Coastal Fishing Communities Research Articles

Australian diadromous fishes – challenges and solutions for understanding migrations in the 21st century

Diadromous fishes are a frequent but poorly understood component of coastal riverine fish communities in Australia. There are ~33 diadromous fishes found in Australian waters, mainly catadromous and amphidromous species. An extensive review of the literature identified major information gaps about the lifecycles and ecology of many of these species, with information on facultative diadromy, navigation, marine and early life stages being particularly limited. In many cases, this lack of information has led to poor management decisions and consequently many of the Australian diadromous species are under increasing threat from a range of environmental impacts. Much of the required information is difficult to obtain with traditional field surveys and, as a result, new and improved research tools and technologies, including telemetry, otolith chemistry, stable-isotope analysis (SIA) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) are increasingly being applied. Key areas for research on Australian diadromous fishes should involve: (1) use of telemetry and otolith chemistry to determine the level of facultative diadromy and variation in diadromous movements across a species range; (2) use of otolith chemistry and SIA to gain a greater understanding of larval and juvenile marine life stages of catadromous and amphidromous species; and (3) use of fMRI or traditional techniques such as electroolfactogram (EOG) to determine the role of olfaction in spawning and migration, and the impact of impoundments and agricultural run-off on these critical life history stages.

Short-term performance of three underwater sampling techniques for assessing differences in the absolute abundances and in the inventories of the coastal fish communities of the Northeast Atlantic Ocean

Comparative works on sampling techniques allow selecting the best methods to study each target fish community. We analysed the structure of a coastal fish community in Galicia (north-western Spain) by comparing the following three techniques: diver-based underwater visual census (UVC), remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and remote underwater video (RUV). All techniques detected abundant and frequent taxa, but divers obtained more precise and complete inventories (80% of identified taxa) than did ROV (60%) and RUV (47%), were faster (only 1.4 days to achieve the estimated taxa list) than were ROV (2.0 days) and RUV (475.7 days), and were more reliable in estimating the abundances of highly mobile, less abundant, less frequent, cryptic and smaller fish. Conversely, RUV obtained the poorest estimates of abundances, and even though it obtained more replicates (136), there were more zeros (98%) than with divers (16 replicates, 64% zeros) and ROV (11 replicates, 75% zeros). Furthermore, the economic cost of the video system was triple the cost of the diving gear; consequently, we recommend using divers to study the coastal fish communities in the shallow waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. However, further research is necessary to explore the full capabilities of video techniques in long-term studies, in greater depths and in adverse weather conditions.

Whale Worship and Tourism Development in the Hồi An–DaNang Corridor, Việt Nam

This paper uses a case study of the Hồi An–Da Nang corridor inQuảng Nam province, Việt Nam, to examine some of the pressuresthat whale worship – a traditional cultural practice of coastal fishingcommunities in central and southern Việt Nam – has faced since the̶Dồi reforms of 1986. Whale temples, the physical manifestation ofthe veneration of the whale as an ancestor of fishers, are coming underincreasing pressure as tourism development displaces coastal communities fromthe shores and as the younger generations turn their back on the sea as a sourceof livelihood. The paper seeks to draw attention to a locally importantmanifestation of intangible cultural heritage, the existence of which isthreatened even before the country's first tentative efforts at culturalheritage conservation come into full swing.

Contrasting fish behavior in artificial seascapes with implications for resources conservation.

Artificial reefs are used by many fisheries managers as a tool to mitigate the impact of fisheries on coastal fish communities by providing new habitat for many exploited fish species. However, the comparison between the behavior of wild fish inhabiting either natural or artificial habitats has received less attention. Thus the spatio-temporal patterns of fish that establish their home range in one habitat or the other and their consequences of intra-population differentiation on life-history remain largely unexplored. We hypothesize that individuals with a preferred habitat (i.e. natural vs. artificial) can behave differently in terms of habitat use, with important consequences on population dynamics (e.g. life-history, mortality, and reproductive success). Therefore, using biotelemetry, 98 white seabream (Diplodus sargus) inhabiting either artificial or natural habitats were tagged and their behavior was monitored for up to eight months. Most white seabreams were highly resident either on natural or artificial reefs, with a preference for the shallow artificial reef subsets. Connectivity between artificial and natural reefs was limited for resident individuals due to great inter-habitat distances. The temporal behavioral patterns of white seabreams differed between artificial and natural reefs. Artificial-reef resident fish had a predominantly nocturnal diel pattern, whereas natural-reef resident fish showed a diurnal diel pattern. Differences in diel behavioral patterns of white seabream inhabiting artificial and natural reefs could be the expression of realized individual specialization resulting from differences in habitat configuration and resource availability between these two habitats. Artificial reefs have the potential to modify not only seascape connectivity but also the individual behavioral patterns of fishes. Future management plans of coastal areas and fisheries resources, including artificial reef implementation, should therefore consider the potential effect of habitat modification on fish behavior, which could have key implications on fish dynamics.

