Modelling the distribution of fish around an artificial reef

2017 ◽  
Vol 68 (10) ◽  
pp. 1955 ◽  
Author(s):  
James A. Smith ◽  
William K. Cornwell ◽  
Michael B. Lowry ◽  
Iain M. Suthers
Keyword(s):  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Artificial Reef ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Spatial Arrangement ◽  
Fish Abundance ◽  
Artificial Reefs ◽  
Bottom Cover ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Taxonomic Groups

Artificial reefs are a widely used tool aimed at fishery enhancement, and measuring the scale at which fish assemblages associate with these artificial habitat patches can aid reef design and spatial arrangement. The present study used rapidly deployed underwater video (drop cameras) to determine the magnitude and spatial scale of associations between a fish assemblage and a coastal artificial reef. Count data from drop cameras were combined with distance and bathymetry information to create a suite of explanatory generalised linear mixed models (GLMMs). The GLMMs showed that artificial reefs can influence surrounding fish abundance, but that the magnitude and scale is species specific. Three of the eight taxonomic groups examined showed a positive association with the artificial reef (with model fit poor for the remaining groups); and depth and bottom cover were also influential variables. The spatial scales of these associations with the artificial reef were small, and it was generally the presence of reef (i.e. a reef bottom type) that explained more variation in fish abundance than did distance to reef. The schooling baitfish yellowtail scad was an exception, and had elevated abundance >50m from the artificial reef. Further distribution modelling of artificial reefs will benefit species-specific design and management of artificial reefs.

Marine Artificial Reef Research and Development: Integrating Fisheries Management Objectives

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Reef Fish ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Artificial Reef ◽  
Red Snapper ◽  
Artificial Reefs ◽  
Lutjanus Campechanus ◽  
The Status ◽  
Vermilion Snapper

<em>Abstract</em>.—Reef-fish assemblage structure was compared among multiple artificial and geologic (i.e., naturally occurring hard bottom) habitats in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico during 2014–2016 as part of a larger fishery-independent survey. Baited remote underwater video systems equipped with stereo cameras were deployed (<em>n </em>= 348) on 11 habitat types, classified through interpretation of side-scan sonar imagery. In the video samples, 11,801 fish were enumerated. Nonparametric analysis of reef-fish assemblages detected four clusters related to habitat; assemblages associated with geologic habitats were distinct, whereas the remaining three clusters represented groupings of artificial habitats of different size, scale, and complexity. While many species, including Vermilion Snapper <em>Rhomboplites aurorubens </em>and Red Snapper <em>Lutjanus campechanus</em>, were observed in greater numbers on artificial reef habitats, most species were observed in all habitats sampled. Among artificial reef habitats, the habitat cluster consisting of unidentified depressions, unidentified artificial reefs, construction materials, and reef modules was similar to geologic habitats in supporting larger individuals, specifically Gray Triggerfish <em>Balistes capriscus </em>and Red Snapper. In contrast, the habitat cluster consisting of smaller, generally solitary chicken-transport cages was inhabited by smaller individuals, including smaller Red Snapper. Although geologic reefs are the predominant reef habitat throughout much of the eastern Gulf, artificial reefs are important locally, especially in the Florida Panhandle. Accordingly, continued incorporation of artificial reef habitats within large-scale fishery-independent monitoring efforts is critical to the accurate assessment of the status of reef-fish stocks on broad spatial scales.

scholarly journals The influence of offshore windpower on demersal fish

2006 ◽  
Vol 63 (5) ◽  
pp. 775-784 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Wilhelmsson ◽  
Torleif Malm ◽  
Marcus C. Öhman
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Demersal Fish ◽  
Fish Abundance ◽  
Artificial Reefs ◽  
Fish Community Structure ◽  
Blue Mussels ◽  
Fish Aggregation ◽  
Surrounding Areas

Abstract A significant expansion of offshore windpower is expected in northwestern Europe in the near future. Little is known about the impacts it may have on the marine environment. Here, we investigate the potential for wind turbines to function as artificial reefs and fish aggregation devices (FADs), i.e. whether they would locally increase fish densities or alter fish assemblages. Fish communities and habitat composition were investigated using visual transects at two windpower farms off the southeastern coast of Sweden, central Baltic Sea. Fish abundance was greater in the vicinity of the turbines than in surrounding areas, while species richness and Shannon–Wiener diversity (H′) were similar. On the monopiles of the turbines, fish community structure was different, and total fish abundance was greater, while species richness and diversity (H′) were lower than on the surrounding seabed. Blue mussels and barnacles covered most of the submerged parts of the turbines. On the seabed, more blue mussels and a lesser cover of red algae were recorded around the power plants than elsewhere. Results from this study suggest that offshore windfarms may function as combined artificial reefs and fish aggregation devices for small demersal fish.

