Habitat triage for exploited fishes: Can we identify essential “Essential Fish Habitat?”

Shifts in the estuarine demersal fish community after a fishery closure in Puget Sound, Washington

“…Estuaries are often viewed as critical habitats that support coastal fi sh populations (Beck et al, 2001), and nearshore habitat features, such as eelgrass beds, are commonly identifi ed as key features of estuarine habitats (Levin and Stunz, 2005). Although loss of eelgrass beds has been identifi ed as a threat in Puget Sound, their importance to the groundfi sh species examined here is unknown.…”

Mangrove expansion into temperate marshes alters habitat quality for recruiting Callinectes spp.

“…Thus, recruit persistence was expected to vary by habitat according to quality. Often, recruit arrival alone may indicate sufficient differences in habitat quality to impact population dynamics, especially for species that are vulnerable to predation (Levin & Stunz 2005, Almany & Webster 2006, Baker et al 2014. For Callinectes, the benefit of selecting one habitat over another may be relatively short lived, such that recruit persistence likely provides additional insight into habitat quality through duration of habitat use and as a proxy for post-settlement mortality (Houde 1987, Etherington & Eggleston 2000, Heck et al 2001.…”

Identification of nursery habitats for commercially valuable humphead wrasse Cheilinus undulatus and large groupers (Pisces: Serranidae) in Palau

“…Simply identifying the habitats that fish use is inadequate, as such a broad approach to determining essential habitat does not allow for prioritization of habitats for conservation and management (Levin & Stunz 2005). A better approach would be to concentrate conservation and restoration efforts on habitats or sites that are most important for the replenishment of adult populations.…”