Abundance Of Reef Fishes Research Articles

The abundance of herbivorous and coralivorous fishes during and after coral bleaching in Krueng Raya Waters, Aceh Besar District

This study aims to determine the community structure changes and to determine the abundance of herbivorous fish and coralivorous fish in Krueng Raya waters during and after the occurrence of coral bleaching. This research was conducted in three stages: June 2016, October 2016, and February 2017. There are 3 locations for data collection, including Benteng Inong Balee, Ahmad Rhang Manyang, and Lhok Mee in Mesjid Raya Sub-District, Aceh Besar District. Reef fish abundance data were collected at a depth of 36 meters using the visual census technique (VCT) -belt transect method. The study results show that there were six families, 17 genera, and 47 species belonging to the herbivorous and coralivorous fish groups. The mostabundantfamilywasthe Chaetodontidae family,while the leastfishfamily wasthe Kyphosidae family. The highest abundance of corallivorous fish was found at station 2 in October 2016, with a value of 509 ind/ha. The lowest was found at station 3 in October 2016, with a value of 182 ind/ha. The highest abundance of herbivorous fish was found at station 3 in February 2017, with a value of 498 ind/ha. The lowest was found at station 3 in October 2016, with a value of 150 ind/ha.

Enhancing reef fish diversity using artificial reef-building: A case study of coral reef rehabilitation on Nyamuk Island, Anambas Islands

CCMRS-IPB conducted coral reef rehabilitation at damaged coral reefs around Nyamuk Island. Those artificial reef buildings for rehabilitation gave shelter spaces for reef fish. This research aims to calculate the effect of coral reef-building, which enhances rugosity to the reef fish diversity around the rehabilitation sites. The study was conducted on Nyamuk Island in the Anambas Islands. Reef fish were sampled annually from 2014 to 2019 using the underwater visual census. The Diversity index and non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling were built to discover reef fish diversity, and reef fish species were affected the most. Yearly data shows an escalation number of reef fish abundance and richness at the end of 2019. The major reef fish group is found to have constant diversity throughout the year compared to other functional groups. The target reef fish group came to this rehabilitation ecosystem primarily attracted by nourishment availability. There is a shift in the reef fish diversity from the early year to the project end. Generally, major reef fish groups will be refuged first around the rehabilitation sites, especially territorial types. Target fish groups from herbivorous and carnivorous types will mostly come along after their food availability and location to get around.

A novel habitat-based approach for combining indices of abundance from multiple fishery-independent video surveys

Three surveys in the eastern Gulf of Mexico use baited remote underwater video systems to assess changes in abundance of reef fishes: the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Southeast Area and Monitoring and Assessment Program Reef Fish Video Survey, the NMFS Panama City (Florida) survey, and the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission survey. These surveys use similar sampling gear and video-processing protocols, but they vary in spatial extent and habitats sampled. Each survey has been used individually to produce indices of relative abundance to assess various reef fish, but species trends may vary across surveys, possibly making subsequent assessment models more complex. A combined index could yield a more representative and statistically powerful characterization of the relative abundances of commercially important species. We developed a method for combining video count data from these surveys for managed reef-fish species into a combined index for the eastern Gulf using habitat data in classification and regression trees (CART) and general linear models (GLMs). CART results indicated that several site-specific and landscape-level habitat variables could be used to predict site occupancy of target species. We then used the CART-derived habitat groups as a variable shared among surveys in fitting a GLM to catch data to derive estimated annual abundances. We evaluated models’ potential and utility for a single estimated relative-abundance index for key managed reef species in the region compared to a suite of alternative GLMs of less complexity. Models that incorporated habitat covariates across the surveys showed better fits than models that did not incorporate habitat information. We also developed model-weighting methods that allowed us to account for the variation in spatial footprint in the surveys when combining data, allowing for what is likely a more representative index of regional relative abundance trends. Our results indicated that the data can be reliably combined into a single index. These methods should be evaluated for similar instances of combining survey data in other species, ecosystems, and management frameworks.

A Resident Fish Guild as a Higher Trophic Level Indicator of Oyster Reef Restoration Success

Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) are critical foundation species in estuarine waters, but due to a combination of natural and anthropogenic pressures, oyster abundance has declined. Restoring oyster reefs and monitoring restoration success often focuses on oyster metrics, but relatively infrequently, responses of higher trophic level species and the production of related ecosystem services are accounted for. To address this, we compare the response of a resident reef fish guild (gobies, blennies, toadfish) to standard metrics of oyster restoration success. Using lift nets and seines, natural and restored reefs were monitored over a two-year period within Mosquito Lagoon, Florida, USA. Standard metrics are indicative of restoration success; live oyster density and reef thickness increased in restored reefs after 12 and 24 months. Combined, live oyster density and reef thickness were the best predictors of annual resident reef fish abundance compared to water quality metrics. These results suggest that the benefits of restoring oyster reef habitat are conferred to broader components of the food web, with benefits accruing to reef resident fishes that are a key trophic linkage between lower trophic level foundation species and higher trophic level predators inhabiting coastal ecosystems.

