Survey of 12 Florida Keys Reefs for Factors Related to Densities of Coral-Eating Snails (Coralliophila abbreviata) (2015)

As coral populations decline across the Caribbean, it is becoming increasingly important to understand the forces that facilitate coral survivorship and recovery. Predation by corallivores, such as the short coral snail Coralliophila abbreviata, can hinder reef recovery, but our understanding of the factors controlling corallivore populations remain limited. To examine the extent to which food resources (i.e. corals) and predator populations relate to C. abbreviata distributions, we surveyed six protected and six unprotected reefs in the Florida Keys for the following data: C. abbreviata density, C. abbreviata morphology (length, shell thickness, and biomass), coral cover and coral species abundance, and potential snail predators, including snail-eating fish and the Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus).