Recreational fish feeding inside Brazilian MPAs: impacts on reef fish community structure

2012 ◽  
Vol 92 (7) ◽  
pp. 1525-1533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Vieira Feitosa ◽  
Laís de Carvalho Teixeira Chaves ◽  
Beatrice Padovani Ferreira ◽  
Maria Elisabeth de Araújo
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Reef Fish ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Feeding Activity ◽  
Fish Communities ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
Artificial Feeding ◽  
Fish Community Structure ◽  
Fish Feeding ◽  
Before And After

Although the practice of recreational feeding of fish by tourists is widespread within marine protected areas (MPAs), the ecological consequences of this activity have received little attention. This research aimed to investigate the influence of artificial feeding on reef fish communities of two Brazilian MPAs. Visual censuses were performed in areas not visited by tourists, in order to characterize the natural community structure of each reef system. In the Maracajaú reefs, the effect of artificial feeding was assessed below a moored floating dock found in the area. Stationary visual censuses were carried out before, during and after the fish feeding activity. In the Maragogi reefs, areas with presence and absence of tourism visitation were established. Transect methodology was employed in each of these areas. On both MPAs, fish feeding was a formal activity and occurred on a daily basis during the course of this study. Within the MPAs, 88 species belonging to 40 families were recorded. In Maracajaú, fish, shrimps and squids were provided by the tourists on the floating dock, which favoured mobile invertebrate feeders, whereas in Maragogi, animal ration and human food were used, causing aggregations of omnivores. Differences were observed in terms of abundance between before and after feeding in Maracajaú and between the control and impacted areas of Maragogi. The data are consistent with fish feeding leading to attraction of determined species, causing an increase in their abundance, also indicating that both the type of food and the extension of activity area are important factors determining the effects on fish communities.

scholarly journals Invasive lionfish had no measurable effect on prey fish community structure across the Belizean Barrier Reef

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serena Hackerott ◽  
Abel Valdivia ◽  
Courtney E. Cox ◽  
Nyssa J. Silbiger ◽  
John F. Bruno
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Reef Fish ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Fish Communities ◽  
Reef Fishes ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Fish Community Structure ◽  
Prey Fish ◽  
Invasive Lionfish ◽  
Study Sites

Invasive lionfish are assumed to significantly affect Caribbean reef fish communities. However, evidence of lionfish effects on native reef fishes is based on uncontrolled observational studies or small-scale, unrepresentative experiments, with findings ranging from no effect to large effects on prey density and richness. Moreover, whether lionfish affect populations and communities of native reef fishes at larger, management-relevant scales is unknown. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of lionfish on coral reef prey fish communities in a natural complex reef system. We quantified lionfish and the density, richness, and composition of native prey fishes (0–10 cm total length) at sixteen reefs along ∼250 km of the Belize Barrier Reef from 2009 to 2013. Lionfish invaded our study sites during this four-year longitudinal study, thus our sampling included fish community structure before and after our sites were invaded, i.e., we employed a modified BACI design. We found no evidence that lionfish measurably affected the density, richness, or composition of prey fishes. It is possible that higher lionfish densities are necessary to detect an effect of lionfish on prey populations at this relatively large spatial scale. Alternatively, negative effects of lionfish on prey could be small, essentially undetectable, and ecologically insignificant at our study sites. Other factors that influence the dynamics of reef fish populations including reef complexity, resource availability, recruitment, predation, and fishing could swamp any effects of lionfish on prey populations.

Community changes of coral reef fishes in Bunaken National Park, North Sulawesi, Indonesia

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 117
Author(s):  
Fakhrizal Setiawan ◽  
Janny D Kusen ◽  
Georis JF Kaligis
Keyword(s):  
Reef Fish ◽  
National Park ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Time Series Data ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Fish Communities ◽  
Reef Fishes ◽  
Series Data ◽  
Fish Community Structure ◽  
Reef Fish Community