Distribution, abundance and diversity of reef fishes in waters of some cities along the northern Egyptian Red Sea coast, Egypt

Distribution, abundance and diversity of reef fishes in waters of some cities along the northern Egyptian Red Sea coast, Egypt

A benchmark survey of plankton, fish and benthic composition in Poblacion and Kadurong Reefs in Liloan, Cebu, Philippines.

BackgroundCoral reefs offer valuable ecosystem goods and services, such as coastal protection, erosion regulation, fishery, biodiversity, habitat and nursery grounds. However, they face threats from anthropogenic activities, including poor water quality, global warming, coastal development and unsustainable fisheries. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) provide a structured and holistic approach in addressing these threats. Regular monitoring and assessment of these MPAs are crucial components in evaluating the MPAs design and effectiveness. Two coral reefs (i.e. Poblacion and Kadurong Reefs) were established as MPAs in Liloan, Cebu, Philippines to protect crucial habitat and biodiversity with the hope of improving fisheries by avoiding fish stock disintegration. These coral reefs provide shelter to many commercially-significant fish species, supporting subsistence and livelihood in the community. These MPAs are not only biologically rich, but they also support socio-economic stability. Hence, management and protection of the coral reefs in the MPAs of Liloan, Cebu is of paramount importance. To formulate conservation and applicable management measures, research and monitoring should be in place. This paper presents the data collected from the short term monitoring in the Poblaction and Kadurong Reefs. The paper describes an important set of data that can be used by the stakeholders to benchmark biophysical assessments for management of marine-protected areas in Liloan.New informationThis data paper provides baseline information on the health of the coral reefs of the MPAs in Liloan, Cebu. Datasets covering physico-chemical and biological parameters inclusive of water quality, coral reef cover, fish and plankton occurrence and abundance were determined using the standard protocols for surveying tropical marine resources. The results will serve as a benchmark in formulating guidelines and implementing relevant policies for the effective management and protection of the MPAs in Liloan, Cebu, Philippines.

Reef Structural Complexity Influences Fish Community Metrics on a Remote Oceanic Island: Serranilla Island, Seaflower Biosphere Reserve, Colombia

Serranilla is a protected island of the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve, far from dense human population. These characteristics could help sustain structurally complex coral reefs, often associated with higher biodiversity, abundance, and biomass of reef-associated organisms, including reef fish. However, the multiple threats present in Serranilla, including intense illegal fishing, can impact coral ecosystems generally and also specific key groups, such as the parrotfish, in particular. During the “Seaflower Research Expedition 2017”, we assessed how structural habitat complexity influences reef fish assemblages. In addition, we explored differences in parrotfish species (family: Scaridae) between Serranilla and San Andrés, the most populated island in the Archipelago. On Serranilla, we found that habitat structure, rugosity, and coral cover accounted for up to 66% of variation in reef fish diversity, abundance, and biomass, with values being higher on more complex reefs. Parrotfish species differed between the islands, with larger species supporting higher biomasses at Serranilla, by comparison with San Andrés; however, the abundance, biomass, and lengths of parrotfish species were low in both areas compared with those reported from other protected Caribbean reefs. Our study indicates that despite the evident relationship between structurally complex habitats and reef fish, other threats in Serranilla could be affecting parrotfish populations, such as illegal fishing, a widespread activity in the area.

Global decline in capacity of coral reefs to provide ecosystem services

Global decline in capacity of coral reefs to provide ecosystem services

Abundance and distribution of reef fish in Pahawang Island Waters Pesawaran District Lampung

Abundance and distribution of reef fish in Pahawang Island Waters Pesawaran District Lampung

Reef-Fish Abundance, Biomass, and Biodiversity Inside and Outside No-Take Marine Zones in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary: 1999–2018

