Indo-Pacific mangrove swamps and seagrass beds are commonly located in close proximity to each other, often creating complex ecosystems linked by biological and physical processes. Although they are thought to provide important nursery habitats for fish, only limited information exists about their usage by fish outside of estuaries. The present study investigated fish assemblages in non-estuarine intertidal habitats where mangroves and seagrass overlap (the mangrove-seagrass continuum). Three habitats (mangrove, mangrove edge, seagrass) were sampled at 4 sites of the Wakatobi Marine National Park, Indonesia, using underwater visual census. Ninety-one species of fish were observed at a mean density of 130.1 ± 37.2 ind. 1000 m -2 . Predatory fish (fish that feed on invertebrates and/or fish) were the most dominant feeding groups in the mangroves, whilst omnivores dominated on the mangrove edge and in the seagrass. Although the habitats along the mangrove-seagrass continuum were observed to be important for many fish, only 22 of the 942 coral reef species known within the area utilised mangroves as nursery habitat and only 15 utilised seagrass. Despite finding evidence that nursery grounds in mangroves and seagrass may not directly support high coral reef fish diversity, many of the coral reef nursery species found in this study are likely to be key herbivores or apex predators as adult fish on local coral reefs, and thus highly important to local fisheries. Although mangroves are not permanently inundated by the tide, this study highlights their importance as fish habitats, which at high tide support a greater abundance of fish than seagrass beds. In the light of the high rate of destruction of these habitats, their role in supporting fish assemblages requires consideration in marine resource management programs.
22A mixed-method approach was used to assess and value the ecosystem services derived from the 23 Dogger Bank, an extensive shallow sand bank in the southern North Sea. Three parallel studies were 24 undertaken that 1) identified and quantified, where possible, how indicators for ecosystem service 25 provision may change according to two future scenarios, 2) assessed members of the public's 26 willingness-to-pay for improvements to a small number of ecosystem services as a consequence of a 27 hypothetical management plan, and 3) facilitated a process of deliberation that allowed members of 28 the public to explore the uses of the Dogger Bank and the conflicts and dilemmas involved in its 29 management. Each of these studies was designed to answer different and specific research 30 questions and therefore contributes different insights about the ecosystem services delivered by the 31 Dogger Bank. This paper explores what can be gained by bringing these findings together post hoc 32 and the extent to which the different methods are complementary. Findings suggest that mixed-33 method research brings more understanding than can be gained from the individual approaches 34 alone. Nevertheless, the choice of methods used and how these methods are implemented strongly 35 affects the results obtained. 36 37 2
Research into the effects of ocean acidification (OA) on marine organisms has greatly increased during the past decade, as realization of the potential dramatic impacts has grown. Studies have revealed the multifarious responses of organisms to OA conditions, indicating a high level of intra-and interspecific variation in species' ability to accommodate these alterations. If we are to provide policy makers with sound, scientific input regarding the expected consequences of OA, we need a broader understanding of these predicted changes. As a group of 20 multi-disciplinary postgraduate students from around the globe, with a study focus on OA, we are a strong representation of 'next generation' scientists in this field. In this unique cumulative paper, we review knowledge gaps in terms of assessing the biological impacts of OA, outlining directions for future research.
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