Epiphytic cyanobacteria maintain shifts to macroalgal dominance on coral reefs following ENSO disturbance

Macroalgal dominance of some tropical reef communities in the Eastern Pacific after coral mortality during the 1997-1998 El Ni?o Southern Oscillation (ENSO) was facilitated by protection from herbivory by epiphytic cyanobacteria. Our results do not support that reduction in number of herbivores was a necessary precursor to coral reef decline and shifts to algal reefs in this system. Rather, macroalgae dominated the community for several years after this pulse disturbance with no concurrent change in herbivore populations. While results of microcosm experiments identified the importance of nutrients, especially phosphorus, in stimulating macroalgal growth, nutrient supply alone could not sustain macroalgal dominance as nutrient-stimulated growth rates in our in situ experiments never exceeded consumption rates of unprotected thalli. In addition, thalli with nutrient-enriched tissue were preferentially consumed, possibly negating the positive effects of nutrients on growth. These tropical reefs may be ideal systems to conduct experimental tests distinguishing phase shifts from alternative stable states. Shifts were initiated by a large-scale disturbance with no evidence of a changing environment except, perhaps, dilution in herbivory pressure due to increased algal cover. Community establishment was most likely stochastic, and the community was likely maintained by strongly positive interaction between macroalgal hosts and cyanobacterial epiphytes that uncoupled consumer control of community structure.