scholarly journals Reef Fish Associations with Natural and Artificial Structures in the Florida Keys

Oceans ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 634-647
Author(s):  
Kara Noonan ◽  
Thomas Fair ◽  
Kristiaan Matthee ◽  
Kelsey Sox ◽  
Kylie Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reef Fish ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Florida Keys ◽  
Feeding Guilds ◽  
Artificial Structures ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Rugose Coral ◽  
Caribbean Coral Reefs ◽  
The Caribbean

Throughout the Caribbean, coral reefs are transitioning from rugose, coral-dominated communities to flat, soft coral-dominated habitats, triggering declines in biodiversity. To help mitigate these losses, artificial structures have been used to re-create substrate complexity and support reef inhabitants. This study used natural and artificial structures to investigate the factors influencing the use of habitat by reef fish. During 2018 and 2019, divers added artificial structures and monitored the fish assemblages associating with both the artificial structures and naturally occurring corals. Overall, there were more fish on natural structures than on artificial structures. While structure shape did not influence fish use, there was a non-significant trend for increased use of larger structures. Fish observations did not differ across a gradient of shallow, complex reefs to deeper, flatter reefs; however, analyses of feeding guilds revealed clearer patterns: herbivores and omnivores were positively associated with low rugosity reefs where macroalgal abundance was higher, whereas invertivores preferred more rugose reefs. These results suggest that as reefs lose structural complexity, fish communities may become dominated by herbivores and omnivores. It also appears that the addition of artificial structures of the type used here may not mitigate the effects of structure loss on reef fish assemblages.

ORIGIN AND BIOGEOGRAPHY OF THE WEEVILS OF SOUTHERN FLORIDA (COLEOPTERA: CURCULIONIDAE)

1994 ◽  
Vol 126 (3) ◽  
pp. 819-839 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert S. Anderson ◽  
Stewart B. Peck
Keyword(s):  
Florida Keys ◽  
Habitat Diversity ◽  
South Florida ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Species Origin ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Southern Florida ◽  
Unintentional Action ◽  
Important Site

AbstractThe naturally occurring weevil (Curculionidae) fauna of Dade and Monroe counties in southern Florida is composed of 100 genera and 222 species. Another 20 species are adventive; their presence is due to the unintentional action of humans. Twenty-eight species occur only on the islands of the Florida Keys, 118 species occur only on mainland south Florida, and 76 species are shared by the mainland and the islands. Greater habitat diversity on the mainland accounts for its higher species diversity. The species distributions and faunal affinities are 60% Nearctic and 40% Neotropical or West Indian. Thirty-five species are known to occur only in southern Florida. This probably reflects poor knowledge of their distribution in the Caribbean rather than southern Florida as an important site for species origin. Most of the weevil species (133; 60%) are habitat specific and few species (22; 10%) are found in three or more habitat types. Wetland-inhabiting species are predominant (76; 34%), followed by hardwood hammock species (47; 21%). Flightlessness in adults is uncommon (35 species; 16%), but more prevalent in the species endemic to southern Florida (12 species; 34%). Extrapolation from data on weevil diversity yields a conservative estimate of over 5000 species of insects in southern Florida.

scholarly journals Relationships between structural complexity, coral traits, and reef fish assemblages

Coral Reefs ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 561-575 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily S. Darling ◽  
Nicholas A. J. Graham ◽  
Fraser A. Januchowski-Hartley ◽  
Kirsty L. Nash ◽  
Morgan S. Pratchett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reef Fish ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Coral Traits

The effects of suspended sediment on coral reef fish assemblages and feeding guilds of north-west Australia

Coral Reefs ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 659-673 ◽  
Author(s):  
Molly Moustaka ◽  
Tim J. Langlois ◽  
Dianne McLean ◽  
Todd Bond ◽  
Rebecca Fisher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Reef Fish ◽  
Coral Reef Fish ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Feeding Guilds ◽  
North West

scholarly journals Evaluating the efficacy of management zones in the FKNMS: Integrating visual and photogrammetric surveys, and passive acoustics to characterize reef fish assemblages and spawning activity across coral reef management regimes