The effect of an artificial reef system on the transient fish assemblages – south-eastern coast of Brazil

2014 ◽  
Vol 95 (3) ◽  
pp. 635-646 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diogo Fonseca Da Rocha ◽  
Marcos Alberto Lima Franco ◽  
Pedro Vianna Gatts ◽  
Ilana Rosental Zalmon
Keyword(s):  
Rio De Janeiro ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Artificial Reef ◽  
Fish Population ◽  
Artificial Reefs ◽  
Functional Structure ◽  
Eastern Coast ◽  
Northern Coast ◽  
Protective Environment ◽  
Janeiro State

Artificial reefs (ARs) are often used to improve fishing and, consequently, the economy of a region. However, the way in which the species use the reefs may vary between fish assemblages. An assessment was made of the influence of an AR complex on the transient fish population off the northern coast of Rio de Janeiro state and, therefore, two control areas were sampled. Gillnets were used to capture individual fish in six sampling surveys. Cumulative abundance and biomass curves (ABC) were used to assess the possible effects of the reefs on the community's functional structure. In the dry season, during which the influence of the Paraíba do Sul River is smaller, a larger richness of r-strategy species and juveniles of K-strategy species was observed in the reef area compared with the control areas, suggesting that the AR acts as a protective environment for these species. During the lower river discharge period the results indicated a potential disturbance in the functional structure of the AR fish community and, therefore, a less stable environment relative to the control areas. This ‘instability’ warrants a positive connotation, as it indicates that the artificial reefs are harbouring species that are particularly sensitive to predation, making the reef a powerful tool for maintaining these populations on the northern coast of Rio de Janeiro.

scholarly journals Comparative evaluation of fish assemblages census on an artificial reef

2007 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 1157-1162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel S. Brotto ◽  
Werther Krohling ◽  
Ilana R. Zalmon
Keyword(s):  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Artificial Reef ◽  
Sampling Period ◽  
Fish Abundance ◽  
North Coast ◽  
Vertical Position ◽  
Fish Assemblage Structure ◽  
Visual Census ◽  
Interval Sampling

One of the main issues regarding artificial reef fish evaluation is the performance of an efficient visual census sampling. An experimental artificial reef made of four different types of concrete modules was implanted on the north coast of Rio de Janeiro (21º29'S, 41º00W). Two interval-sampling periods using a visual census method were performed in the summer of 2003 (N = 6) and 2004 (N = 6), weekly and daily, respectively. The longer interval-sampling period showed twice of species with eight exclusive ones. Total fish abundance was higher during the shorter interval-sampling period, due to the presence of large shoals of Chloroscombrus chrysurus (Linnaeus, 1766) and Haemulon aurolineatum (Cuvier, 1829) especially at the complex modules. Fish abundance according to vertical position and feeding habits in the two interval sampling-periods showed a clear association to the structural complex modules, reinforcing the shelter influence on local fish assemblage structure and composition. The second survey showed quite different diversity and taxonomic results and highlighted the impossibility of obtaining several independent samples in a short period.of time.

scholarly journals Colonization and community development of fish assemblages associated with estuarine artificial reefs

2011 ◽  
Vol 59 (spe1) ◽  
pp. 55-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heath Folpp ◽  
Michael Lowry ◽  
Marcus Gregson ◽  
Iain M. Suthers
Keyword(s):  
Community Development ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Artificial Reef ◽  
Artificial Reefs ◽  
First Year ◽  
Scientific Evaluation ◽  
Coastal Barrier ◽  
History Of ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Distinct Separation

Despite the long history of the development of artificial structures in NSW estuaries there are no studies that provide any comprehensive scientific evaluation of post-deployment goals. We assessed the effectiveness of estuarine artificial reefs as a fisheries enhancement initiative; described the diversity and abundance of species associated with them, and detailed the patterns of colonization and community development associated with an artificial reef deployment in Lake Macquarie, a large coastal barrier lagoon on the southeast coast of Australia. Six artificial reefs (one artificial reef group), constructed from artificial reef units (Reef Balls®), were deployed in December 2005 and sampled six times per season over two years using baited remote underwater video (BRUV). Colonization of the artificial reef group was relatively rapid with the majority of species identified over the two-year study period observed within the first year post-deployment. Overall, 27 species from 17 families were identified. Key colonising species included Pelates sexlineatus (Terapontidae), Acanthopagrus australis (Sparidae), Pagrus auratus (Sparidae) and Rhabdosargus sarba (Sparidae). Species richness showed evidence of potential seasonal fluctuations, being higher in warm water months (Summer/Autumn), and lower in the colder water months (Winter/Spring), while species diversity increased significantly with reef age. Fish assemblage composition remained relatively stable after the first year of sampling, with few discernible patterns in assemblage structure evident after the first year. Distinct separation in reef age groupings was evident during the second year of sampling; a pattern primarily driven by a decrease in abundance of P. sexlineatus, a result of the isolated nature of the artificial reefs and the interrelated effects of density dependence and predation.

