Diadema antillarum Was Not a Keystone Predator in Cryptic Reef Environments.
The ecological impact of the disappearance of a major predator depends on the responsiveness of the prey. Mass mortality of the most abundant grazer in Caribbean cryptic reef environments, the sea urchin Diadema antilarum, selectively decreased rates of mortality of encrusting organisms by half, yet community composition hardly changed because alternative species failed to become established.
Jackson
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JB
Kaufmann
K W
KW