In order to look at changes in coral and reef fish communities during the period of 2006 to 2013, this research was carried out at Bunaken National Park (BNP) with 26 observation sites. The existing data and information of reef fish communities in the park generally could not be used as representative for describing the whole region. Percentage of coral cover and fish abundance during the study period shows that Bunaken Island is more similar to other locations. Reef fish community structure as seen from ecological index (H' at all sites being categorized, E category labile and low category C) shows the condition of the reef fish community is still good. Changes in the structure of reef fish communities showed declining conditions compared to 2006, and coral cover continued to decrease compared to 1998 and 2007. Good overall reef fish and coral cover have decreased; it is thought to be related to the pressure in BNP. Some of the pressures in the region were (i) increasing numbers of domestic as well as foreign visitors, (ii) increasing number of residents in the region, as well as the burden of waste and trash from the Bay of Manado. Penelitian dilakukan di Taman Nasional Bunaken (Utara dan Selatan)   pada 26 lokasi  pengamatan untuk menganalisis perubahan struktur komunitas ikan karang melalui kajian dari suatu time series data dari beberapa penelitian sebelumnya. Data primer mengenai ikan-ikan karang diperoleh melalui visual sensus bawah air yang bersamaan dengan observasi terumbu karang menggunakan point intercept transect. Nilai persentase tutupan karang dan kelimpahan ikan menunjukkan bahwa pada lokasi pengamatan Pulau Bunaken paling baik dibandingan lokasi lainnya. Struktur komunitas ikan karang yang dianalisis dengan indeks ekologi menunjukkan indeks keanekaragaman (H’) di semua site masuk kategori sedang, indeks kesamaan (E) kategori labil dan indeks Dominansi (C) kategori rendah. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa kondisi komunitas ikan karang masih baik, sekalipun  perubahan struktur komunitas ikan karang menunjukkan kondisi yang menurun dibandingkan tahun 2006, begitu juga tutupan karang yang terus turun dibandingkan tahun 1998 dan 2007. Secara keseluruhan baik ikan karang maupun tutupan karang mengalami penurunan, hal ini diduga terkait dengan tekanan yang dialami kawasan TN. Bunaken. Salah satu tekanan terhadap kawasan adalah jumlah turis dari dalam maupun luar negeri yang semakin meningkat tiap tahunnya, penambahan jumlah penduduk di dalam kawasan, serta beban limbah dan sampah dari Teluk Manado.

scholarly journals Community structure and niche breadth of some fish in Pangelang Protected Lake, Kapuas Hulu District

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-115
Author(s):  
Sri Endah Purnamaningtyas ◽  
Dimas Angga Hedianto ◽  
Nurfiarini Nurfiarini
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Niche Breadth ◽  
Fish Communities ◽  
Food Preferences ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Fish Community Structure ◽  
Regional Patterns ◽  
Weather Changes ◽  
Detritivorous Fish

Ecologically, weather changes cause local deviations from regional patterns in waters. So that there will be changes in fish types and food habits.The purpose of this study was to determine changes in fish community structure, food preferences, and area of niches for each type of fish in Pangelang Protected Lake. The research was conducted using a survey method in October 2016 (low tide), June 2018 (transition) and September (flood) 2018. The results obtained: 1. Fish communities in Lake Pangelang obtained a total of 12 families, 30 genera, and 37 species. In the low tide season, there are 21 species of fish caught, 17 species of transition season and 16 types of flood during low tide. 2. In the low tide season, the fish community in Pangelang Lake is dominated by detritivorous fish. In the transitional season, the fish community in Pangelang Lake experiences changes with an increase in the union of phytoplanktivore and insectivore fish. During the flood season, the fish communities in Lake Pangelang underwent a change again where the union of herbivores that used plants increased.

Reef fish community structure on coastal islands of the southeastern Brazil: the influence of exposure and benthic cover

2006 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergio R. Floeter ◽  
Werther Krohling ◽  
João Luiz Gasparini ◽  
Carlos E. L. Ferreira ◽  
Ilana R. Zalmon
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Reef Fish ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Southeastern Brazil ◽  
Fish Community Structure ◽  
Reef Fish Community

scholarly journals Subsistence harvesting by a small community does not substantially compromise coral reef fish assemblages

2017 ◽  
Vol 74 (8) ◽  
pp. 2191-2200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tyson S. H. Martin ◽  
Rod M. Connolly ◽  
Andrew D. Olds ◽  
Daniela M. Ceccarelli ◽  
Douglas E. Fenner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reef Fish ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Fish Communities ◽  
Marshall Islands ◽  
Fish Biomass ◽  
Small Community ◽  
Fish Community Structure ◽  
Small Communities ◽  
Top Predators ◽  
Subsistence Fishing