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kayelyn Simmons ◽  
DelWayne Bohnenstiehl ◽  
David Eggleston
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Reef Fish ◽  
Wildlife Conservation ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Marine Reserve ◽  
Florida Keys ◽  
Marine Ecology ◽  
Reef Management ◽  
Passive Acoustics ◽  
Low Frequencies

New technological approaches in marine ecology, such as (1) passive acoustics to characterize underwater soundscapes, and (2) habitat photogrammetry, which provides high-res, 3D images of habitats, can facilitate efficient and accurate assessments of coral reefs. In collaboration with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC) and NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP), multidisciplinary, non-invasive research approaches provide transformative ways to characterize reef fish biodiversity as well as the ecological function of essential, hard-bottom habitats. The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) is an ideal study system due to several replicate marine reserve types in addition to existing historical data on reef fish and benthic communities. Underwater soundscape results show significantly different spectral patterns for each site, such that protected sites displayed higher average spectra in low frequencies than fished sites. Additionally, species and family-specific fish chorusing was identified during crepuscular hours at several protected sites. Photogrammetry surveys produced a 3D elevation model used to characterize differences in coral composition contributing to vertical relief. Initial results suggest biodiversity and other ecosystem metrics generally increase with level of protection. These data provide critical baseline evaluations for Post- Hurricane Irma impacts and may assist in monitoring the recovery of coral reefs.

scholarly journals Evaluating the efficacy of management zones in the FKNMS: Integrating visual and photogrammetric surveys, and passive acoustics to characterize reef fish assemblages and spawning activity across coral reef management regimes

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kayelyn Simmons ◽  
DelWayne Bohnenstiehl ◽  
David Eggleston
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Reef Fish ◽  
Wildlife Conservation ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Marine Reserve ◽  
Florida Keys ◽  
Marine Ecology ◽  
Reef Management ◽  
Passive Acoustics ◽  
Low Frequencies

New technological approaches in marine ecology, such as (1) passive acoustics to characterize underwater soundscapes, and (2) habitat photogrammetry, which provides high-res, 3D images of habitats, can facilitate efficient and accurate assessments of coral reefs. In collaboration with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC) and NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP), multidisciplinary, non-invasive research approaches provide transformative ways to characterize reef fish biodiversity as well as the ecological function of essential, hard-bottom habitats. The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) is an ideal study system due to several replicate marine reserve types in addition to existing historical data on reef fish and benthic communities. Underwater soundscape results show significantly different spectral patterns for each site, such that protected sites displayed higher average spectra in low frequencies than fished sites. Additionally, species and family-specific fish chorusing was identified during crepuscular hours at several protected sites. Photogrammetry surveys produced a 3D elevation model used to characterize differences in coral composition contributing to vertical relief. Initial results suggest biodiversity and other ecosystem metrics generally increase with level of protection. These data provide critical baseline evaluations for Post- Hurricane Irma impacts and may assist in monitoring the recovery of coral reefs.

scholarly journals Reef Structural Complexity Influences Fish Community Metrics on a Remote Oceanic Island: Serranilla Island, Seaflower Biosphere Reserve, Colombia

Oceans ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 611-623
Author(s):  
Diana Castaño ◽  
Diana Morales-de-Anda ◽  
Julián Prato ◽  
Amílcar Leví Cupul-Magaña ◽  
Johanna Paola Echeverry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reef Fish ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Biosphere Reserve ◽  
Fish Diversity ◽  
Illegal Fishing ◽  
Fish Community Metrics ◽  
San Andres ◽  
Evident Relationship

Serranilla is a protected island of the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve, far from dense human population. These characteristics could help sustain structurally complex coral reefs, often associated with higher biodiversity, abundance, and biomass of reef-associated organisms, including reef fish. However, the multiple threats present in Serranilla, including intense illegal fishing, can impact coral ecosystems generally and also specific key groups, such as the parrotfish, in particular. During the “Seaflower Research Expedition 2017”, we assessed how structural habitat complexity influences reef fish assemblages. In addition, we explored differences in parrotfish species (family: Scaridae) between Serranilla and San Andrés, the most populated island in the Archipelago. On Serranilla, we found that habitat structure, rugosity, and coral cover accounted for up to 66% of variation in reef fish diversity, abundance, and biomass, with values being higher on more complex reefs. Parrotfish species differed between the islands, with larger species supporting higher biomasses at Serranilla, by comparison with San Andrés; however, the abundance, biomass, and lengths of parrotfish species were low in both areas compared with those reported from other protected Caribbean reefs. Our study indicates that despite the evident relationship between structurally complex habitats and reef fish, other threats in Serranilla could be affecting parrotfish populations, such as illegal fishing, a widespread activity in the area.

