scholarly journals The importance of sponges and mangroves in supporting fish communities on degraded coral reefs in Caribbean Panama

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e4455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janina Seemann ◽  
Alexandra Yingst ◽  
Rick D. Stuart-Smith ◽  
Graham J. Edgar ◽  
Andrew H. Altieri
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Trophic Structure ◽  
Small Body ◽  
Fish Communities ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Fish Biomass ◽  
Seagrass Meadows ◽  
Total Fish ◽  
The Caribbean

Fish communities associated with coral reefs worldwide are threatened by habitat degradation and overexploitation. We assessed coral reefs, mangrove fringes, and seagrass meadows on the Caribbean coast of Panama to explore the influences of their proximity to one another, habitat cover, and environmental characteristics in sustaining biomass, species richness and trophic structure of fish communities in a degraded tropical ecosystem. We found 94% of all fish across all habitat types were of small body size (≤10 cm), with communities dominated by fishes that usually live in habitats of low complexity, such as Pomacentridae (damselfishes) and Gobiidae (gobies). Total fish biomass was very low, with the trend of small fishes from low trophic levels over-represented, and top predators under-represented, relative to coral reefs elsewhere in the Caribbean. For example, herbivorous fishes comprised 27% of total fish biomass in Panama relative to 10% in the wider Caribbean, and the small parrotfishScarus isericomprised 72% of the parrotfish biomass. We found evidence that non-coral biogenic habitats support reef-associated fish communities. In particular, the abundance of sponges on a given reef and proximity of mangroves were found to be important positive correlates of reef fish species richness, biomass, abundance and trophic structure. Our study indicates that a diverse fish community can persist on degraded coral reefs, and that the availability and arrangement within the seascape of other habitat-forming organisms, including sponges and mangroves, is critical to the maintenance of functional processes in such ecosystems.

scholarly journals The importance of sponges and mangroves in supporting fish communities in degraded coral reefs in Caribbean Panama

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janina Seemann ◽  
Alexandra Yingst ◽  
Rick D Stuart-Smith ◽  
Graham J Edgar ◽  
Andrew H Altieri
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Trophic Structure ◽  
Habitat Degradation ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Small Body ◽  
Fish Communities ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Fish Biomass ◽  
Total Fish

Fish communities associated with coral reefs worldwide are threatened by overexploitation and other human impacts such as bleaching events that cause habitat degradation. We assessed the fish community on coral reefs on the Caribbean coast of Panama, as well as those associated with mangrove and seagrass habitats, to explore the influences of habitat cover, connectivity and environmental characteristics in sustaining biomass, richness and trophic structure in a degraded tropical ecosystem. Overall, 94 % of all fishes across all habitat types were of small body size (≤11 cm), with communities dominated by fishes that usually live in habitats of low complexity, such as Pomacentridae (damselfishes) and Gobiidae (gobies). Moreover, total fish biomass was very low, small fishes from low trophic levels were over-represented, and top predators were under-represented relative to other Caribbean reefs. For example, herbivorous/omnivorous/detrivorous fishes (trophic level 2-2.7) comprised 37 % of total fish biomass, with the diminutive parrotfish Scarus iseri comprising 72 % of the parrotfish biomass. However, the abundance of sponges and proximity of mangroves were found to be important positive drivers of reef fish richness, biomass and trophic structure on a given reef, presumably by promoting functional processes of ecosystems. The masked goby (Coryphopterus personata) was a strong indicator of reef degradation, apparently benefiting from the reduced density of large predators on local reefs. The damselfish Abudefduf saxatilis was more common on reefs with high sponge cover, and also to proximity to mangroves. Our study suggests that a diverse fish community can persist on degraded coral reefs, and that the availability of habitat forming organisms other than corals, including sponges and mangroves, and their arrangement on the landscape, is critical to the maintenance of functional processes in these ecosystems.

scholarly journals The importance of sponges and mangroves in supporting fish communities in degraded coral reefs in Caribbean Panama

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janina Seemann ◽  
Alexandra Yingst ◽  
Rick D Stuart-Smith ◽  
Graham J Edgar ◽  
Andrew H Altieri
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Trophic Structure ◽  
Habitat Degradation ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Small Body ◽  
Fish Communities ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Fish Biomass ◽  
Total Fish

