To Feed or Not to Feed? Coral Reef Fish Responses to Artificial Feeding and Stakeholder Perceptions in the Aitutaki Lagoon, Cook Islands

RT @natalie_prinz: @Meyer_Sci @SharkyJenny @SouthernSharkEG @HuveneersSSEG @ChristineBarry_ @FlindersMarine @UrbanEdgeSharks @jcu @Flinders…

@Meyer_Sci @SharkyJenny @SouthernSharkEG @HuveneersSSEG @ChristineBarry_ @FlindersMarine @UrbanEdgeSharks @jcu @Flinders We worked on feeding reef fish with bread in the Cook Islands 🐠 (https://t.co/asHjpf4EIB). This is only one place where people feed col

Zoos always tell tourists not to feed the animals, so what makes the #ocean any different? A South Pacific study indicates that #reef fish respond to artificial feeding by changing feeding patterns and altering #ecosystem functioning. https://t.co/1tx0g7GM

“Stakeholder interviews revealed that locals favor feeding to sustain tourist satisfaction, whereas tourists appreciate snorkeling regardless of feeding. This indicates an opportunity for restrictions on fish feeding with minimal drawbacks for tourism. ” h