Limits and barriers to adaptation to climate variability and change in Bangladeshi coastal fishing communities

Limits and barriers to adaptation restrict people’s ability to address the negative impacts of climate change or manage risks in a way that maximises their wellbeing. There is a lack of evidence of this on small-scale fishing communities in developing countries. This study identifies and characterises limits and barriers to adaptation of fishing activities to cyclones and examines interactions between them in two fishing communities in Bangladesh, using household questionnaires, oral history interviews, vulnerability matrices and focus group discussions. The limits include physical characteristics of climate and sea like higher frequency and duration of cyclones, and hidden sandbars. Barriers include technologically poor boats, inaccurate weather forecast, poor radio signal, lack of access to credit, low incomes, underestimation of cyclone occurrence, coercion of fishermen by the boat owners and captains, lack of education, skills and livelihood alternatives, unfavourable credit schemes, lack of enforcement of fishing regulations and maritime laws, and lack of access to fish markets. These local and wider scale factors interact in complex ways and constrain completion of fishing trips, coping with cyclones at sea, safe return of boats from sea, timely responses to cyclones and livelihood diversification. The findings indicate a need for further detailed research into the determinants and implications of such limits and barriers, in order to move towards an improved characterisation of adaptation and to identify most suitable means to overcome the limits and barriers.

New and rare coastal fishes in the Azores islands: occasional events or tropicalization process?

Seven coastal fish species are newly reported for the remote north Atlantic archipelago of the Azores: Mediterranean sand eel Gymnammodytes cicerelus, bar jack Caranx ruber, two-banded seabream Diplodus vulgaris, bastard grunt Pomadasys incisus, unicorn leatherjacket filefish Aluterus scriptus and longspined porcupinefish Diodon holacanthus. The occurrence is also confirmed for 19 species that had been hitherto cited occasionally for the region, totalling a list of two elasmobranchs and 23 teleosts. Diplodus vulgaris, which appears to have recently colonized the islands, as well as roughtail stingray Dasyatis centroura and golden grey mullet Liza aurata, re-cited based on new records, are frequent or common coastal species in the Azores. The remaining 22 species, exceptional or rare in the region, are of tropical or subtropical affinity and find their northernmost distribution limit within the central and north-east Atlantic Ocean precisely in the Azores. This biogeographical pattern contrasts with that of the Azorean coastal fish community and suggests a tropicalization process in the region in line with previous findings of similar patterns across the north-east Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. These novel data from the most isolated archipelago of the North Atlantic Ocean, located in a biogeographic boundary area where colonization opportunities are reduced, reinforce the need for long-term monitoring programmes of coastal fish communities and, in particular, of indicator species groups to improve understanding of the effects of climate change on marine communities.

Ecological characteristics of the invasive pufferfish Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789) in the eastern Mediterranean Sea – a case study from Rhodes

