A comparison of eelgrass, sea lettuce macroalgae, and marsh creeks as habitats for epibenthic fishes and decapods

Sogard, Susan M.; Able, Kenneth W.

doi:10.1016/0272-7714(91)90087-r

Cited by 198 publications

(105 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…The importance of submerged aquatic vegetation for young fishes in the Swartkops Estuary supports previous findings on habitat use at the species level within eelgrass beds (Orth et al 1984, Sheppard et al 2011 in studies comparing seagrasses and adjacent unvegetated areas (Beckley 1983, Connolly 1994, Jenkins and Wheatley 1998 as well as in studies comparing multiple habitat types in nursery areas (Sogard and Able 1991, Guidetti 2000, França et al 2009). However, in the present study, shallow-water creeks yielded the highest catches, supporting findings in a Northern Hemisphere study (Sogard and Able 1991) and contrary to findings in the Kariega Estuary situated 130 km to the east of the study system (Paterson and Whitfield 2000), where vegetated areas showed higher fish abundance and more selective species occurrence among habitats.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

“…Eight species showed significantly higher abundance in particular types of habitat and included species of both estuarine and marine origin. The highest catches throughout the study period occurred at shallow creek sites, as is supported by habitat use observations in an Atlantic estuary (Sogard and Able 1991) but has not yet been described locally. The shoaling estuarine resident Gilchristella aestuaria often occurred in high numbers in creeks.…”

Section: Spatial Trendssupporting

confidence: 75%

“…This work has also been supplemented with the inclusion of saltmarsh creeks as important refugia for juvenile fishes in estuaries (Le Quesne 2000, Paterson andWhitfield 2000, Jin et al 2007). However, most studies involving habitat evaluation have only considered two habitats simultaneously (Weinstein and Brooks 1983, Sogard and Able 1991, Paterson and Whitfield 2000, sometimes with conflicting results on the value of certain habitat types for different species. Moreover, there is a paucity of work involving multiple habitat comparisons, including other substrata such as sand and mud (Sogard andAble 1991, Baillie et al 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Habitat partitioning by juvenile fishes in a temperate estuarine nursery, South Africa

Edworthy¹,

Strydom²

2016

Sci. Mar.

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Summary:Multiple habitats were investigated in a known fish nursery area to further understand habitat partitioning among juveniles in the lower reaches of the warm temperate, permanently open Swartkops Estuary, South Africa. Fishes were collected using a 30-m seine net with a mesh size of 10 mm in sand, mud, creek and vegetated habitat types. Each habitat type was sampled in two locations twice per season from February 2013 to January 2014. Shallow-water creeks and vegetated habitats with coverage of Zostera capensis and Spartina maritima were found to be important use areas for numerous solely estuarine and marine estuarine-dependent species. This was evidenced by the high species diversity, abundance and size range per species occurring in these habitats. Seasonal trends were similar to those in previous studies worldwide, where higher abundances of juveniles of marine estuarine-dependent species coincided with summer recruitment into estuarine nurseries. However, recruitment appears to begin as early as late winter in some species, a phenomenon probably linked to a warming climate. Both resident species and those utilizing the area as a nursery area show a large degree of plasticity in habitat use in the lower reaches of the estuary, which became apparent when multiple habitats were compared. The drivers of these patterns involve a complex interaction of species, habitat type, behaviour, feeding, predator avoidance and physicochemical factors occurring in the estuary.Keywords: Ichthyofauna; nursery grounds; community composition; estuary association; recruitment. Segregación de hábitat en juveniles de peces en una región de cría de un estuario templado, SudáfricaResumen: Con objeto de entender mejor la segregación de hábitats en juveniles de peces se investigaron múltiples hábitats en una zona de cría en la parte baja del estuario del Swartkops (Sudáfrica) (de tipo templado-cálido y abierto permanentemente). Los peces fueron recolectados con una red de cerco de 30 m, con malla de 10 mm de abertura, sobre fondos de arena, barro, arroyos yhábitats con vegetación. Cada tipo de hábitat se muestreó en dos lugares, dos veces por estación, de febrero 2013 a enero 2014. Se observó que los arroyos de aguas poco profundas y los hábitats con cobertura de Zostera capensis y Spartina maritima eran áreas importantes para numerosas especies exclusivamente estuáricas y para especies marinas dependientes de los estuarios. Esto se evidenció por la gran diversidad de especies, abundancia y rango de tallas de las especies que aparecieron. Las tendencias estacionales fueron similares a los de estudios anteriores en todo el mundo, donde las más altas abundancias de juveniles de las especies marinas que dependen de los estuarios coincidieron con el reclutamiento de verano dentro del estuario. Sin embargo, en algunas especies el reclutamiento parece comenzar más pronto, a finales del invierno, un fenómeno probablemente ligado al calentamiento climático. Tanto las especies residentes en el estuario como las que lo utilizan como área...

