K.Ewel 2 .
Streams draining oceanic islands typically have relatively low insect diversity and abundance.
Our objective in this study was to examine the role of fishes and shrimps in leaf decay in a Pacific island stream which supports extremely low insect biomass and diversity. Insects in this stream were primarily limited to chironomid taxa. We excluded macroconsumers from leaf packs using electric fences over a 24-day study in the Yela River on Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia. Alternatively, macroconsumers were not important processors of coarse particulate organic matter in our study. Instead, in the absence of insect shredders, leaf litter breakdown in these streams may be driven primarily by physical and microbial processes.