Spatial and temporal population dynamics of the crown-of-thorns starfish, Acanthaster planci, over a 24-year period along the central west coast of Okinawa Island, Japan

Autor:	Ken Okaji, Masako Nakamura, Yoshimi Higa, Eiji Yamakawa, Satoshi Mitarai
Rok vydání:	2014
Předmět:	education.field_of_study Ecology biology Coral Population Starfish Acanthaster Aquatic Science biology.organism_classification Fishery Crown-of-thorns starfish Period (geology) High population West coast education Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics
Zdroj:	Marine Biology. 161:2521-2530
ISSN:	1432-1793 0025-3162
DOI:	10.1007/s00227-014-2524-5
Popis:	Boom and bust dynamics are a prominent characteristic of the crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) populations. Outbreaking starfish populations damage coral communities extensively and then often disappear quickly. In contrast, Onna village, on the central west coast of Okinawa Island, Japan, has been experiencing chronically high population densities of A. planci for decades. In this study, we examined spatial and temporal population dynamics of A. planci along the coast of Onna village, using removal data gathered over 24 years by a local fisheries cooperative. The results demonstrate that A. planci populations along the Onna coast often experienced high densities prior to 2003 and that recently, populations have again been increasing drastically. Size-frequency distributions suggest multiple, successive recruitment, as one of the driving factors maintaining A. planci populations in this location. Moreover, within the Onna area, the timing of outbreak peaks varied among different locations, showing a northward progression.
Databáze:	OpenAIRE
Externí odkaz:	https://explore.openaire.eu/search/publication?articleId=doi_________::404534eab82c50a4cd049c08060a820b https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-014-2524-5 Zobrazit plný text záznamu Plný text ve formátu PDF