in facilitating the success of out‐planting corals on coral reefs in the Florida Keys, Florida, United States. Methods: Coral fragments of three coral species (one branching coral: Acropora cervicornis; two boulder corals: Montastrea cavernosa and Pseudodiploria clivosa) were out‐planted on 32 patch reefs at two inshore and two offshore locations. Half of the reefs were stocked with crabs. Macroalgal cover on each patch reef along with the survival and growth of out‐planted corals was then monitored during the summer and winter for 2 years. Results: There was no effect of crab stocking on macroalgal cover and crabs had little effect on the growth or survival of A. cervicornis. However, the presence of crabs improved the growth and survival of the two boulder coral species, although the magnitude of those effects varied by reef location. Conclusions: Previous studies have heralded the strong effects that crab grazing has on reducing macroalgae and improving coral recruitment on reefs. The former was not observed in this study, although stocking crabs improved the success of coral out‐planting, with results varying by species and reef location. Implications for Practice: These findings confirm the efficacy of stocking Maguimithrax spinosissimus on Caribbean coral reefs in tandem with coral out‐plants as a strategy for coral reef restoration. However, the magnitude of the effect of crabs on the removal of algae was less pronounced than in previous studies and varied among coral species and between inshore and offshore reefs. Repeated restocking of crabs will be necessary to maintain the high densities required for meaningful reductions in macroalgae. These results highlight the need for coral reef restoration practitioners to tailor restoration strategies according to the idiosyncrasies of reef location and the types of corals targeted for restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Restoration Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Engineering Source
Description
Abstract:Introduction: Macroalgal overgrowth on Caribbean coral reefs exacerbates coral disease and compromises the settlement, growth, and reproduction of corals. A new technique to combat the resultant coral‐to‐macroalgae phase shift is the stocking of native crabs (Maguimithrax spinosissimus) that graze on algae. Objectives: This study investigated the efficacy of crab stock enhancement in facilitating the success of out‐planting corals on coral reefs in the Florida Keys, Florida, United States. Methods: Coral fragments of three coral species (one branching coral: Acropora cervicornis; two boulder corals: Montastrea cavernosa and Pseudodiploria clivosa) were out‐planted on 32 patch reefs at two inshore and two offshore locations. Half of the reefs were stocked with crabs. Macroalgal cover on each patch reef along with the survival and growth of out‐planted corals was then monitored during the summer and winter for 2 years. Results: There was no effect of crab stocking on macroalgal cover and crabs had little effect on the growth or survival of A. cervicornis. However, the presence of crabs improved the growth and survival of the two boulder coral species, although the magnitude of those effects varied by reef location. Conclusions: Previous studies have heralded the strong effects that crab grazing has on reducing macroalgae and improving coral recruitment on reefs. The former was not observed in this study, although stocking crabs improved the success of coral out‐planting, with results varying by species and reef location. Implications for Practice: These findings confirm the efficacy of stocking Maguimithrax spinosissimus on Caribbean coral reefs in tandem with coral out‐plants as a strategy for coral reef restoration. However, the magnitude of the effect of crabs on the removal of algae was less pronounced than in previous studies and varied among coral species and between inshore and offshore reefs. Repeated restocking of crabs will be necessary to maintain the high densities required for meaningful reductions in macroalgae. These results highlight the need for coral reef restoration practitioners to tailor restoration strategies according to the idiosyncrasies of reef location and the types of corals targeted for restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:10612971
DOI:10.1111/rec.70289