Differential algae assimilation by the sea urchin Diadema antillarum on Gran Canaria (Canary Islands) using stable isotopes

Abstract

In this work we analyzed the availability of nutritional resources in 2 different places on Gran Canaria Island (urchin barrens in different stages of maturation-mature and immature-) in order to identify which were the potential food sources and which of those were assimilated by the sea urchin. We refer the term mature to distinguish spaces with a high abundance of sea-urchin and poor algal cover (La Catedral), and as immature, places which have algal cover moreover sea urchins (Risco Verde).