Evidence of artificial habitat use by a recovering marine predator in southern California

2020 ◽  
Vol 97 (6) ◽  
pp. 1857-1860
Author(s):  
Echelle S. Burns ◽  
Alyssa J. Clevenstine ◽  
Ryan K. Logan ◽  
Christopher G. Lowe
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Southern California ◽  
Artificial Habitat ◽  
Marine Predator

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.

Effects of predators on sea urchin density and habitat use in a southern California kelp forest

2015 ◽  
Vol 162 (6) ◽  
pp. 1227-1237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn D. Nichols ◽  
Leah Segui ◽  
Kevin A. Hovel
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Sea Urchin ◽  
Southern California ◽  
Kelp Forest ◽  
Urchin Density

California spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus) movement behaviour and habitat use: implications for the effectiveness of marine protected areas

2013 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kira R. Withy-Allen ◽  
Kevin A. Hovel
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Time Scales ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Southern California ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Movement Patterns ◽  
Habitat Associations ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Panulirus Interruptus

The effectiveness of conservation efforts, including marine protected areas (MPAs), hinges on adequate knowledge of movement patterns, habitat associations and habitat-specific survival rates of mobile organisms. California spiny lobsters (Panulirus interruptus) support commercial and recreational fishing in southern California; however, we lack basic information to determine whether MPAs planned for the region will enhance abundance. Working within and outside a small southern California MPA, we (1) quantified the movement patterns and home ranges of the lobster over two time scales, (2) determined lobster day and night habitat associations and (3) determined habitat-specific predation risk. Lobsters exhibited high site fidelity and small home ranges (geometric mean of 651 m2 and 5912 m2 per week, on the basis of 50% and 95% kernel utilisation distributions, respectively). Lobsters were associated with rocky habitat during the day and with the red algae Plocamium cartilagineum while feeding at night. Relative survival rates of lobsters were high across vegetated and unvegetated habitats at night, and were highest in surfgrass (Phyllopsadix torreyi) habitat during the day. Our results highlight the need to consider how movement patterns vary over short and long time scales, and how habitat use may vary from day to night for nocturnally active species such as lobsters, when planning MPAs.

scholarly journals Vulnerability of a Top Marine Predator in One of the World’s Most Impacted Marine Environments (Arabian Gulf)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Diaz Lopez ◽  
Séverine Methion ◽  
Himansu Das ◽  
Ibrahim Bugla ◽  
Maitha Al Hameli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphin ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Arabian Gulf ◽  
Marine Environments ◽  
Marine Habitat ◽  
Predator Species ◽  
Marine Predator ◽  
Conservation Measures ◽  
Abundance Estimates

Abstract Knowledge of the habitat use of wildlife in highly impacted areas is essential to identify areas of biological importance and to implement appropriate conservation measures. The Arabian Gulf represents one of the most extreme marine environments and is considered one of the regions in the world with the greatest anthropogenic impact. Information on the habitat use and abundance of marine top predator species is however lacking, despite being a prerequisite for effective planning of conservation measures. Here, we provide novel information for the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) in the Arabian Gulf (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates). Data from 80 daily surveys conducted between June 2014 and November 2019 were used both to assess correlates of bottlenose dolphin habitat use and relative density and to calculate mark-recapture abundance estimates. This study confirms the strong adaptability and tolerance of this top marine predator to extreme environmental conditions within a highly heterogeneous and impacted marine habitat. The observed preferences for areas with less human pressure were likely a result of the interactions of environmental factors with prey availability and human disturbance. This study also provides the first abundance estimates for a bottlenose dolphin population in the Arabian Gulf. Our findings support the call for increased marine protected areas and the creation of transboundary conservation areas in the region. Regional connectivity should be of value to marine predators whose wide distribution and vulnerability to human activities means that alteration of their habitats can result in population declines and eventual local or regional extinctions.

Red-Shouldered Hawk Home-Range and Habitat Use in Southern California

1993 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter H. Bloom ◽  
Michael D. McCrary ◽  
Marjorie J. Gibson
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Habitat Use ◽  
Southern California

Sexual segregation in habitat use is smaller than expected in a highly dimorphic marine predator, the southern sea lion

2016 ◽  
Vol 554 ◽  
pp. 201-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
AMM Baylis ◽  
RA Orben ◽  
DP Costa ◽  
JPY Arnould ◽  
IJ Staniland
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Sexual Segregation ◽  
Sea Lion ◽  
Marine Predator

scholarly journals Brown Pelicans in Southern California: Habitat Use and Environmental Fluctuations

The Condor ◽  
1981 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth T. Briggs ◽  
David B. Lewis ◽  
William Breck Tyler ◽  
George L. Hunt
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Southern California ◽  
Environmental Fluctuations ◽  
Brown Pelicans
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