Observations from the Reef Visual Census program in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) between 1999 and 2018 were used as a US Marine Biodiversity Observation Network case study to assess whether differences in biodiversity metrics (abundance, biomass, richness, Simpson diversity, and functional diversity) occurred across regions with different habitat types (high-relief, linear, and patch reefs), protection levels (no-take and unprotected zones), and types of protected zones. Protected areas had higher reef-fish biomass compared to unprotected areas at the beginning of the observation period, but these metrics decreased over time. We did not detect an effect of size of no-take marine zones, but rather found that large (18.7 km2) and small (average of 0.85 km2) areas had similar reef-fish abundance, biomass, and diversity indices. High-relief reef habitats had the greatest reef-fish abundance (20%–30%) and species richness (~20%), and nearly twice the biomass of other habitat strata, but biomass decreased 20%–30% in linear and patch reefs after 2007. Although high-relief reefs are important for biodiversity conservation and restoration, policies should address the decline in fish abundance, biomass, and diversity observed throughout the FKNMS. Monitoring should be sustained to support policies and respond to changing conditions related to climate change and resource use.

Coral Reef Coverage and Reef Fish Abundance in Menyawakan Island, Karimunjawa

Karimunjawa is one of the National Parks in Indonesia, a marine conservation area known for its diverse coral reefs, and mangrove forest. This study aims to determine coral reef status in Menyawakan Island at the northwest part of Karimunjawa Archipelago. Coral coverage as well as reef fish data were collected from the South, West, North, and East side of Menyawakan Island. Surveys were conducted at a depth of 5 and 10 meters, using the Line Intercept Transect (LIT) for coral coverage and visual census for reef fish abundance. The highest coral cover, categorized as good condition, was found in the North side of Menyawakan Island at a depth of 5 m (64.94%). Pomacentrus shows the greatest abundance with 291 individuals on the South side of Menyawakan Island. Overall coral cover in Menyawakan Island is categorized as medium to good condition, while the highest reef fish abundance is dominated with family of Pomacentridae, which are native habitat in coral reef area.

Condition of Coral Reefs and Reef Fishes in Dofa Village, Sula Islands Regency

Coral reefs are unique among ocean associations or communities that are entirely formed by biological activity. This study aims to determine the condition of coral reefs and reef fishes in Dofa Village, West Mangoli District, Sula Islands, 2018. Collecting coral data used the Line Intercept Transect (LIT) method, while coral fish data collection used the visual census method. Water parameters measured are temperature, salinity, degree of acidity (pH), brightness and current velocity. Based on observations, the water temperature ranges from 29.33° C - 29.9° C. The salinity of the waters ranges from 29.67 ‰ - 34 ‰. The degree of acidity is 7.5 which supports the life of coral reef. The water brightness level is 65% - 100%. The current velocity ranges from 0.02 m / s to 0.05 m / s. The condition of the coral reef ecosystem based on the percentage of hard coral cover ranged from 21.02% - 33.7% with low to medium category. The coral mortality index at the study location was small where at station 1 it was 0.487, station 2 was 0.335 and station 3 was 0.205, meaning that there was no significant change for live coral reefs. The abundance of reef fishes ranged from 0.52 ind/m2 - 1.22 ind/m2 which was dominated by the Pomacentridae and Labridae families where the two families were groups of fish that used coral reefs as habitat for feeding ground. The index value of coral fish diversity in the coral reef ecosystem at all stations ranged from 0.58 to 3.60 where the diversity index value was in the low to medium category. The uniformity index is included in the medium category with values ​​ranging from 0.58 to 0.63 which illustrates that the difference in the number of individuals for each species is not too significant. The dominance index of reef fishes at the observation station is very small, ranging from 0.03 - 0.07 which indicates that the dominance of the species is very low, so that the condition of the reef fish community is relatively stable.

Struktur Komunitas Ikan Karang di Area Ponton Quick Silver, Perairan Toyapakeh, Nusa Penida

The availability of coral reefs as habitat is closely related to the exsistence of coral fish resources in the waters. Coral fish resources are very important for tourism, as an object sought after by tourist because of their diverse and charming colors and shapes. Reef fish abundance depends on coral cover. This research was conducted in February 2020. The percentage of coral cover was collected using the Under Water Potography Transect (UPT) method and the visual census method for reef fish communities at five research stations located in the area of the Quick Silver’s pontoon, Toyapakeh, Nusa Penida with area of 20.000 . Based on the results, the diversity index in the first data collection ranged from 3.18-3.76, which means the diversity isin the high category. On the other hand, the diversity index in the second data collections tends to decrease in the range of 2.66-3.40, which means that the diversity is in the medium to high category. The uniformity index for the first and second data collection falls into the category of distressed communities. The dominances index on the two data found inj the low category. From this research, it was also found that the percentage of live coral cover in the area of use of the Quick Silver pontoon ranged from 0.08% to 17.32%, which means that all research stations were classified as bad. These results indicate that the presence of reef fish is not only caused by live corals but also by anthropogenic activities of the pontoon, such as manual feeding by visitors. This condition applies to reef fish with omnivore eating behavior, one of which is the Pomacentridae family of the major fish group. These anthropogenic activities can change the composition of reef fish communities and increase abundance.