Marine Artificial Reef Research and Development: Integrating Fisheries Management Objectives

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Artificial Reef ◽  
Sea Bass ◽  
Artificial Reefs ◽  
Lutjanus Campechanus ◽  
Coverage Area ◽  
Management Objectives ◽  
Concrete Blocks ◽  
Total Fish

<em>Abstract</em>.—Twenty artificial reefs were deployed early in October 2005 approximately 20 km south of Dauphin Island, Alabama (USA), in the Hugh Swingle General Permit Area. Each reef consisted of 12 concrete blocks (20 cm long × 20 cm wide × 41 cm high) arranged on a plywood base (1.5 m<sup>2</sup> )and deployed on the bottom, 20 m deep. To quantify the epibenthic assemblage on the reefs, four removable bricks were attached to the reefs. Ten reefs were coated with copper-based, anti-fouling paint and 10 reefs were unpainted. Fish and epibenthic assemblages were compared between reef treatments (i.e., with and without copper-based paint). Reefs were surveyed 1 week after deployment in October 2005, then again in December 2005, May 2006, August 2006, and December 2006. During each survey, two scuba divers visually estimated the densities of all fish species and removed one of the removable bricks to identify and quantify the epibenthic organisms. The epibenthos (coverage area, biomass, diversity, species richness) and fish assemblages (total fish density, species diversity, species richness) were greater on unpainted reefs. Red Snapper <em>Lutjanus campechanus</em>, wrasses <em>Halichoeres </em>spp., Bank Sea Bass <em>Centropristis ocyurus</em>, and Atlantic Spadefish <em>Chaetodipterus faber </em>had higher densities on unpainted reefs. This study indicated that recruitment of fishes to artificial reefs was not just attraction to structure, but that growth of epibenthic assemblages had a significant influence on recruitment.

scholarly journals Using ecological evidence to refine approaches to deploying offshore artificial reefs for recreational fisheries

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig Blount ◽  
Valeriya Komyakova ◽  
Lachlan Barnes ◽  
Marcus Lincoln Smith ◽  
Dilys Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Artificial Reef ◽  
Artificial Reefs ◽  
Recreational Fisheries ◽  
Fishing Activity ◽  
Ecological Literature ◽  
Optimal Shapes ◽  
Natural Reef ◽  
Quantitative Indicators ◽  
Natural Reefs

Artificial reefs have many applications but are best known for their deployments to enhance recreational fisheries by creating new habitat in areas where natural reef is otherwise limited. The expectation is that fish assemblages will take up residence on artificial reefs and that these assemblages will become at least similar, if not more diverse and abundant, to those on natural reefs. Although designed, purpose-built artificial reefs are becoming more widely used in support of recreational fisheries and many of the historic issues have been resolved, conservation practitioners and managers still face challenges as to the type, number, and arrangement of structures and where to deploy them to maximize benefits and minimize risks. The ecological literature was reviewed to develop and enhance contemporary principles of artificial reef best practices for utilization. Our review identified optimal shapes, vertical relief, void spaces, and unit arrangements for increasing volumes and diversity of catch to recreational fishers and we provide a tool for identifying the least constrained areas for artificial reef deployment. We suggest; (a) monitoring of noncatch motivators in combination with quantitative indicators of the fishing activity (e.g., catch rate and effort) will provide the best understanding of success or failure of an artificial reef deployment; (b) choosing target species for informing purpose-built artificial reef designs to be reef-associated, demersal, philopatric, territorial, and obligatory reef species that are desired by local recreational fishers; and (c) considering the ecosystem services provided by artificial reefs beyond those associated with recreational fishing.

Marine Artificial Reef Research and Development: Integrating Fisheries Management Objectives

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Artificial Reef ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Artificial Reefs ◽  
Limiting Factors ◽  
Snow Crab ◽  
Environmental Response ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Associated Species

<em>Abstract</em>.—Enhancing the environment through deployment of artificial reefs begins with determining those environmental factors that are limiting to target organisms. Properly designed artificial reefs can increase, enhance, improve, or, in some instances, interfere with those environmental factors that benefit some fishery-associated species. Consequently, it is essential that fishery managers identify the species’ specific limiting factors that are influenced by an artificial reef deployment. Subsequently, a cost–benefit analysis can be conducted to determine the feasibility of designing, constructing, and deploying artificial reefs to benefit a fishery. Here, we examine the effect of these artificial reefs deployments on the snow crab <em>Chionoecetes opilio </em>off Japan and the environmental factors with which it associates. This study was conducted to allow an analysis of the environmental response to the deployment of artificial reefs through an examination of the life history and population parameters of the snow crab.

