Comprehensive assessment of shallow surf zone fish biodiversity requires a combination of sampling methods

Esmaeili, Yasmina Shah; Corte, Guilherme Nascimento; Checon, Hélio H.; Gomes, Tauane Raissa Cruz; Lefcheck, Jonathan S.; Amaral, A. Cecília Z.; Turra, Alexander

doi:10.3354/meps13711

Cited by 17 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 76 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…predatory species, particularly elasmobranchs as previously documented [107]. eDNA captured the highest species richness of all three methods, including the majority of species detected by seine and BRUV surveys (32/36).…”

Section: Plos Onesupporting

confidence: 50%

A comparison of biomonitoring methodologies for surf zone fish communities

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Surf zones are highly dynamic marine ecosystems that are subject to increasing anthropogenic and climatic pressures, posing multiple challenges for biomonitoring. Traditional methods such as seines and hook and line surveys are often labor intensive, taxonomically biased, and can be physically hazardous. Emerging techniques, such as baited remote underwater video (BRUV) and environmental DNA (eDNA) are promising nondestructive tools for assessing marine biodiversity in surf zones of sandy beaches. Here we compare the relative performance of beach seines, BRUV, and eDNA in characterizing community composition of bony (teleost) and cartilaginous (elasmobranch) fishes of surf zones at 18 open coast sandy beaches in southern California. Seine and BRUV surveys captured overlapping, but distinct fish communities with 50% (18/36) of detected species shared. BRUV surveys more frequently detected larger species (e.g. sharks and rays) while seines more frequently detected one of the most abundant species, barred surfperch (Amphistichus argenteus). In contrast, eDNA metabarcoding captured 88.9% (32/36) of all fishes observed in seine and BRUV surveys plus 57 additional species, including 15 that frequent surf zone habitats. On average, eDNA detected over 5 times more species than BRUVs and 8 times more species than seine surveys at a given site. eDNA approaches also showed significantly higher sensitivity than seine and BRUV methods and more consistently detected 31 of the 32 (96.9%) jointly observed species across beaches. The four species detected by BRUV/seines, but not eDNA were only resolved at higher taxonomic ranks (e.g. Embiotocidae surfperches and Sygnathidae pipefishes). In frequent co-detection of species between methods limited comparisons of richness and abundance estimates, highlighting the challenge of comparing biomonitoring approaches. Despite potential for improvement, results overall demonstrate that eDNA can provide a cost-effective tool for long-term surf zone monitoring that complements data from seine and BRUV surveys, allowing more comprehensive surveys of vertebrate diversity in surf zone habitats.

show abstract

Section: Plos Onesupporting

confidence: 50%

A comparison of biomonitoring methodologies for surf zone fish communities

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…corals, compared to turf habitats. This methodological bias could have potentially influenced the taxonomic and functional characterization of fish assemblages (Esmaeili et al 2021 ), and hence the degree to which we were able to detect patterns of functional divergence and convergence in each habitat. We must note then, that the patterns reported here apply at least to mobile conspicuous species, which are generally observed moving both within and above fronds of vegetated habitats (kelp and Sargassum spp.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat configurations shape the trophic and energetic dynamics of reef fishes in a tropical–temperate transition zone: implications under a warming future

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Understanding the extent to which species’ traits mediate patterns of community assembly is key to predict the effect of natural and anthropogenic disturbances on ecosystem functioning. Here, we apply a trait-based community assembly framework to understand how four different habitat configurations (kelp forests, Sargassum spp. beds, hard corals, and turfs) shape the trophic and energetic dynamics of reef fish assemblages in a tropical–temperate transition zone. Specifically, we tested (i) the degree of trait divergence and convergence in each habitat, (ii) which traits explained variation in species’ abundances, and (iii) differences in standing biomass (kg ha−1), secondary productivity (kg ha−1 day−1) and turnover (% day−1). Fish assemblages in coral and kelp habitats displayed greater evidence of trait convergence, while turf and Sargassum spp. habitats displayed a higher degree of trait divergence, a pattern that was mostly driven by traits related to resource use and thermal affinity. This filtering effect had an imprint on the trophic and energetic dynamics of reef fishes, with turf habitats supporting higher fish biomass and productivity. However, these gains were strongly dependent on trophic guild, with herbivores/detritivores disproportionately contributing to among-habitat differences. Despite these perceived overall gains, turnover was decoupled for fishes that act as conduit of energy to higher trophic levels (i.e. microinvertivores), with coral habitats displaying higher rates of fish biomass replenishment than turf despite their lower productivity. This has important implications for biodiversity conservation and fisheries management, questioning the long-term sustainability of ecological processes and fisheries yields in increasingly altered marine habitats.