No effect of marine protected areas on managed reef fish species in the southeastern United States Atlantic Ocean

Marine protected areas (MPAs) have been recommended as an essential conservation tool for ecosystems and fisheries, with MPA coverage increasing four-fold globally since 2000. Despite the increased usage of MPAs, empirical results and scientists are divided on the effectiveness of MPAs to reach their conservation and management goals. In 2009, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council established eight deep-water partially-protected MPAs off the southeast United States (SEUS) Atlantic coast with the goal of protecting long-lived, deep-water, reef-associated fishery species. Data collected during fish trapping from 2000 to 2018 as part of a fisheries-independent survey were used to evaluate the impacts of protection on a subset of fish species in three of these MPAs. There was a modest positive shift to larger fish observed in two of the MPAs and to older fish for one species, Pagrus pagrus (Linnaeus, 1758), in one of the MPAs relative to adjacent fished areas; however, there was either no change or a decrease in managed reef fish abundance in each MPA relative to adjacent fished areas. Based on these metrics, it does not appear that the SEUS MPAs have yet been effective at protecting managed reef fish species. Given that these MPAs have low enforcement, future assessments should examine compliance within the SEUS MPAs to determine if lack of success is due to illegal fishing, species examined, or MPA design before making a final determination if deep-water MPAs are an effective strategy for fisheries managers in the SEUS.

Coral reef and reef fishes of core zone in the marine proctected areas of Aceh Besar, Indonesia

This research was conducted in January 2018 in the core zone of the Marine Protected Areas Peukan Bada and Lhoknga, Aceh Besar. The purpose of this study was to determine the coral reef cover and the abundance of reef fish in the core zone areas. The method of collecting coral reef cover data used the transect photo. Further, we analyzed these data using CPCe 4.1 software with a uniform grid technique. Moreover, the collection of coral fish abundance data using the Visual Census. The results of the study showed that the coral reef cover in the core zone of Lhoknga and Lampuuk water is 35.36% and 43.09% which are categorized as “moderate damage” with an abundance of reef fish value are 23900 Ind/Ha and 43600 Ind/Ha, respectively. On the other hand, the coral reef cover in the core zone of Bunta Island waters was 64.91% which was categorized as “good” with an abundance of reef fish value is 28600 Ind/Ha. However, the coral reef cover in the core zone of Batee Island waters was 23.68% which was categorized as “badly damage” with an abundance of reef fish value is 29300 Ind/Ha. In addition, the coral reef cover in the core zone of Tuan Island waters was 25.87% which was categorized as “moderate damage” with an abundance of reef fish value is 58100 In/Ha. Based on the results, the data conclude that the condition of coral reefs in the Marine Protected Area in the Lhoknga, Lampuuk, and Batee Island water requires proper handling in improving natural resources in their core zone.

Identification and inventory of reef fish abundance in West Simeulue MPA, Aceh, Indonesia

The marine protected area of the West Simeulu is one of the MPA that have been reserved by the Aceh Governor as a marine protacted areas in 2018. Identification and inventory of reef fish abundance in the MPA West Simeulue can be used as an initial reference to see the effectiveness of this area, so that it can give changes to the West Simeulue MPA. This research was conducted in October 2019 with 9 observation locations. The method used was the under water visual census (UVC) at 2 in depths (shallow and deep). It was found that as many as 30 families with 13.107 individuals from 163 species were found in the West Simeulue MPA with reef fish abundance values of 1.069 ind/ha in the MPA and 906 ind/ha outside the MPA. Pomacentridae and Acanthuridae were the families with the highest number of individuals found, with value of 5.550 and 2.226 individuals, respectively.

Overview of Indicator Coral Fish in Poncan Islands, Sibolga, North Sumatra

This study aims to determine the effect of coral reef conditions on the abundance of coral reef fish indicators of the Chaetodontidae family and to be compared descriptively. This research was conducted in February-April 2020 in Poncan Island coast, Sibolga City, North Sumatra Province. The method used in this research was a survey method, the data obtained directly on site in the form of primary data, while the secondary data was collected from the related institutions and references. The method for quantifying the number of fish used was Underwater Visual Census (UVC), for collecting data on coral reef fish indicators was using the Line Intercept Transect (LIT) method supported by SCUBA (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus). The results showed that the abundance of coral reef fish indicators for the Chaetodontidae family and coral reefs were in the average of 0-0.052 individuals/m2. The lowest abundance was found at stations 1 and 5, while the highest abundance was seen at station 2 with an average of 0.0248 individuals/m2. The abundance of live coral ranged from 5 - 51.8%. The lowest abundance was at station 1 and the highest was at station 4 with an average abundance of 30.804% which is categorized as moderate. The abundance of indicator reef fish in the waters of Poncan Island was influenced by the condition of coral reefs where in this study the abundance of live coral reefs was less than 23.02%. There was no indicator reef fish at the station.