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Section: Spatial Trendssupporting

confidence: 75%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Habitat partitioning by juvenile fishes in a temperate estuarine nursery, South Africa

Edworthy¹,

Strydom²

2016

Sci. Mar.

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“…Note the difference in scale for the canonical axes from the preceding species plot. Fahay, 2010;Arrivillaga and Baltz, 1999;Sogard and Able, 1991).…”

Section: Compositionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat Quality and Salt-Marsh Species Assemblages along an Anthropogenic Estuarine Landscape

Partyka

Peterson

2008

Journal of Coastal Research

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“…The greater deposition of organic matter in these areas favours detritivory based on the consumption of decaying macroalgae detritus (Sogard and Able, 1991;Valiela, 1995). Consequently, associated macroepifauna (Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mudflat surface morphology as a structuring agent of algae and associated macroepifauna communities: A case study in the Ria Formosa

Aníbal

Rocha

Sprung

2007

Journal of Sea Research

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Although mudflats seem relatively planar, closer inspection reveals a succession of meso-topographical features, including consecutive convex and concave meso-and micro-topographical features. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of meso-scale surface sediment morphology on the dynamics of the macroalgae Ulvales (Chlorophyta) and associated macroepifauna in the Ria Formosa tidal lagoon (Southern coast of Portugal). Sampling took place at four sites in the Ria Formosa with monthly periodicity. Two were located on convex sections (mounds) of the mudflat and the other two on concave sections (depressions)., Macroalgae and related macroepifauna were sampled at each station. Biomass was quantified by determination of the ash-free dry weight (AFDW). Data were analysed using the software package "PRIMER" (Plymouth Routines In Multivariate Ecological Research). Results show a clear distinction between convex and concave areas. In † deceased 2 convex sections, Enteromorpha dominated, to the point of being the only algal species present during part of the year. Conversely, biomass and dynamics of Enteromorpha and Ulva were almost the same in concave sections. The associated macroepifauna was also different in protruding or depression sections of the mudflat. In the convex areas, the macroepifauna population showed less diversity and was dominated by the snail Hydrobia ulvae. In concave areas, the species diversity was larger, but dominated in terms of biomass by the amphipod Melita palmata and the gastropod Nassarius pfeifferi. Results of the study indicate that the benthic communities associated with concave or convex features were different. No relevant differences in texture and sediment physico-chemical characteristics were found between convex and concave sections of the sampling sites. The inference is that the morphological nature of the bottom in tidal mudflats can act as a structuring agent of benthic communities.

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A comparison of eelgrass, sea lettuce macroalgae, and marsh creeks as habitats for epibenthic fishes and decapods

Cited by 198 publications

References 42 publications

Habitat partitioning by juvenile fishes in a temperate estuarine nursery, South Africa

Habitat partitioning by juvenile fishes in a temperate estuarine nursery, South Africa

Habitat Quality and Salt-Marsh Species Assemblages along an Anthropogenic Estuarine Landscape

Mudflat surface morphology as a structuring agent of algae and associated macroepifauna communities: A case study in the Ria Formosa

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