Habitat connectivity and complexity underpin fish community structure across a seascape of tropical macroalgae meadows

Lier, Joshua R. van; Wilson, Shaun K.; Depczynski, Martial; Wenger, Lucy N.; Fulton, Christopher J.

doi:10.1007/s10980-018-0682-4

Cited by 44 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 56 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Abundance of microphagous parrotfish was negatively associated with macroalgal cover in coral reef habitats, while in macroalgal areas the relationship was reversed and there was instead a positive effect of macroalgal cover and canopy height on parrotfish abundance. This is likely an effect of smaller/younger fish seeking shelter from predators in the form of structural complexity, provided by height and cover of macroalgae, and by hard underlying structure (rugosity) (van Lier et al 2018). The negative relationship with macroalgal cover is in line with results from previous studies from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, where dense macroalgal stands of Sargassum spp.…”

Section: Browser Assayssupporting

confidence: 88%

“…"Live coral cover", "CCA cover" and "CCA cover" in combination with "EAM cover", had a positive effect on the abundance of fish (all functional groups pooled) in coral reef habitats, which is similar to results from other studies (Friedlander et al 2003;Osuka et al 2018). In the macroalgal beds, habitat quality variables such as "macrophyte height", "macrophyte cover" and "rugosity", had a positive effect, patterns that are consistent with studies of microhabitat selection of labrid fishes in both tropical (Lim et al 2016) and temperate macroalgal areas (Fulton et al 2016;van Lier et al 2017). "Calcareous rubble", which has been shown to have a strong positive effect on abundances of acanthurids and parrotfish (Russ et al 2015(Russ et al , 2018, did not have any effects on abundance in the present study.…”

Section: Browser Assayssupporting

confidence: 87%

“…In tropical reef environments, spatial heterogeneity is a strong driver of distribution and diversity patterns of reef fish (Chabanet et al 1997;Sabater and Tofaeono 2007;Messmer et al 2011;Samoilys et al 2018), where characteristics such as structural complexity and rugosity are important predictors of fish assemblage structure and abundance (Bell and Galzin 1984;Gratwicke and Speight 2005;Graham and Nash 2013). In submerged macrophyte habitats, canopy height and cover have been shown to structure fish assemblages in both tropical seagrass meadows (Gullström et al 2008;Alonso Aller et al 2014) and macroalgal beds (Wenger et al 2018;van Lier et al 2018). However, environmental factors as such may impact coral fish communities on multiple spatial and temporal scales as some fish species might have shifting habitat preferences during different ontogenetic stages and hence utilize alternative habitats like seagrass meadows, mangroves and/or macroalgal beds during their juvenile life stage (Nagelkerken et al 2000;Wilson et al 2010;Berkström et al 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Contrasting distribution and foraging patterns of herbivorous and detritivorous fishes across multiple habitats in a tropical seascape

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Understanding drivers behind patterns of functionally important groups of fishes is crucial for successful management and conservation of tropical seascapes. Herbivorous fishes are the most prominent consumers of marine primary production which can have profound effects on reef resilience. We explored environmental variables affecting distribution and foraging patterns of herbivorous and detritivorous fish assemblages (siganids, acanthurids and parrotfish) across distinct shallow-water habitats (coral reefs, macroalgae beds and seagrass meadows) during September-November 2016 at Mafia Island, Tanzania (8°00′S, 39°41′E). We performed underwater visual census to quantify fish assemblages, measured habitat features, deployed macroalgal assays and conducted inventories of grazing scars. Multi-dimensional scaling and mixed-effects linear models were used to evaluate differences in fish assemblages and environmental variables influencing abundance and foraging patterns of fishes. Fish communities of focal functional groups differed among habitats. Abundance of herbivores and detritivores as well as relative browsing and scraping was highest on coral reefs compared to macroalgae and seagrass meadows. Adult fish were more abundant on coral reefs while juveniles were abundant in macroalgal beds. Coral cover and crustose coralline algal cover had a positive effect on the abundance of fish in coral reef areas, while macroalgal cover had a negative effect. Contrastingly, in macroalgae habitats, macroalgal cover had a positive effect on the abundance of parrotfish. These results highlight the importance of considering connectivity between macroalgal beds and coral reefs through ontogenetic shifts in habitat use by primarily microphagous parrotfish and of incorporating a range of habitats within coastal management plans.

show abstract

Section: Browser Assayssupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Browser Assayssupporting

confidence: 87%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Contrasting distribution and foraging patterns of herbivorous and detritivorous fishes across multiple habitats in a tropical seascape