The effect of coral reef degradation on the trophic structure of reef fishes from Bahía Culebra, North Pacific coast of Costa Rica

Fishes play numerous key ecological roles that are critical for maintaining the structure and function of coral reefs. Natural and anthropogenic disturbances can produce structural changes in coral reef habitats, which consequently may affect the trophic structure and dynamics of reef fish assemblages. Therefore, changes in the coral cover of coral reefs, caused by disturbance events can impact the abundance of reef fishes. This study determined the effect of habitat degradation on the trophic structure of coral reef fishes from Bahia Culebra, a bay located in the north Pacific of Costa Rica. We examined whether spatial and temporal changes in live coral cover (LCC) and substrate type between two periods (1995–1996 and 2014–2016) influenced the trophic structure of coral reef fishes. While planktivorous fishes maintained similar abundances between periods, omnivorous fishes (mainly facultative corallivores) were less abundant in sites with low LCC. There was a decline in abundance of mesopredators (e.g. sharks, groupers, snappers), probably because of both shelter loss and overfishing. Macroalgae feeders, herbivores-detritivores and invertivores showed high abundance in disturbed coral reefs, which could be related to predator decline or to increased algal resource abundance. Despite high abundance of herbivorous fishes, high macroalgae coverage persisted during the 2014–2016 period. The results from this study suggest that degradation of coral reef habitats from Bahia Culebra have affected the trophic structure of reef fish assemblages, and potentially the functioning of this coastal ecosystem.

Seasonal variation in reef fish assemblages in the environmentally extreme southern Persian/Arabian Gulf

The southern Persian/Arabian Gulf experiences extreme seasonal temperature variation (> 20 °C) making it among the most hostile reef environments on Earth. Previous anecdotal evidence has suggested that seasonal temperature changes may influence regional reef fish assemblages, but to date research has been limited. To examine the influence of temperature on reef fish abundance and composition, we performed visual surveys in summer and in winter over three years at three reefs in the southern Gulf (Dhabiya, Saadiyat and Ras Ghanada). Overall abundance of fishes was 40% higher in summer than in winter, and multivariate analyses showed strong and significant differences in overall seasonal community structure, consistent at all sites and across all years. Seasonal differences were largely driven by nine of the 30 observed species, which together accounted for 70% of the divergence in community structure between summer and winter. Of these nine species, Lutjanus ehrenbergii, Lutjanus fulviflamma, Plectorhinchus sordidus and Abudefduf vaigiensis were significantly more abundant in summer, Parupeneus margaritatus and Acanthopagrus bifasciatus, were significantly more common on reefs in winter. We discuss these changes in terms of seasonal physiological and ecological constraints, and explore the implications of these changes on the functional ecology of reef fishes in this thermally variable and extreme environment.

Drivers of reef fish assemblages in an upwelling region from the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean

Reef fish assemblages are exposed to a wide range of anthropogenic threats as well as chronic natural disturbances. In upwelling regions, for example, there is a seasonal influx of cool nutrient-rich waters that may shape the structure and composition of reef fish assemblages. Given that climate change may disrupt the natural oceanographic processes by altering the frequency and strength of natural disturbances, understanding how fish assemblages respond to upwelling events is essential to effectively manage reef ecosystems under changing ocean conditions. This study used the baited remote underwater video stations (BRUVS) and the traditional underwater visual census (UVC) to investigate the spatiotemporal patterns of reef fish assemblages in an upwelling region in the North Pacific of Costa Rica. A total of 183 reef fish species from 60 families were recorded, of which 166 species were detected using BRUVS and 122 using UVC. Only 66% of all species were detected using both methods. This study showed that the upwelling had an important role in shaping reef fish assemblages in this region, but there was also a significant interaction between upwelling and location. In addition, other drivers such as habitat complexity and habitat composition had an effect on reef fish abundances and species. To authors' knowledge, this is the first study in the Eastern Tropical Pacific that combines BRUVS and UVC to monitor reef fish assemblages in an upwelling region, which provides more detailed information to assess the state of reef ecosystems in response to multiple threats and changing ocean conditions.