Fish communities associated with coral reefs worldwide are threatened by overexploitation and other human impacts such as bleaching events that cause habitat degradation. We assessed the fish community on coral reefs on the Caribbean coast of Panama, as well as those associated with mangrove and seagrass habitats, to explore the influences of habitat cover, connectivity and environmental characteristics in sustaining biomass, richness and trophic structure in a degraded tropical ecosystem. Overall, 94 % of all fishes across all habitat types were of small body size (≤11 cm), with communities dominated by fishes that usually live in habitats of low complexity, such as Pomacentridae (damselfishes) and Gobiidae (gobies). Moreover, total fish biomass was very low, small fishes from low trophic levels were over-represented, and top predators were under-represented relative to other Caribbean reefs. For example, herbivorous/omnivorous/detrivorous fishes (trophic level 2-2.7) comprised 37 % of total fish biomass, with the diminutive parrotfish Scarus iseri comprising 72 % of the parrotfish biomass. However, the abundance of sponges and proximity of mangroves were found to be important positive drivers of reef fish richness, biomass and trophic structure on a given reef, presumably by promoting functional processes of ecosystems. The masked goby (Coryphopterus personata) was a strong indicator of reef degradation, apparently benefiting from the reduced density of large predators on local reefs. The damselfish Abudefduf saxatilis was more common on reefs with high sponge cover, and also to proximity to mangroves. Our study suggests that a diverse fish community can persist on degraded coral reefs, and that the availability of habitat forming organisms other than corals, including sponges and mangroves, and their arrangement on the landscape, is critical to the maintenance of functional processes in these ecosystems.

Littoral Fish Communities in Southern Quebec Lakes: Relationships with Limnological and Prey Resource Variables

1994 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 1128-1138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clay L. Pierce ◽  
Joseph B. Rasmussen ◽  
William C. Leggett
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Fish Communities ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Lepomis Gibbosus ◽  
Fish Biomass ◽  
Littoral Fish ◽  
Total Fish ◽  
Invertebrate Biomass

We assessed species richness, biomass, and community type of littoral fish in 10 southern Quebec lakes in relation to several limnological and prey resource variables. Lake, yearly, and seasonal variation in biomass was evaluated by quantitative, replicated seining. Species richness averaged 12.8 in our lakes, and 24 species were collected overall. Total littoral fish biomass averaged 13.5 g∙m−2 overall and varied significantly among lakes (range 6.1–26.9 g∙m−2) and between early and late summer. Yellow perch (Perca flavescens), golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas), and pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus) occurred in all lakes and were the most abundant species overall, averaging 57% of the total fish biomass. Principal component ordination of littoral fish communities showed little evidence for aggregation of community types. Species richness was positively correlated with lake surface area (r2 = 0.62), as has been shown in other studies. Total fish biomass was positively correlated with biomass of chironomids (r2 = 0.57), which constituted 24% of the littoral invertebrate biomass in our lakes and are important prey of many fish species. We found no significant correlation between total fish biomass and total invertebrate biomass or between biomass of any of the dominant fish species and limnological or prey variables.

scholarly journals Biodiversity–ecosystem functioning relationships in fish communities: biomass is related to evenness and the environment, not to species richness

2019 ◽  
Vol 286 (1906) ◽  
pp. 20191189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aurore Maureaud ◽  
Dorothee Hodapp ◽  
P. Daniël van Denderen ◽  
Helmut Hillebrand ◽  
Henrik Gislason ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Ecosystem Functioning ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Fish Communities ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Fish Biomass

The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) is a topic of considerable interest to scientists and managers because a better understanding of its underlying mechanisms may help us mitigate the consequences of biodiversity loss on ecosystems. Our current knowledge of BEF relies heavily on theoretical and experimental studies, typically conducted on a narrow range of spatio-temporal scales, environmental conditions, and trophic levels. Hence, whether a relationship holds in the natural environment is poorly understood, especially in exploited marine ecosystems. Using large-scale observations of marine fish communities, we applied a structural equation modelling framework to investigate the existence and significance of BEF relationships across northwestern European seas. We find that ecosystem functioning, here represented by spatial patterns in total fish biomass, is unrelated to species richness—the most commonly used diversity metric in BEF studies. Instead, community evenness, differences in species composition, and abiotic variables are significant drivers. In particular, we find that high fish biomass is associated with fish assemblages dominated by a few generalist species of a high trophic level, who are able to exploit both the benthic and pelagic energy pathway. Our study provides a better understanding of the mechanisms behind marine ecosystem functioning and allows for the integration of biodiversity into management considerations.