In this study, the ecological and societal impact of the invasive pufferfish Lagocephalus sceleratus on coastal habitats of an area of the eastern Mediterranean Sea (Rhodes Island) was investigated. Seasonal quantitative samplings in two common coastal habitats were used to investigate habitat use of different life-stages. Sandy areas were found to be highly important for the early life stages of L. sceleratus. In contrast, Posidonia oceanica habitats were mainly preferred by larger (> 29 cm) reproductive adults, not exceeding 64 cm. Lagocephalus sceleratus was found to feed on invertebrates and fish while size classification revealed a tendency for a diet shift with increased size. During early life stages, L. sceleratus inhabits sandy bottoms where it feeds on various invertebrates. The predominant molluscan species found in the diet of larger (> 20 cm) L. sceleratus individuals were the economically important Sepia officinalis and Octopus vulgaris. The size at which 50% of individuals reach maturity was estimated to 19 cm. With increased size, habitat shift to seagrass meadows most possibly occurs to meet both the increased demand in prey availability and requirement of appropriate spawning ground. Condition factor of L. sceleratus showed significantly higher values during summer than all other seasons and this was attributed to spawning season and increase in feeding. Societal impacts were alarming due to increased public attention concerning its lethal effects (presence of tetrodotoxin), if consumed. Its high abundance in the coastal fish communities of the studied area combined with ecological and societal impacts, clearly classify L. sceleratus a pest for fisheries and potential threat for biodiversity.

Passive acoustic monitoring of Sciaena umbra on rocky habitats in the Venetian littoral zone

A passive listening survey was conducted in the Venetian littoral zone and combined with a meta-analysis on coastal Mediterranean fish communities resulting in the use of Sciaena umbra as a biological indicator of a typical fish community. The passive listening technique allowed the collection of fish presence/absence data, the analysis of the contribution of different sound categories to the total sound production, as well as a quantitative evaluation of the fish acoustic activity. The passive listening survey proved to be successful in detecting S. umbra drumming sounds in two Venetian inlets and on a natural rocky habitat, whereas this species was absent in the inner Venice lagoon. Within one of the two inlets, pulse rate was positively related to the nearest distance of the listening points to an artificial rocky reef. The meta-analysis allowed the identification of a 16-species cluster significantly associated with S. umbra, a large number of which represent commercially important species. Our results suggest the importance of a wider application of the passive listening technique for biological monitoring, with particular focus on Mediterranean coastal habitats and artificial reefs.

A fitness assessment study among young fishermen of coastal areas of East Midnapore District of West Bengal, India

Being the fourth most populated state of India, West Bengal has a population of about 82 million, of which a major percentage is represented by coastal fishing communities who are habituated to do a physically demanding occupation which may have a positive influence on their the physical parameters. Thus the present investigation was designed in order to assess the influence of fishery, such a physically demanding occupation on physical fitness and to compare whether fishermen have more cardiovascular fitness and anaerobic power than sedentary workers or not. The study was conducted in 15 randomly selected male fishermen of the Midnapore District (East), West Bengal, India (mean age of 22.5), and the 15 college students (mean age of 21.9) served as a control group. A significant difference (p<0.05) in blood pressure, PFI, energy expenditure, body fat% and anaerobic power was found in fishermen. But, in contrast, BSA, BMI, resting heart rate, VO2max, mean upper arm circumference, thigh and calf circumferences were found to be non-significant. This study implies fishermen have more physical fitness (cardiovascular fitness) and muscle mass, but a lower percentage of body fat than the sedentary population. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/seajph.v1i1.13210 South East Asia Journal of Public Health 2011:1:28-34

Fisheries refugia: a novel approach to integrating fisheries and habitat management in the context of small-scale fishing pressure

Fisheries of the South China Sea, including the Gulf of Thailand, are characterised by high levels of small-scale fishing effort. Increasing fishing pressure, coupled with continued decline in the expanse and quality of coastal habitats critical to the life-cycles of most species, has raised serious concerns regarding the long-term sustainability of Southeast Asian fisheries. This paper reviews the development of a UNEP/GEF South China Sea Project initiative to address the regional need to improve the integration of fisheries and habitat management.The concept of fisheries refugia was developed as a novel approach to the identification and designation of priority areas in which to integrate fisheries and habitat management in the context of high and increasing levels of small-scale fishing pressure in the South China Sea. Specific regional, national and local actions in establishing a regional system of fisheries refugia are outlined and discussed in terms of the effectiveness of the refugia concept in overcoming barriers to integrated management. The fisheries refugia approach is shown to provide an adequate platform for building partnerships and enhancing communication between the environment and fisheries sectors.The refugia concept also appears to be a successful approach in addressing a significant barrier to the integration of fisheries and habitat management, namely the adverse reaction to the Marine Protected Area concept that is elicited from fishing communities and fisheries officers at the local and provincial levels. It is anticipated that the experiences gained from this novel approach to the use of spatial management tools in fisheries management will be suitable for scaling-up in the South China Sea and replication in other aquatic habitats. This experience is considered important because of the potential global fisheries and biodiversity conservation benefits associated with effective fisheries and habitat management at the local level. This is particularly relevant in Southeast Asia where the contribution of fisheries to food security and the maintenance and improvement of the livelihoods of coastal fishing communities is so substantial.

