Seascape connectivity and the influence of predation risk on the movement of fishes inhabiting a back‐reef ecosystem

Rooker, Jay R.; Dance, Michael A.; Wells, R. J. David; Quigg, Antonietta; Hill, Ronald L.; Appeldoorn, Richard S.; Ferreira, Beatrice Padovani; Boswell, Kevin M.; Sanchez, Phillip J.; Moulton, David L.; Kitchens, Larissa L.; Rooker, Garrett J.; Aschenbrenner, Alexandre

doi:10.1002/ecs2.2200

Cited by 29 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…The importance of fish as mobile links between habitats has been acknowledged for some time (Lundberg & Moberg, ; Nyström & Folke, ), and highly mobile transients have the potential to be significant contributors to energy transfer between habitats. Opportunistic feeding by transients may influence community structure, individual behaviour and survivorship within non‐reef habitats (Rooker et al, ), and defecation by transients, particularly for schooling species, could make a substantial contribution to nutrient exchange between habitats.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Beyond the reef: The widespread use of non‐reef habitats by coral reef fishes

et al. 2019

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Marine ecology seeks to understand the factors that shape biological communities. Progress towards this goal has been hampered by habitat‐centric approaches that ignore the influence of the wider seascape. Coral reef fishes may use non‐reef habitats (e.g. mangrove and seagrass) extensively, yet most studies have focused on within‐reef attributes or connectivity between reefs to explain trends in their distribution and abundance. We systematically review the evidence for multihabitat use by coral reef fishes across life stages, feeding guilds and conservation status. At least 670 species of “coral reef fish” have been observed in non‐reef habitats, with almost half (293 species) being recorded in two or more non‐reef habitats. Of the 170 fish species for which both adult and juvenile data were available, almost 76% were recorded in non‐reef habitats in both life stages. Importantly, over half of the coral reef fish species recorded in non‐reef habitats (397 spp.) were potential fisheries targets. The use of non‐reef habitats by “coral reef” fishes appears to be widespread, suggesting in turn that attempts to manage anthropogenic impacts on fisheries and coral reefs may need to consider broader scales and different forms of connectivity than traditional approaches recommend. Faced with the deteriorating condition of many coastal habitats, there is a pressing need to better understand how the wider seascape can influence reef fish populations, community dynamics, food‐webs and other key ecological processes on reefs.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Opportunistic feeding by transients may influence community structure, individual behaviour and survivorship within non-reef habitats (Rooker et al, 2018), and defecation by transients, particularly for schooling species, could make a substantial contribution to nutrient exchange between habitats.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond the reef: The widespread use of non‐reef habitats by coral reef fishes

et al. 2019

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“…Spatial shifts in the distribution of marine fishes occurs at multiple spatial scales ranging from small-scale habitat shifts (Moulton et al, 2017;Landry et al, 2018;Rooker et al, 2018) to large-scale journeys across ocean basins (Galuardi et al, 2010;Block et al, 2011;Kraus et al, 2011). Migratory patterns of pelagic fishes and other marine vertebrates at the basin scale (i.e., transoceanic) are often influenced by both intrinsic and external factors, including spatial shifts in prey quantity/quality, thermal tolerance/sea surface temperatures, and other incentives related to reproduction and/or energetics (Secor, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wide-Ranging Temporal Variation in Transoceanic Movement and Population Mixing of Bluefin Tuna in the North Atlantic Ocean

Rooker

Fraile²,

Liu

et al. 2019

Front. Mar. Sci.

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Uncertainty regarding the movement and population exchange of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) from the two primary spawning areas (Gulf of Mexico, Mediterranean Sea) is increasingly implicated as a major impediment for the conservation of this species. Here, two mixture methods were applied to natural chemical markers (δ 18 O and δ 13 C) in otoliths (ear stones) to comprehensively investigate the nature and degree of transoceanic movement and mixing of eastern and western populations in several areas of the North Atlantic Ocean that potentially represent mixing hotspots. Areas investigated occurred on both sides of the 45 • W management boundary as well as waters off the coast of Africa (Morocco, Canary Islands) where both populations are known to occur. Projections of population composition (i.e., natal or nursery origin) from a multinomial logistic regression (MLR) classification method with different probability thresholds were generally in agreement with maximum likelihood estimates from the commonly used mixed-population program HISEA; however, predicted contributions for the less abundant population were occasionally higher for MLR estimates. Both MLR and HISEA clearly showed that mixing of Atlantic bluefin tuna in the Central North Atlantic Ocean was highly variable from year to year with expatriates of eastern or western origin commonly crossing into the other management area. Pronounced transoceanic movement and mixing of western migrants was also present off the coast of Africa, with the occurrence of western migrants in the Canary Islands and Morocco ranging from zero to the majority of the individuals assayed for the years examined. Results indicate highly variable rates of movement and population exchange for Atlantic bluefin tuna, highlighting the need for temporally resolved estimates of natal origin in mixing hotspots to improve population models used to evaluate the status of this threatened species.

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“…The channels may indeed increase movement patterns of some species and explain some of the differences found between Bazaruto and Menai Bay. In the Caribbean, Rooker et al () found that snappers and grunts exhibited limited movement away from structured habitats during the day when their main predator ( Sphyraena barracuda ) was active. In contrast, they moved into high‐risk areas like sandy channels at night, when predators were less active.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thresholds in seascape connectivity: the spatial arrangement of nursery habitats structure fish communities on nearby reefs

et al. 2020

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Ecosystems are linked by the movement of organisms across habitat boundaries and the arrangement of habitat patches can affect species abundance and composition. In tropical seascapes many coral reef fishes settle in adjacent habitats and undergo ontogenetic habitat shifts to coral reefs as they grow. Few studies have attempted to measure at what distances from nursery habitats these fish migrations (connectivity) cease to exist and how the abundance, biomass and proportion of nursery species change on coral reefs along distance gradients away from nursery areas. The present study examines seascape spatial arrangement, including distances between habitats, and its consequences on connectivity within a tropical seascape in Mozambique using a seascape ecology approach. Fish and habitat surveys were undertaken in 2016/2017 and a thematic habitat map was created in ArcGIS, where cover and distances between habitat patches were calculated. Distance to mangroves and seagrasses were significant predictors for abundance and biomass of most nursery species. The proportions of nursery species were highest in the south of the archipelago, where mangroves were present and decreased with distance to nurseries (mangroves and seagrasses). Some nursery species were absent on reef sites farthest from nursery habitats, at 80 km from mangroves and at 12 km from seagrass habitats. The proportion of nursery/non-nursery snapper and parrotfish species, as well as abundance and biomass of seagrass nursery species abruptly declined at 8 km from seagrass habitats, indicating a threshold distance at which migrations may cease. Additionally, reefs isolated by large stretches of sand and deep water had very low abundances of several nursery species despite being within moderate distances from nursery habitats. This highlights the importance of considering the matrix (sand and deep water) as barriers for fish migration.

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Seascape connectivity and the influence of predation risk on the movement of fishes inhabiting a back‐reef ecosystem

Cited by 29 publications

References 67 publications

Beyond the reef: The widespread use of non‐reef habitats by coral reef fishes

Beyond the reef: The widespread use of non‐reef habitats by coral reef fishes

Wide-Ranging Temporal Variation in Transoceanic Movement and Population Mixing of Bluefin Tuna in the North Atlantic Ocean

Thresholds in seascape connectivity: the spatial arrangement of nursery habitats structure fish communities on nearby reefs

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