scholarly journals How habitat-modifying organisms structure the food web of two coastal ecosystems

2016 ◽  
Vol 283 (1826) ◽  
pp. 20152326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Els M. van der Zee ◽  
Christine Angelini ◽  
Laura L. Govers ◽  
Marjolijn J. A. Christianen ◽  
Andrew H. Altieri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Food Web ◽  
Food Webs ◽  
Trophic Interactions ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Interaction Networks ◽  
Habitat Modification ◽  
Seagrass Meadows ◽  
Link Density ◽  
Trophic Role

The diversity and structure of ecosystems has been found to depend both on trophic interactions in food webs and on other species interactions such as habitat modification and mutualism that form non-trophic interaction networks. However, quantification of the dependencies between these two main interaction networks has remained elusive. In this study, we assessed how habitat-modifying organisms affect basic food web properties by conducting in-depth empirical investigations of two ecosystems: North American temperate fringing marshes and West African tropical seagrass meadows. Results reveal that habitat-modifying species, through non-trophic facilitation rather than their trophic role, enhance species richness across multiple trophic levels, increase the number of interactions per species (link density), but decrease the realized fraction of all possible links within the food web (connectance). Compared to the trophic role of the most highly connected species, we found this non-trophic effects to be more important for species richness and of more or similar importance for link density and connectance. Our findings demonstrate that food webs can be fundamentally shaped by interactions outside the trophic network, yet intrinsic to the species participating in it. Better integration of non-trophic interactions in food web analyses may therefore strongly contribute to their explanatory and predictive capacity.

scholarly journals Diversity and Structure of the Ichthyologic Communities in the Diving Sites in Holguin (Cuba)

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 57-82
Author(s):  
Enrique Reynaldo De La Cruz ◽  
María Eugenia Vega Cendejas ◽  
Sheila Rodríguez Machado ◽  
Franklin Garcia Fernández ◽  
Antonio Vega Torres
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Marine Fish ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Fish Communities ◽  
Reef System ◽  
Poor State ◽  
Number Of Species

Abstract This study is aimed to determine the diversity and structure of the ichthyologic communities in the coral reefs of Holguín, Cuba. A total of 85 fish species were recorded, including in 32 families and 53 genera. Low species richness and equitability were estimated at different sampling sites throughout the reef system. Cadena de Vita and Canto Chiquito are the sites with the highest number of species 47 and 46 respectively. Cueva 1 and Punta Naranjo were the places with the highest equitability 0.76. Replacement of fish species among the reef sites studied is poor. Canto Azul with Canto Pionero and La Llanita, sharing 29 species. These results reflect a poor state of conservation of the marine fish communities in Holguín.

scholarly journals Fishing degrades size structure of coral reef fish communities

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
James PW Robinson ◽  
Ivor D Williams ◽  
Andrew M Edwards ◽  
Jana McPherson ◽  
Lauren Yeager ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Reef Fish ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Size Structure ◽  
Fish Communities ◽  
Fish Biomass ◽  
Community Size ◽  
Size Spectra ◽  
Coral Reef Ecosystems ◽  
Total Fish

Fishing pressure on coral reef ecosystems has been frequently linked to reductions of large fishes and reef fish biomass. Associated impacts on overall community structure are, however, less clear. In size-structured aquatic ecosystems, fishing impacts are commonly quantified using size spectra, which describe the distribution of individual body sizes within a community. We examined the size spectra of coral reef fish communities at 38 US-affiliated Pacific islands, spanning from near pristine to highly human populated. Reef fish community size spectra slopes ‘steepened’ steadily with increasing human population and proximity to market due to a reduction in the relative biomass of large fishes and an increase in the dominance of small fishes. In contrast, total fish community biomass was substantially lower on inhabited islands than uninhabited ones, regardless of human population density. Comparing the relationship between size spectra and reef fish biomass, we found that on populated islands size spectra steepened linearly with declining biomass, whereas on uninhabited islands size spectra and biomass were unrelated. Size spectra slopes also were steeper in regions of low sea surface temperature but were insensitive to variation in other environmental and geomorphic covariates. In contrast, reef fish biomass was highly sensitive to biophysical conditions, being influenced by oceanic productivity, sea surface temperature, island type, and habitat complexity. Our results suggest that community size structure is more robust than total fish biomass to increasing human presence and that size spectra are reliable indicators of exploitation impacts across regions of different fish community compositions, environmental drivers, and fisheries types. Size-based approaches that link directly to functional properties of fish communities, and are relatively insensitive to abiotic variation across biogeographic regions, offer great potential for developing our understanding of fishing impacts in coral reef ecosystems.