show abstract

“…Fish biodiversity was sampled using a combination of two methods: surf‐BRUVS and beach seine nets, since synergistic use allows more accurate estimates of total fish diversity (Shah Esmaeili et al, 2021). Surf‐BRUVS consist of a GoPro 6+ © Camera attached to a 10 kg weight and equipped with a bag containing 500 g of selected bait ( Sardinella brasiliensis ) approximately 0.5 m in front of the camera (Vargas‐Fonseca et al, 2016).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…when the impact of coastal tourism is lower and in order to avoid drastic changes in the fish assemblage caused by seasonal changes and the entry of cold fronts, which are more common in winter (Pianca et al, 2010)) and at similar depths (1-1.5 m) at each site. Fish biodiversity was sampled using a combination of two methods: surf-BRUVS and beach seine nets, since synergistic use allows more accurate estimates of total fish diversity (Shah Esmaeili et al, 2021). Surf-BRUVS consist of a GoPro 6+ © Camera attached to a 10 kg weight and equipped with a bag containing 500 g of selected bait (Sardinella brasiliensis) approximately 0.5 m in front of the camera (Vargas-Fonseca et al, 2016).…”

Section: Sampling and Processingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Revealing the drivers of taxonomic and functional diversity of nearshore fish assemblages: Implications for conservation priorities

Esmaeili

Corte

Checon

et al. 2021

Diversity and Distributions

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Aim: Understanding patterns and drivers of biodiversity are essential towards developing effective conservation strategies for shallow marine habitats broadly. However, little is known about the natural and anthropogenic factors that structure fish biodiversity of sandy beaches, one of the largest and most socio-economically valuable nearshore habitats due to their endemic fauna, economic importance and cultural relevance. Here, we investigated how environmental variables and urbanization affect taxonomic and functional diversity of nearshore fish assemblages to provide general biodiversity patterns that can serve as baseline information for management plans when considering conservation prioritization.Location: Southeast Brazil. Methods:We surveyed fish communities at 77 sites along 150 km of coastline with different natural features and degrees of human influence using a combination of seine nets and surf-BRUVS. We used generalized additive models (GAMs) to investigate the influence of environmental variables and urbanization on taxonomic and functional diversity of resident fish assemblages. Main results:We found that significant breaker wave height was the most important environmental variable in explaining the taxonomic and functional diversity of fish assemblages. The effects of increasing wave height were mostly negative, except for piscivorous fishes, which were most abundant at high energy sites, and for benthic and zoobenthivorous species, which were most abundant at sites with intermediate wave exposure. The latter species were also associated with higher chlorophyll-a contributing to increased taxonomic richness and abundance. Further, anthropogenic impacts generally reduced diversity, with highest diversity only observed at the most pristine sites. Main conclusions:Our results demonstrate that both natural environmental variation and human activities structure the fish assemblages of sandy beach surf zones,

show abstract

Comprehensive assessment of shallow surf zone fish biodiversity requires a combination of sampling methods

Cited by 17 publications

References 76 publications

A comparison of biomonitoring methodologies for surf zone fish communities

A comparison of biomonitoring methodologies for surf zone fish communities

Habitat configurations shape the trophic and energetic dynamics of reef fishes in a tropical–temperate transition zone: implications under a warming future

Revealing the drivers of taxonomic and functional diversity of nearshore fish assemblages: Implications for conservation priorities

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About