Recovery of Orbicella annularis corals from parrotfish predation

Orbicella annularis is an important reef-building coral and an endangered species. Previous studies suggest it is also one of the most intensely grazed corals by parrotfishes in the Caribbean. Yet, the healing capacity of Caribbean corals from parrotfish predation scars remains poorly understood. In a recent study published in Coral Reefs, researchers from California Polytechnic State University monitored the healing of over 400 recent parrotfish predation scars on O. annularis colonies on the islands of St. Croix and Bonaire for up to two months in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

Article published in BioNews 39