Impacts of partial marine protected areas on coastal fish communities exploited by recreational angling

The usefulness of partial marine protected areas (MPA) that implement some form of fisheries-management regulations, but do not ban fishing and the take of fish entirely, has been questioned due its perceived limited conservation benefits. Here, we provide empirical data demonstrating fish conservation benefits of partial MPA when the stocks in question are mainly exploited by recreational angling. We studied a multi-species recreational fishery from the Balearic Islands (Mediterranean Sea) comparing three kinds of spatially close managed areas. The implementation of a partial MPA decreased the fishing pressure attracted, and the protected areas hosted greater abundances and larger-sized fish compared to areas of open access. Possibly the greatest conservation benefit of partial MPA resulted from the reduced fishing effort attracted, likely as a result of aversion of anglers to use areas where some form of management is affecting the recreational experience. In addition, the constraints on artisanal fishing may also have contributed to the conservation benefits we found. Depending on the right social and ecological context, partial MPA may therefore work as expected. Our study is observational and therefore cause-and-effect cannot be conclusively provided. However, our positive data suggest that more empirical data from other recreational fisheries and stocks should be collected before discarding the use of partial MPA in terms of providing a suitable compromise between conservation objectives and securing access to resources.

Salinity change impairs pipefish immune defence

Global change is associated with fast and severe alterations of environmental conditions. Superimposed onto existing salinity variations in a semi-enclosed brackish water body such as the Baltic Sea, a decrease in salinity is predicted due to increased precipitation and freshwater inflow. Moreover, we predict that heavy precipitation events will accentuate salinity fluctuations near shore.Here, we investigated how the immune function of the broad-nosed pipefish (Syngnathus typhle), an ecologically important teleost with sex-role reversal, is influenced by experimentally altered salinities (control: 18 PSU, lowered: 6 PSU, increased: 30 PSU) upon infection with bacteria of the genus Vibrio.Salinity changes resulted in increased activity and proliferation of immune cells. However, upon Vibrio infection, individuals at low salinity were unable to mount specific immune response components, both in terms of monocyte and lymphocyte cell proliferation and immune gene expression compared to pipefish kept at ambient salinities. We interpret this as resource allocation trade-off, implying that resources needed for osmoregulation under salinity stress are lacking for subsequent activation of the immune defence upon infection.Our data suggest that composition of small coastal fish communities may change due to elevated environmental stress levels and the incorporated consequences thereof.

Restructuring the Sea: profound shifts in the world's most invaded marine ecosystem

AbstractAimWe examine fish invasions in the south‐eastern Mediterranean as a model system for the invasibility of open coasts and provide perspectives through a review of global marine fish invasions.LocationSouth‐eastern Mediterranean (Levant Sea).MethodsWe compare historical (1990–1994) and modern (2008–2011) trawl surveys from the Mediterranean continental shelf and upper slope of Israel to evaluate the relative abundance and biomass of Indo‐Pacific fishes and their impact on diversity and trophic level (TrL). We examine resultant changes in community composition by both univariate and multivariate analyses, and compliment this study with a critical global review of open coast marine fish invasions.ResultsA staggering 55 Indo‐Pacific fish species have established permanent populations in the Mediterranean in the last 142 years, more than any other marine ecosystem. This process is accelerating with 13 of 27 new arrivals having established in the 21st century alone. Invasive fish biomass and abundance proportions in the shallow open coast have doubled in just two decades and today the Levantine ecosystem is dominated by non‐native species. This proliferation has resulted in significant declines of some indigenous species, some to near extirpation levels.Main conclusionsHere, we show that non‐estuarine ecosystems are much more susceptible to large‐scale invasion pressures than previously thought. Our results place invasion in the same category with overexploitation, habitat destruction and pollution, processes normally considered as much more critical perturbations to coastal fish communities. We propose that despite these irreversible alterations, invasions have masked overall TrL changes and diversity declines by replacing native fish with invasives of similar ecological position. As species extirpations increase, we anticipate further declines in indigenous biomass, abundance and diversity in the Mediterranean Sea.