Human activities as a driver of spatial variation in the trophic structure of fish communities on Pacific coral reefs

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. e67-e79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan L. W. Ruppert ◽  
Laurent Vigliola ◽  
Michel Kulbicki ◽  
Pierre Labrosse ◽  
Marie-Josée Fortin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Spatial Variation ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Trophic Structure ◽  
Fish Communities

scholarly journals Balancing exploitation and conservation of the eastern Scotian Shelf ecosystem: application of a 4D ecosystem exploitation index

2005 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 503-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alida Bundy ◽  
Paul Fanning ◽  
Kees C.T. Zwanenburg
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Trophic Structure ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Scotian Shelf ◽  
Central Concept ◽  
Model Simulations ◽  
Lag Effects ◽  
Ecosystem Level ◽  
Cross System ◽  
Exploitation Index

Abstract Few indicators exist that measure the effects of fishing at the whole-ecosystem level. A 4D ecosystem exploitation index is proposed that integrates four measures of ecosystem status: (i) the trophic balance of exploitation, (ii) the intensity of exploitation, (iii) species richness, and (iv) disturbance of the trophic structure. The central concept is that fisheries should extract yield in proportion to the productivity at each trophic level, at sustainable exploitation rates, with minimal disturbance to the trophic structure, and with no loss in species richness. The ecosystem exploitation index is tested on simulated ecosystem data and applied to data from the eastern Scotian Shelf, Canada. The model simulations provided consistent results that should facilitate cross-system comparisons of exploitation and ecosystem status. When applied to actual observations, the results were less coherent, likely attributable to lag effects and environmental impacts. All fisheries likely alter the trophic structure of ecosystems, and the rate and trophic pattern of exploitation determines the level of change. Exploiting all trophic levels equally would always result in less change to trophic structure than top-heavy exploitation. Further testing is required to determine lag effects and sensitivity to various assumptions.

scholarly journals Fishing degrades size structure of coral reef fish communities

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
James PW Robinson ◽  
Ivor D Williams ◽  
Andrew M Edwards ◽  
Jana McPherson ◽  
Lauren Yeager ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Reef Fish ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Size Structure ◽  
Fish Communities ◽  
Fish Biomass ◽  
Community Size ◽  
Size Spectra ◽  
Coral Reef Ecosystems ◽  
Total Fish

Fishing pressure on coral reef ecosystems has been frequently linked to reductions of large fishes and reef fish biomass. Associated impacts on overall community structure are, however, less clear. In size-structured aquatic ecosystems, fishing impacts are commonly quantified using size spectra, which describe the distribution of individual body sizes within a community. We examined the size spectra of coral reef fish communities at 38 US-affiliated Pacific islands, spanning from near pristine to highly human populated. Reef fish community size spectra slopes ‘steepened’ steadily with increasing human population and proximity to market due to a reduction in the relative biomass of large fishes and an increase in the dominance of small fishes. In contrast, total fish community biomass was substantially lower on inhabited islands than uninhabited ones, regardless of human population density. Comparing the relationship between size spectra and reef fish biomass, we found that on populated islands size spectra steepened linearly with declining biomass, whereas on uninhabited islands size spectra and biomass were unrelated. Size spectra slopes also were steeper in regions of low sea surface temperature but were insensitive to variation in other environmental and geomorphic covariates. In contrast, reef fish biomass was highly sensitive to biophysical conditions, being influenced by oceanic productivity, sea surface temperature, island type, and habitat complexity. Our results suggest that community size structure is more robust than total fish biomass to increasing human presence and that size spectra are reliable indicators of exploitation impacts across regions of different fish community compositions, environmental drivers, and fisheries types. Size-based approaches that link directly to functional properties of fish communities, and are relatively insensitive to abiotic variation across biogeographic regions, offer great potential for developing our understanding of fishing impacts in coral reef ecosystems.

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