scholarly journals Structural complexity mediates functional structure of reef fish assemblages among coral habitats

2017 ◽  
Vol 100 (3) ◽  
pp. 193-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura E. Richardson ◽  
Nicholas A. J. Graham ◽  
Morgan S. Pratchett ◽  
Andrew S. Hoey
Keyword(s):  
Reef Fish ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Functional Structure

Spatial assemblage structure of shallow-water reef fish in Southwest Australia

2020 ◽  
Vol 649 ◽  
pp. 125-140
Author(s):  
DS Goldsworthy ◽  
BJ Saunders ◽  
JRC Parker ◽  
ES Harvey
Keyword(s):  
Shallow Water ◽  
Reef Fish ◽  
Marine Environment ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Reef Fishes ◽  
Reef Fish Assemblage ◽  
Reef Type ◽  
Present Distribution ◽  
Southwest Australia

Bioregional categorisation of the Australian marine environment is essential to conserve and manage entire ecosystems, including the biota and associated habitats. It is important that these regions are optimally positioned to effectively plan for the protection of distinct assemblages. Recent climatic variation and changes to the marine environment in Southwest Australia (SWA) have resulted in shifts in species ranges and changes to the composition of marine assemblages. The goal of this study was to determine if the current bioregionalisation of SWA accurately represents the present distribution of shallow-water reef fishes across 2000 km of its subtropical and temperate coastline. Data was collected in 2015 using diver-operated underwater stereo-video surveys from 7 regions between Port Gregory (north of Geraldton) to the east of Esperance. This study indicated that (1) the shallow-water reef fish of SWA formed 4 distinct assemblages along the coast: one Midwestern, one Central and 2 Southern Assemblages; (2) differences between these fish assemblages were primarily driven by sea surface temperature, Ecklonia radiata cover, non-E. radiata (canopy) cover, understorey algae cover, reef type and reef height; and (3) each of the 4 assemblages were characterised by a high number of short-range Australian and Western Australian endemic species. The findings from this study suggest that 4, rather than the existing 3 bioregions would more effectively capture the shallow-water reef fish assemblage patterns, with boundaries having shifted southwards likely associated with ocean warming.

scholarly journals Directly ageing the Caribbean spiny lobster, Panulirus argus with validated band counts from gastric mill ossicles

2018 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 442-451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaya Gnanalingam ◽  
Mark J Butler ◽  
Thomas R Matthews ◽  
Emily Hutchinson ◽  
Raouf Kilada
Keyword(s):  
Spiny Lobster ◽  
Age Determination ◽  
Florida Keys ◽  
Panulirus Argus ◽  
Gastric Mill ◽  
Coefficients Of Variation ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
First Time ◽  
Reader Experience

Abstract In crustaceans, ecdysis was long believed to result in the loss and replacement of all calcified structures, precluding the use of conventional ageing methods. However, the discovery of bands in the gastric ossicles of several crustaceans with some correlation with age suggests that direct age estimation may be possible. We applied this method to a tropical spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, one of the most iconic and economically valuable species in the Caribbean. The presence of growth bands was investigated using wild lobsters of unknown age and was validated with captive reared lobsters of known age (1.5–10 years) from the Florida Keys, Florida (USA). Bands were consistently identified in ptero- and zygo-cardiac ossicles of the gastric mill and did not appear to be associated with moulting. Validation with known age animals confirms that bands form annually. Counts between independent readers were reproducible with coefficients of variation ranging from 11% to 26% depending on reader experience and the structure used. This study demonstrates, for the first time, that direct age determination of P. argus is possible.

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