scholarly journals Effects of increased habitat complexity on fish assemblages associated with large artificial reef units (French Mediterranean coast)

2002 ◽  
Vol 59 ◽  
pp. S208-S213 ◽  
Author(s):  
E CHARBONNEL
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Complexity ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Artificial Reef ◽  
Mediterranean Coast

scholarly journals Juvenile fish in Cystoseira forests: influence of habitat complexity and depth on fish behaviour and assemblage composition

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
AMALIA CUADROS ◽  
JOAN MORANTA ◽  
LUIS CARDONA ◽  
PIERRE THIRIET ◽  
PATRICE FRANCOUR ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Length ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Habitat Complexity ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Juvenile Fish ◽  
The Body ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Independent Effect ◽  
Depth Range ◽  
Canopy Volume

The sublittoral forests formed by the fucoid algae Cystoseira spp. are important juvenile habitats for many Mediterranean fish species. However, the spatial variability of juvenile fish assemblages within the forests and the potential environmental drivers, such as depth and habitat complexity, remain poorly understood. We estimated densities, sizes and behaviours of juvenile fish assemblages in subtidal (0-15 meters) Cystoseira brachycarpa var. balearica forests in north Minorca Island (North-western Mediterranean Sea) over two consecutive autumns (2012 and 2013). Depth and forest complexity, here measured as canopy volume, had both a significant and independent effect on the juvenile fish assemblages in terms of species abundance composition and body size. Assemblages found in the shallowest depth range (3-4m) were characterized by greater densities of the ornate wrasse Thalassoma pavo, while those deeper (10-12m) had higher densities of the rainbow wrasse Coris julis, independently of its size composition. Juveniles of both species were more abundant in less complex forests; conversely juveniles of wrasses of the genus Symphodus were more abundant in more complex forests. The smallest sizes of T. pavo occurred in the most complex forests. On the other hand, our results demonstrated that juvenile fish behaviours were unrelated to the complexity of the Cystoseira forests but mainly related to the body length. The effects of body length on behaviour were however species dependent. Cryptic and transitory behaviours were mostly observed in the smallest and largest juveniles of T. pavo and C. julis, respectively, while the behaviour of Symphodus spp. was unrelated to their body length. Our study emphasises the importance of preserving healthy Cystoseira forests and their intrinsic patchy nature, as this habitat, with its mosaic of different complexity degrees and bathymetrical variability, enable the presence of different fish species at various life stages.

scholarly journals The comparative effects of habitat complexity on faunal assemblages of northern temperate artificial and natural reefs

2009 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 691-698 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. R. Hunter ◽  
M. D. J. Sayer
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Complexity ◽  
Artificial Reef ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Rocky Reef ◽  
Faunal Assemblages ◽  
Faunal Abundance ◽  
Concrete Blocks ◽  
Belt Transect ◽  
Natural Reefs

Abstract Hunter, W. R., and Sayer, M. D. J. 2009. The comparative effects of habitat complexity on faunal assemblages of northern temperate artificial and natural reefs. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66: 691–698. Several north temperate marine species were recorded on subtidal hard-substratum reef sites selected to produce a gradient of structural complexity. The study employed an established scuba-based census method, the belt transect. The three types of reef examined, with a measured gradient of increasing structural complexity, were natural rocky reef, artificial reef constructed of solid concrete blocks, and artificial reef made of concrete blocks with voids. Surveys were undertaken monthly over a calendar year using randomly placed fixed rope transects. For a number of conspicuous species of fish and invertebrates, significant differences were found between the levels of habitat complexity and abundance. Overall abundance for many of the species examined was 2–3 times higher on the complex artificial habitats than on simple artificial or natural reef habitats. The enhanced habitat availability produced by the increased structural complexity delivered through specifically designed artificial reefs may have the potential to augment faunal abundance while promoting species diversity.

scholarly journals Presence of riparian vegetation increases biotic condition of fish assemblages in two Brazilian reservoirs

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 289-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabio Cop Ferreira ◽  
Ursulla Pereira Souza ◽  
Miguel Petrere Junior2
Keyword(s):  
Fish Assemblage ◽  
Riparian Vegetation ◽  
Habitat Complexity ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Biotic Integrity ◽  
Wood Structures ◽  
Paulo State ◽  
Composition And Structure ◽  
Lakes And Reservoirs ◽  
Metric Selection

Abstract The riparian vegetation in lakes and reservoirs is source of course wood structures such as trunks and branches and is used as sheltering, spawning and foraging habitats for fishes. The reduction of these submerged structures can thus, affect the composition and structure of fish assemblages in reservoirs. Aim To evaluate the influence of riparian vegetation on the biotic condition of fish assemblage by adapting the Reservoir Fish Assemblage Index (RFAI) to two reservoirs in the Upper Paranapanema river basin, São Paulo State, Brazil. Methods The RFAI was adapted from metrics related to the functional characteristics and composition of fish assemblages through a protocol of metric selection and validation, and to its response to the presence of riparian vegetation. Results The final RFAI was composed by nine metrics, been lower in sites without riparian vegetation as consequence of the predominance of larger individuals and the percent of piscivorous and detritivorous fishes. Conclusions These results suggest that increasing shore habitat complexity in reservoirs by maintaining riparian vegetation increases fish biotic integrity.

