Effective protection of fish on inshore coral reefs depends on the scale of mangrove-reef connectivity

Martin, Tyson S. H.; Olds, Andrew D.; Pitt, Kylie A.; Johnston, Alana B.; Butler, Ian R.; Maxwell, Paul; Connolly, Rod M.

doi:10.3354/meps11295

Cited by 37 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 52 publications

(19 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…BRUVS sampled 10 sites in each estuary ( n = 390), which were spaced evenly (separated by 250 m) from the mouth to the point where salinity had declined to 30 psu (Gilby, Olds, Yabsley, et al, ; Olds, Frohloff, et al, ). BRUVS were deployed for 1 hr, within 2 hr of high tide and in water depths of 1.5–2 m, over unvegetated muddy or sandy substrates within 30 m of mangroves (Martin et al, ). Scavenger abundance, species richness and assemblage composition were determined using the MaxN statistic (Harvey, Cappo, Butler, Hall, & Kendrick, ; Wraith, Lynch, Minchinton, Broad, & Davis, ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Low redundancy and complementarity shape ecosystem functioning in a low‐diversity ecosystem

Henderson

Gilby

Schlacher

et al. 2019

Journal of Animal Ecology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Ecosystem functioning is positively linked to biodiversity on land and in the sea. In high‐diversity systems (e.g. coral reefs), species coexist by sharing resources and providing similar functions at different temporal or spatial scales. How species combine to deliver the ecological function they provide is pivotal for maintaining the structure, functioning and resilience of some ecosystems, but the significance of this is rarely examined in low‐diversity systems such as estuaries. We tested whether an ecological function is shaped by biodiversity in a low‐diversity ecosystem by measuring the consumption of carrion by estuarine scavengers. Carrion (e.g. decaying animal flesh) is opportunistically fed on by a large number of species across numerous ecosystems. Estuaries were chosen as the model system because carrion consumption is a pivotal ecological function in coastal seascapes, and estuaries are thought to support diverse scavenger assemblages, which are modified by changes in water quality and the urbanization of estuarine shorelines. We used baited underwater video arrays to record scavengers and measure the rate at which carrion was consumed by fish in 39 estuaries across 1,000 km of coastline in eastern Australia. Carrion consumption was positively correlated with the abundance of only one species, yellowfin bream Acanthopagrus australis, which consumed 58% of all deployed carrion. The consumption of carrion by yellowfin bream was greatest in urban estuaries with moderately hardened shorelines (20%–60%) and relatively large subtidal rock bars (>0.1 km2). Our findings demonstrate that an ecological function can be maintained across estuarine seascapes despite both limited redundancy (i.e. dominated by one species) and complementarity (i.e. there is no spatial context where the function is delivered significantly when yellowfin bream are not present) in the functional traits of animal assemblages. The continued functioning of estuaries, and other low‐diversity ecosystems, might therefore not be tightly linked to biodiversity, and we suggest that the preservation of functionally dominant species that maintain functions in these systems could help to improve conservation outcomes for coastal seascapes.

show abstract

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Low redundancy and complementarity shape ecosystem functioning in a low‐diversity ecosystem

Henderson

Gilby

Schlacher

et al. 2019

Journal of Animal Ecology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Spatial scale is a key consideration for both marine conservation planning and seascape ecology (Magris et al ., ; Martin et al ., ). The synergistic effects of connectivity and reserves have typically (in six out of ten studies) been reported at the scale of hundreds to thousands of metres, which corresponds to tidal, daily and some ontogenetic fish movements (Boström et al ., ; Olds et al ., ), and is smaller than the size of most reserves (Lester et al ., ; Huijbers et al ., ).…”

