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Tiny reef fish flourished beside islands filled with seabirds; where rats removed the birds, the entire underwater food chain took another route
The Times of India • • science
Key Points:
- Invasive rats on tropical islands disrupt seabird populations, leading to significant changes in nutrient flows that affect coral reef ecosystems, particularly the populations of tiny reef-dwelling animals known as cryptofauna.
- Rat-infested islands show a higher abundance of small invertebrates like crabs and shrimps, while rat-free islands have more cryptobenthic fish, such as gobies and triplefins, due to nutrient-rich environments created by seabird guano.
- Cryptobenthic fish thrive in nutrient-rich reefs supported by seabirds, outcompeting invertebrates for habitat and food, whereas invertebrates gain a relative advantage in nutrient-poor reefs around rat-infested islands.
- Changes in cryptofauna populations influence the broader coral reef food web, with fish-eating predators benefiting from abundant cryptobenthic fish near seabird-rich islands, while invertebrate-based food chains dominate near rat-infested islands.
- The study highlights the critical role of seabirds in maintaining reef productivity and food web structure, underscoring the importance of conserving seabird populations and controlling invasive rats to protect marine ecosystems.
