Why do you think your paper is highly cited?

The paper addresses an important issue in mangrove and coral reef ecology: the degree to which coral reef fish populations are constrained by the availability of mangrove nursery habitats. We took a large-scale approach to investigate the question that spanned all four of the atolls within the Caribbean.

Does it describe a new discovery, methodology, or synthesis of knowledge?

Ivan Nagelkerken of the Department of Animal Ecology and Ecophysiology at Radboud University in Nijmegen, had already done some nice work in Curacao which implied that mangroves were very important for some species of reef fish. His research inspired me to test the idea using a natural experiment across Belize and some of Mexico. The experiment is "natural" in that we could isolate entire ecosystems that have virtually no mangrove and compare the fish communities to those with prolific mangrove (while also controlling for other factors).

Would you summarize the significance of your paper in layman’s terms?

If you snorkel in a mangrove lagoon, you'll see many juvenile coral reef fish. Many of these fish move to coral reefs only when they've reached adult size. The question is, if mangroves are removed to provide shrimp ponds or hotels, will this affect the number of adult fish on the reef? I actually expected to find the answer to be "not really" because many fish can use other nursery habitats like seagrass beds. However, we actually discovered that the answer is "Yes. Some fish species have less than half the biomass when mangroves are scarce."

How did you become involved in this research and were any particular problems encountered along the way?

I've worked in Belize since 1991 and realized that it offered a unique opportunity to study this question because of its offshore (isolated) reefs. The main problem was getting out to Banco Chinchorro in Mexico. We spent a week waiting for the wind to die down so that we could brave the ocean. On the last day we had available it really hadn't died down much at all but we went for it. It was nearly a one-way trip but we did at last make it back.

Where do you see your research leading in the future?

I've been working with Jim Sanchirico, an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at the University of California at Davis, to develop bio-economic models that can be used to place a value on mangrove habitats. We need to understand the importance of different mangrove habitats in greater detail too.

Do you foresee any social or political implications for your research?

Absolutely. Mangroves are being cleared at a faster rate than rainforests. Action is needed to reduce clearance now. The research has already been embraced by policymakers at the World Bank.

Professor Peter J Mumby
Marine Spatial Ecology Lab
University of Exeter
Exeter, UK
Web | See also
Royal Society Podcast: Dr. Peter J Mumby, "Climate Change - In My View." 

Keywords: mangrove and coral reef ecology, coral reef fish populations, mangrove nursery habitats, mangrove habitats, seagrass beds, atolls within the Caribbean, Banco Chinchorro in Mexico.