Section: Integrating Connectivity Into Marine Conservationmentioning

confidence: 97%

Quantifying the conservation value of seascape connectivity: a global synthesis

Olds

Connolly

Pitt

et al. 2015

Global Ecology and Biogeography

132

122

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Aim Connectivity structures populations, communities and ecosystems in the sea. The extent of connectivity is, therefore, predicted to also influence the outcomes of conservation initiatives, such as marine reserves. Here we review the published evidence about how important seascape connectivity (i.e. landscape connectivity in the sea) is for marine conservation outcomes.Location Global. MethodsWe analysed the global literature on the effects of seascape connectivity on reserve performance. ResultsIn the majority of cases, greater seascape connectivity inside reserves translates into better conservation outcomes (i.e. enhanced productivity and diversity). Research on reserve performance is, however, most often conducted separately from research on connectivity, resulting in few studies (< 5% of all studies of seascape connectivity) that have quantified how connectivity modifies reserve effects on populations, assemblages or ecosystem functioning in seascapes. Nevertheless, evidence for positive effects of connectivity on reserve performance is geographically widespread, encompassing studies in the Caribbean Sea, Florida Keys and western Pacific Ocean. Main conclusionsGiven that research rarely connects the effects of connectivity and reserves, our thesis is that stronger linkages between landscape ecology and marine spatial planning are likely to improve conservation outcomes in the sea. The key science challenge is to identify the full range of ecological functions that are modulated by connectivity and the spatial scale over which these functions enhance conservation outcomes.

show abstract

“…and ecological function in seagrass meadows (Valentine et al 2008;Henderson et al 2017), mangrove forests (Olds et al 2013;Martin et al 2015), and coral reefs (Huntington et al 2010;Nagelkerken et al 2012) in the Caribbean Sea, Florida Keys, and western Pacific Ocean. Thus, the benefits of seascape connectivity for conservation are geographically widespread ) and affect comparable components of fish assemblages (e.g., diversity and abundance of harvested fishes) over similar spatial scales in both high-energy exposed coastlines and low-energy seascapes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…; Jordan & Creese ; Martin et al. ). The size and perimeter of reserves bordering surf beaches were taken from benthic zoning plans for each marine park with ArcGIS (ESRI, Redlands, California, U.S.A.).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Reserve characteristics (e.g., reserve age, size, and perimeter of reserves bordering surf beaches) were extracted from data published by the Queensland and New South Wales state governments (Gibbes et al 2014;Jordan & Creese 2015;Martin et al 2015). The size and perimeter of reserves bordering surf beaches were taken from benthic zoning plans for each marine park with ArcGIS (ESRI, Redlands, California, U.S.A.).…”

Section: Classifying Reserve Characteristics and Beach Seascapesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Effects of seascape connectivity on reserve performance along exposed coastlines

Ortodossi

Gilby

Schlacher

et al. 2018

Conservation Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Seascape connectivity (landscape connectivity in the sea) can modify reserve performance in low‐energy marine ecosystems (e.g., coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass), but it is not clear whether similar spatial linkages also shape reserve effectiveness on high‐energy, exposed coastlines. We used the surf zones of ocean beaches in eastern Australia as a model system to test how seascape connectivity and reserve attributes combine to shape conservation outcomes. Spatial patterns in fish assemblages were measured using baited remote underwater video stations in 12 marine reserves and 15 fished beaches across 2000 km of exposed coastline. Reserve performance was shaped by both the characteristics of reserves and the spatial properties of the coastal seascapes in which reserves were embedded. Number of fish species and abundance of harvested fishes were highest in surf‐zone reserves that encompassed >1.5 km of the surf zone; were located < 100 m to rocky headlands; and included pocket beaches in a heterogeneous seascape. Conservation outcomes for exposed coastlines may, therefore, be enhanced by prioritizing sufficiently large areas of seascapes that are strongly linked to abutting complementary habitats. Our findings have broader implications for coastal conservation planning. Empirical data to describe how the ecological features of high‐energy shorelines influence conservation outcomes are lacking, and we suggest that seascape connectivity may have similar ecological effects on reserve performance on both sheltered and exposed coastlines.

show abstract

Effective protection of fish on inshore coral reefs depends on the scale of mangrove-reef connectivity

Cited by 37 publications

References 52 publications

Low redundancy and complementarity shape ecosystem functioning in a low‐diversity ecosystem

Low redundancy and complementarity shape ecosystem functioning in a low‐diversity ecosystem

Quantifying the conservation value of seascape connectivity: a global synthesis

Effects of seascape connectivity on reserve performance along exposed coastlines

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About