Creating marine forests that can withstand herbivory

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17KT0149
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 特設分野
• Research Field: Agricultural Resources for the Next Generation
• Research Institution: Nagasaki University
• Principal Investigator: NISHIHARA Gregory N. 長崎大学, 海洋未来イノベーション機構, 准教授 (40508321)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 戸田 龍樹 創価大学, 理工学部, 教授 (10222150)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-07-18 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: ウニ / いそやけ / 回復 / 栄養塩

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The economic potential of our regional fisheries communities are in danger because of the degradation of seaweed ecosystems. One of the most important function of seaweed ecosystems is providing a place for food, spawning, and growth for economically important species. We show that biocontrol is a possible means of controlling herbivores to enable the restoration of seaweed ecosystems. We show that if sea urchins are exposed to predation risk, we can control the feeding behavior. However, the interactive effects of seaweed growth and predation risk was inconclusive.

Free Research Field

生態学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

海藻の捕食者の駆除は藻場生態系の保全に欠かせない条件ではないと考えられる。海藻を食べる捕食者の摂餌行動を変えることで、食圧を制御することが可能である。たとえば、ウニに対する捕食のリスクが高まると、ウニ行動に制限がかかり、海藻を頻度が下がることを証明した。藻場生態系の回復と保全は完全な植食性生物の駆除が不要であり、持続可能な藻場生態系の管理は現実的であると考えられる。