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Wrasses have been impacted by ocean warming in both the Northern (Bianchi, ; Kruschel, Zubak, & Schultz, ) and Southern Hemispheres (Cure et al, ). There is also evidence that some species of Labridae are highly sensitive to SST change (Cure et al, ) and are influenced by physical habitat structure (Hutchins, ; Tuya et al, ; van Lier, Wilson, Depczynski, Wenger, & Fulton, ). Furthermore, labrids have been shown to be an effective surrogate for subtropical fish assemblage patterns on reefs in eastern Australia (Malcolm & Smith, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shifts in Labridae geographical distribution along a unique and dynamic coastline

Parker

Saunders

Bennett

et al. 2019

Diversity and Distributions

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Aim: Compare the distribution and composition of temperate Labridae (wrasse) assemblages on shallow water coastal reefs in South-Western Australia between 2006 and 2015, after a decade characterized by both gradual ocean warming and severe heatwave events. Location: South-Western Australia from Port Gregory to the Recherché Archipelago. Methods: Surveys of Labridae fishes were conducted in 2006 and repeated in 2015across 112 reefs spanning 2,000 km of coastline, using diver-operated stereo-video systems (stereo-DOVs). We used a hierarchical design with seven regions, four locations in each region, four reef sites in each location and twelve transects in each site. Results:In 2015, we found an increase in abundance of tropical and subtropical labrid species that were rarely observed in 2006. Three temperate species declined in abundance, which tended to be large and slow growing fish. Twenty-two labrid species increased in abundance. There was also a discernible poleward shift in 20 of the 25 most abundant and representative labrid species from 2006 to 2015. The labrid community composition was explained predominantly by sea surface temperature (SST), physical reef structure and kelp (Ecklonia radiata) cover. Main conclusions:Our study reveals that labrid assemblages associated with the shallow water temperate reefs of South-Western Australia have undergone rapid changes across almost 2,000 km of coastline, with warm-temperate waters showing the strongest change. However, cool-temperate waters on the south coast also showed significant changes in the composition of the labrid assemblages. Our findings provide important insights into the effects of warming and habitat loss on warmtemperate assemblages and the potential trajectory of change for cool-temperate assemblages under a warmer future. K E Y W O R D Sassemblage shifts, climate change, endemic fish, Labridae, marine, sea surface temperature, South-Western Australia

show abstract

“…Despite the fact that canopy-forming macroalgae in temperate systems has long been recognized as important habitats for fishes [32][33][34][35] , tropical natural macroalgal beds have only recently been recognized as important fish habitat offering structural complexity (both through the macroalgae itself and the underlying hard substrate upon which macroalgae grow) and a variety of food resources [36][37][38][39][40] . Natural macroalgal beds in tropical systems can cover extensive areas 41,42 and enhance productivity by providing habitat and food resources to numerous organisms including fishes and invertebrates 37,38,[43][44][45][46][47] . While our knowledge on the ecological role of natural macroalgal beds in tropical seascapes is advancing, information on the process of herbivory (e.g., rates of macroalgae consumption, identification of consumers) within these habitats or on patterns of herbivory and fish assemblages in the surrounding seascape is scarce (but see 47 ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Altered tropical seascapes influence patterns of fish assemblage and ecological functions in the Western Indian Ocean

Chacin

Stallings

Eggertsen

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The arrangement and composition of habitats within landscapes and fine-scale habitat characteristics influence community structure and ecological processes. These aspects can be altered by anthropogenic activities, thus influencing associated assemblages. Farming of macroalgae is a common practice in tropical settings and alters the natural composition of seascapes by introducing monoculture patches. The farmed macroalgae may also differ in palatability compared to naturallyoccurring macroalgae, influencing herbivory. This study assessed how these farms may differ from natural macroalgal beds in terms of habitat heterogeneity, fish assemblages, and herbivory. We surveyed fish assemblages and deployed macroalgal assays within macroalgal beds, farms and at varying distances from these habitats near Mafia Island, Tanzania. Fish composition and herbivory differed between the habitats likely due to different macrophyte species richness, underlying hard substrate in natural macroalgal beds, and high abundance of browsers nearby the farms. Additionally, fish assemblage patterns and herbivory were not consistent across the seascapes and varied with distance from the focal habitats possibly due to the presence of other habitats. The results suggest alterations of seascapes by farming practices may have consequences on fish assemblages and the ecological functions performed, thus positioning of farms should be carefully considered in management and conservation plans.

show abstract

Habitat connectivity and complexity underpin fish community structure across a seascape of tropical macroalgae meadows

Cited by 44 publications

References 56 publications

Contrasting distribution and foraging patterns of herbivorous and detritivorous fishes across multiple habitats in a tropical seascape

Contrasting distribution and foraging patterns of herbivorous and detritivorous fishes across multiple habitats in a tropical seascape

Shifts in Labridae geographical distribution along a unique and dynamic coastline

Altered tropical seascapes influence patterns of fish assemblage and ecological functions in the Western Indian Ocean

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About