Seasonal rhythm in a Mediterranean coastal fish community as monitored by a cabled observatory

To adequately describe seasonal rhythms in habitat utilization by fish communities, observations are needed that occur at a relatively high frequency and over large temporal windows. For the first time, images col- lected from a cabled video-observatory (the western Mediterranean expandable SEAfloor OBservatory; OB- SEA) were utilized to examine habitat utilization by coastal fishes. Over the course of a year, hourly digital images of the water column and an artificial reef were obtained dur- ing daylight hours. For each image, the total number of species, an estimate of the abundance of individuals, and the Shannon Diversity Index were quantified. A total of 22 fish species commonly associated with nearshore western Mediterranean habitats were identified, and significant spatial (water column vs. artificial reef), seasonal (spring, summer, autumn, and winter), and daily (morning, midday, and sunset) differences in habitat utilization occurred. Four species (Diplodus vulgaris, Diplodus cervinus, Diplodus sargus, and Scorpaena porcus) were associated with the artificial reef, while one species (Pagrus pagrus) chiefly occurred in the water column. Chromis chromis and Diplodus annularis occurred at the site more frequently in the winter and autumn, respectively, while 14 other species utilized the site more frequently in either the spring (8 spp) or summer (6 spp). In addition, Dentex dentex and Spicara maena occurred more frequently at sunset, while D. cer- vinus displayed a crepuscular rhythm (occurring more frequently in the morning and at sunset). Species diversity was highest in the summer and lowest in the winter. If not taken into account when planning in situ sampling, such seasonal and/or diel differences may lead to spurious estimates of population sizes and biodiversity. We suggest that cabled video-observatories offer a non-invasive and reliable technology for faunistic sampling and population assessment in coastal water of the Mediterranean and likely elsewhere.

A critical approach to the use of published data for baseline characterisation of marine fish assemblages: An exercise on Portuguese coastal waters

Policy-makers are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of coastal fish communities for the integrity of marine habitats. However, initial assessments are often done prior to any major funding and available published data is sometimes seen as a low-cost approach to this problem. The present work constituted an exercise on marine fish assemblage characterisation, by relying only on published data from mainland Portugal, covering soft substrate areas and near-shore rocky reefs. Regardless of the characterisation itself, this exercise aimed to critically approach these procedures, by pinpointing problems and highlighting achievements. Criteria were defined for the inclusion of published studies and included datasets were standardised in terms of species proportions, spatial and temporal scales. Species were assigned to ecological guilds and all analyses were performed separately for species and guild data. The influence of season, depth and latitude were analysed through multivariate analysis of variance using permutations and distance-based linear models and assemblages were characterised based on multivariate ordination and hierarchical classification methods. Significant differences were found between studies employing different methods in rocky reefs and outliers were not used in assemblage characterisation. Due to limitations in spatial and temporal detail in published data, only a rough, large scale characterisation of assemblage types was accomplished, with datasets divided in rocky reefs, shallow soft-substrate (0–20 m), intermediate soft-substrate (20–100 m) and deep soft substrate (100–200 m). No seasonal differences were detected, but a non-linear relationship with latitude was found in deep soft-substrate assemblages. During the exercise, spatial and temporal scales were forced by the quality of the data and some analyses failed to detect known patterns. Differences between methods, designs and types of data required assumptions to be made regarding data comparability. Overall, the exercise provided a hands-on insight into the use of published data for planning in a coastal management context, pinpointing data comparability, scale and information gaps as severe limitations of these approaches. In order to improve planning and design, some proposed measures were highlighted, such as the establishment of national databases and the use of pilot studies.

Exploring concepts of fisheries ‘dependency’ and ‘community’ in Scotland

Abstract There is a growing argument that the biological priorities of Europe's Common Fisheries Policy – to halt the depletion of commercial fish stocks – are not a straightforward solution to the problems currently facing international fisheries management and that social objectives need to be incorporated into policy. However, existing notions of fisheries ‘dependency’ and ‘community’ remain poorly understood and leave decision-makers struggling to address social and cultural issues. By investigating further concepts of ‘dependency’, ‘community’ and some of the social issues facing Fisheries Dependent Areas in Scotland, this research explores the complex shape of coastal fishing communities and the conditions of dependency on fishing that coastal areas face. In this paper preliminary findings from an in-depth case study of Fraserburgh in the north east of Scotland are presented to explore the potential meaning and justification of social objectives in fisheries policy.