scholarly journals Fish densities associated with structural elements of oil and gas platforms in southern California

2019 ◽  
Vol 95 (4) ◽  
pp. 639-656 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin L Meyer-Gutbrod ◽  
Li Kui ◽  
Mary M Nishimoto ◽  
Milton S Love ◽  
Donna M Schroeder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Southern California ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Fish Habitat ◽  
Artificial Reef ◽  
Offshore Structures ◽  
Structural Elements ◽  
Structural Element ◽  
Young Of The Year

There are thousands of offshore oil and gas platforms worldwide that will eventually become obsolete, and one popular decommissioning alternative is the "rigs to reefs" conversion that designates all or a portion of the underwater infrastructure as an artificial reef, thereby reducing the burden of infrastructure removal. The unique architecture of each platform may influence the size and structure of the associated fish assemblage if different structural elements form distinct habitats for fishes. Using scuba survey data from 11 southern California platforms from 1995 to 2000, we examined fish assemblages associated with structural elements of the structure, including the major horizontal crossbeams outside of the jacket, vertical jacket legs, and horizontal crossbeams that span the jacket interior. Patterns of habitat association were examined among three depth zones: shallow (<16.8 m), midwater (16.8–26 m), and deep (>26 m); and between two life stages: young- of-the-year and non-young-of-the-year. Fish densities tended to be greatest along horizontal beams spanning the jacket interior, relative to either horizontal or vertical beams along the jacket exterior, indicating that the position of the habitat within the overall structure is an important characteristic affecting fish habitat use. Fish densities were also higher in transects centered directly over a vertical or horizontal beam relative to transects that did not contain a structural element. These results contribute to the understanding of fish habitat use on existing artificial reefs, and can inform platform decommissioning decisions as well as the design of new offshore structures intended to increase fish production.

scholarly journals Increasing habitat complexity on seawalls: Investigating large- and small-scale effects on fish assemblages

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (22) ◽  
pp. 9567-9579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca L. Morris ◽  
M. Gee Chapman ◽  
Louise B. Firth ◽  
Ross A. Coleman
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Complexity ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Scale Effects ◽  
Small Scale

Subtidal assemblages associated with a geotextile reef in south-east Queensland, Australia

2005 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhys A. Edwards ◽  
Stephen D. A. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Benthic Communities ◽  
Artificial Reef ◽  
Demersal Fish ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Marine Habitats ◽  
Sessile Invertebrates ◽  
Hard Structures ◽  
Asymmetrical Design ◽  
Natural Reefs

In marine habitats, the use of geotextile materials as a ‘soft-engineering’ solution is increasingly being considered as an alternative to hard structures. However, very little is known about biological assemblages that develop on geotextile structures. This study provides the first ecological comparison of subtidal assemblages between Narrowneck Artificial Reef (NAR), a geotextile reef in south-east Queensland, Australia, and three nearby natural reefs. Benthic community structure, fish assemblages and habitat complexity were compared between reef types using an asymmetrical design. Although natural reefs supported distinct biotic assemblages, as a class, these reefs differed significantly from NAR. The artificial reef was dominated by macroalgae and supported fewer benthic categories, whereas the natural reefs were characterised by a diverse range of sessile invertebrates. Benthic and demersal fish assemblages were less diverse on NAR, but pelagic fish assemblages were similar on both reef types. The substratum of NAR was less complex than that of the natural reefs; this physical variable was correlated with some of the differences in benthic communities and benthic and demersal fish assemblages. It is likely that the key determinants of the biotic patterns observed in this study are interactions between the age of NAR and the physical properties of geotextile substratum.

scholarly journals WITHDRAWN: Fish assemblages of three common artificial reef designs during early colonization

2020 ◽  
pp. 100021
Author(s):  
Alwin Hylkema ◽  
Adolphe O. Debrot ◽  
Ronald Osinga ◽  
Patrick S. Bron ◽  
Daniel B. Heesink ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Artificial Reef

Using bathymetric lidar to define nearshore benthic habitat complexity: Implications for management of reef fish assemblages in Hawaii

2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (11) ◽  
pp. 4159-4165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa M. Wedding ◽  
Alan M. Friedlander ◽  
Matthew McGranaghan ◽  
Russell S. Yost ◽  
Mark E. Monaco
Keyword(s):  
Reef Fish ◽  
Habitat Complexity ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Benthic Habitat
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