ECOLOGICAL ROLE OF BURROWING SEA CUCUMBERS, HOLOTHURIA ARENICOLA, IN ABACO, BAHAMAS

Bioturbators serve as ecosystem engineers, influencing community dynamics of the environments in which they are endemic. Currently, the bioturbator, Holothuria arenicola, a species of burrowing sea cucumbers, is listed as data deficient by the IUCN. These animals may affect the structure and function of seagrass beds, which are critical habitats for various species. To assess the ecological role of H. arenicola , I conducted field surveys, calculated mound, and analyzed mound nutrient levels. I gathered data through monitoring study plots, conducting Bran-Blanquette seagrass surveys (Fourqurean et al., 2001), capturing GoPro video, and collecting samples. Results indicate an insignificant difference between nutrient levels and the ambient environment. However, a positive correlation between seagrass density and active mounds correlation is suggestive of a non-nutrient related ecological relationship between burrowing sea cucumbers and seagrass density. Follow-up studies are needed to further asses the ecological role of H. arenicola on seagrass beds.