Marine Artificial Reef Research and Development: Integrating Fisheries Management Objectives

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Artificial Reef ◽  
Red Snapper ◽  
Outer Shelf ◽  
Artificial Reefs ◽  
Tropical Species ◽  
Lutjanus Campechanus ◽  
Reef Type ◽  
Greater Amberjack ◽  
Vermilion Snapper

<em>Abstract</em>.—Visual census scuba surveys (<em>n </em>= 87) were used to compare fish assemblages among three artificial reef types: big reefs (e.g., ships), tank reefs (i.e., U.S. Army tanks) and small reefs (e.g., metal cages and concrete pyramids), over three locations on the continental shelf (inner shelf, 18–26-m depths; mid-shelf, 26–34-m depths; outer shelf, 34–41-m depths) from April 20, 2012 to November 30, 2015 in the northeast Gulf of Mexico. These surveys identified 66 fish taxa (lowest taxon: 58 species, five genera, three families), and 65 taxa were used in community comparisons. Artificial reefs were dominated by Red Snapper <em>Lutjanus campechanus </em>(35.3% of total fish observed), Tomtate <em>Haemulon aurolineatum </em>(22.4%), Vermilion Snapper <em>Rhomboplites aurorubens </em>(19.5%), Atlantic Spadefish <em>Chaetodipterus faber </em>(7.0%), Greater Amberjack <em>Seriola dumerili </em>(3.0%), and Gray Triggerfish <em>Balistes capriscus </em>(1.8%). These six most abundant species comprised 89% of the total number of individuals observed. Red Snapper and Greater Amberjack mean sizes (total length mm) were larger at big reefs, Vermilion Snapper and Atlantic Spadefish were larger at tank reefs, and Tomtates were larger at small reefs. Red Snapper, Atlantic Spadefish, and Greater Amberjacks were larger at reefs on the outer shelf, and Red Snapper, Tomtates, Vermilion Snapper, Atlantic Spadefish and Greater Amberjacks were larger in the spring. Richness and Shannon–Wiener diversity indices were higher on big reefs and tank reefs compared to small reefs. Evenness, richness, and Shannon–Wiener diversity were lower in winter compared to other seasons. Fish assemblages, based on Bray–Curtis similarities, were different among reef type, location, and season, but no interactions effects were identified. In the present study, fish assemblages on big reefs were more similar to assemblages on tank reefs in comparison to small reefs. The larger size, longer life span, and relative stability of the big reefs and tank reefs were the reef attributes most likely responsible for these assemblage associations. Similarly, more stable conditions at deeper depths (less affected by tropical storms) and proximity to deepwater reef fish communities (e.g., pinnacle reefs) most likely influenced the increased assemblage diversity on the artificial reefs at outer-shelf locations. Diversities and densities were highest during the fall. This was most likely due to increased recruitment of tropical species and new age-0 recruits that were spawned during the same year. The attributes of all artificial reefs are not identical; consequently, it is important for managers to consider how reef type, shelf location, and season affect each species’ affinity and association with artificial reefs.

scholarly journals Species-specific artificial reef models for lobster (Homarus gammarus Linnaeus 1758)

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Deniz Acarlı ◽  
Semih Kale
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Reef ◽  
Artificial Reefs ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Marmara Sea ◽  
Homarus Gammarus ◽  
Sea Bottom ◽  
Reef Models ◽  
Different Shapes ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Concrete Model

The objective of this study is to determine the possible artificial reef models preferred by lobster species (Homarus gammarus Linnaeus, 1758). For this purpose, eight artificial reef models at different shapes and sizes have been designed. These models include flat, grilled, U-type, cowl, fireplace chimney brick shapes made from the materials of wood, concrete and metal. Artificial reefs were deployed at 5, 10, 20 m water depths and 500 m from the shore on the coast of Erdek Ocaklar Bay in Marmara Sea. Then, monthly monitoring was conducted and SCUBA equipment were used during underwater monitoring. The time for deploying artificial reefs on the sea bottom (effort) was 233 minutes/diver and the time spent underwater by the divers was calculated as 540 minutes/diver. As a result of the study, 32 individuals of H. gammarus were observed in/around the artificial reefs. A significant increase was observed in the number of lobsters when the temperature dropped below 14°C. However, it was determined that lobster individuals preferred only concrete artificial reef models at the depth of 20 m. In addition, it was observed that small individuals preferred 40×80 cm flat concrete model (24 individuals) and large individuals preferred U-type concrete model (8 individuals). Therefore, it has been proposed to the usage of concrete artificial reef models in order to protect and ensure the sustainability of the reared lobster stocks and to release them into these artificial reefs while introducing them to the natural environments. In this context, this study will shed light on future studies.

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