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Natural Resources and Conservation
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Tanzania-Zanzibar: Coastal Ecology and Natural Resource Management
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Sea Urchin Predation In Misali Island Marine Park, Nicole Esclamado
Sea Urchin Predation In Misali Island Marine Park, Nicole Esclamado
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
The populations of sea urchins and their main predators, triggerfish (Balistidae), wrasses (Labridae) and emperors (Lethrinidae), were studied in the extractive and non-extractive zones of the Misali Island Marine Conservation Area in order to (1) evaluate the applicability of a sea urchin-sea urchin predator model developed in Kenya’s fringing reefs, (2) gain baseline data on Misali’s coral reef, and (3) evaluate the recovery status of the protected zone. This study revealed the predictive power of the sea urchin-sea urchin predator model for the reef ecosystem of Misali Island. As expected, a decline in sea urchin predators as a gross trophic …