Abstract Fisheries usually first remove large predators before switching to smaller species, causing lasting changes to fish community structure. Reef fish provide essential protein and income for many people, and the impacts of commercial and high-intensity subsistence fishing on reef fish are well documented. However, how fish communities respond to low levels of subsistence fishing using traditional techniques (fishing for food, few fishers) is less well understood. We use three atolls in the Marshall Islands as a model system to quantify effects of commercial and subsistence fishing on reef fish communities, compared to a near-pristine baseline. Unexpectedly, fish biomass was highest on the commercially-fished atoll where the assemblage was dominated by herbivores (50% higher than other atolls) and contained few top predators (70% lower than other atolls). By contrast, fish biomass and trophic composition did not differ between pristine and subsistence-fished atolls – top predators were abundant on both. We show that in some cases, reefs can support fishing by small communities to provide food but still retain intact fish assemblages. Low-intensity subsistence fishing may not always harm marine food webs, and we suggest that its effects depend on the style and intensity of fishing practised and the type of organisms targeted.

scholarly journals Marine protected areas do not prevent marine heatwave-induced fish community structure changes in a temperate transition zone

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
R. M. Freedman ◽  
J. A. Brown ◽  
C. Caldow ◽  
J. E. Caselle
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Kelp Forest ◽  
Community Response ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Fish Community Structure ◽  
Community Shifts ◽  
Water Affinity

AbstractAcute climate events like marine heatwaves have the potential to temporarily or permanently alter community structure with effects on biodiversity and ecosystem services. We aimed to quantify the magnitude and consistency of climate driven community shifts inside and outside Marine Protected Areas before and after a marine heatwave using a kelp forest fish community dataset in southern California, USA. Abundance, biomass, diversity and recruitment of warm-water affinity species during the marine heatwave were significantly greater compared with prior years yet cool-water affinity species did not show commensurate declines. Fish communities inside MPAs were not buffered from these community shifts. This result is likely because the particular species most responsible for the community response to environmental drivers, were not fisheries targets. Resource managers working to preserve biodiversity in a changing climate will need to consider additional management tools and strategies in combination with protected areas to mitigate the effect of warming on marine communities.

scholarly journals Mechanisms of maintenance of tropical freshwater fish communities in the face of disturbance

1999 ◽  
Vol 354 (1391) ◽  
pp. 1803-1810 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith M. Martin–Smith ◽  
Lindsay M. Laird ◽  
Luke Bullough ◽  
Matthew G. Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Time Course ◽  
Fish Communities ◽  
Complete Removal ◽  
Physical Habitat ◽  
Fish Community Structure ◽  
Community Resistance ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Face

Community resistance to, and resilience from, perturbation will determine the trajectory of recovery from disturbance. Although selective timber extraction is considered a severe disturbance, fish communities from headwater streams around Danum Valley Field Centre, Sabah, Malaysia, showed few long–term changes in species composition or abundance. However, some species showed short–term (< 18 months) absence or decrease in abundance. These observations suggested that both resistance and resilience were important in maintaining long–term fish community structure. Resistance to perturbation was tested by monitoring fish communities before and after the creation of log–debris dams, while resilience was investigated by following the time–course of recolonization following complete removal of all fish. High community resistance was generally shown although the response was site–specific, dependent on the composition of the starting community, the size of the stream and physical habitat changes. High resilience was demonstrated in all recolonization experiments with strong correlations between pre– and post–defaunation communities, although there was a significant difference between pool and riffle habitats in the time–course of recovery. These differences can be explained by the movement characteristics of the species found in the different habitats. Resilience appeared to be a more predictable characteristic of the community than resistance and the implications of this for ensuring the long–term persistence of fish in the area are discussed.

Spatial and temporal variability of fish communities of the Upper Mississippi River, USA

2009 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayhan Yildirim ◽  
Mark Pegg
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Community Structure ◽  
Mississippi River ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Fish Communities ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
River System ◽  
Functional Composition ◽  
Upper Mississippi River ◽  
Fish Community Structure

AbstractFish community structure, morphological characteristics, functional composition, and life history attributes in relation to three aquatic habitats, backwater shoreline (BWS), main channel borders (MCB), and side channel borders (SCB) in Pool 4 of the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) were assessed. Fish communities were sampled annually using standardized electrofishing techniques from 1994 to 2004. We found significant differences in community composition and abundance, and the clearest pattern was that diversity and fish community structure in BWS were different from those in both MCB and SCB. We also found morphological characteristics, functional composition, and life-history differences among the habitats, with fish communities from BWS having a number of different characteristics from both MCB and SCB. Temporal changes in fish abundance, community structure, morphological, functional and life-history attributes from each habitat may reflect both human impact and environmental factors on the Upper Mississippi River System.

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