Abiotic drivers of coastal fish community change during four decades in the Baltic Sea

Abstract Olsson, J., Bergström, L., and Gårdmark, A. 2012. Abiotic drivers of coastal fish community change during four decades in the Baltic Sea – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 69: 961–970. Evidence for long-term change of marine ecosystems is increasing worldwide. Coastal areas harbour the socio-economically and ecologically most vital aquatic ecosystems, but are under increasing anthropogenic pressure. Little is known, however, about how environmental perturbations affect the development of coastal systems. In this paper, datasets of coastal fish communities covering almost four decades (early/mid 1970s to 2008) in three different basins of the Baltic Sea were analysed. There were clear changes in species composition over time in all but one dataset and coherence among basins in the timing of change. Changes were mainly associated with variables related to climate (water temperature, salinity, and North Atlantic Oscillation index), but less so with those reflecting nutrient status (nutrient concentrations and loading). Despite the importance of local water temperature, regional climatic variables were more important for the temporal development of communities. The results indicate that Baltic coastal fish communities have undergone large structural changes governed by processes acting on both local and regional scales. The findings suggest that ecological targets should be set accounting for long-term changes in community structure and that a common management of coastal and offshore ecosystems would be beneficial.

The Potential Impact of Labor Choices on the Efficacy of Marine Conservation Strategies

Conservation of marine resources is critical to the wellbeing of human communities. Coastal artisanal fishing communities are particularly reliant on marine resources for food and for their livelihoods. Management actions aimed at marine conservation may lead to unanticipated changes in human behavior that influence the ability of conservation programs to achieve their goals. We examine how marine conservation strategies may impact labor decisions that influence both the ecosystem and human livelihoods using simulation modeling. We consider two conservation strategies in the model: direct action through fisheries regulation enforcement, and indirect action through land conservation. Our results indicate that both strategies can increase the abundance of fish, and thus contribute to the maintenance of marine resources. However, our results also show that marine fisheries enforcement may negatively impact the livelihoods of human communities. Land conservation, on the other hand, potentially enhances the livelihood of the human populations. Thus, depending on management objectives, indirect or a combination of direct and indirect conservation strategies may be effective at achieving conservation and sustainability goals. These results highlight the importance of accounting for changes in human behavior resulting from management actions in conservation and management.

Present status of the commercial sea cucumber fishery off the north-west and east coasts of Sri Lanka

The sea cucumber fishery has been providing an important means of livelihood to the coastal fishing communities in Sri Lanka for centuries. Stock status, level of exploitation and mortality parameters of eleven commercial sea cucumber species were studied off the north-west and the east coasts of Sri Lanka using data collected from an underwater visual census and fishery-dependent surveys carried out in 2008 and 2009. The total abundance of sea cucumbers was higher in the north-west than the east (P < 0.01). However, the total abundance of all the species declined between 2008 and 2009. The commercial fishery predominantly relies on two nocturnal species:Holothuria spiniferaandThelenota anax. Holothuria spiniferahad the highest contribution (73.2%) to the total landings in the north-west while this was provided byT. anax(93%) in the east. Both catch per unit effort and total landings declined in 2009 compared to 2008 having three exceptions (H. spinifera, Holothuria atraandStichopus chloronotus) in the north-west. Further, the collection of immature individuals, reduced landings of high-value species and temporal shifting of fishing activities were observed in both areas. Two approaches (simple linear regression and random effects models) were used to estimate the natural mortality of sea cucumbers and the estimated values were 0.50 yr−1and 0.45 yr−1, respectively. Apart from the management of local sea cucumber resources, this information is important to update the regional and global sea cucumber statistics as well as for launching regional management programmes.

A multi-scale comparison of trait linkages to environmental and spatial variables in fish communities across a large freshwater lake

Species present in communities are affected by the prevailing environmental conditions, and the traits that these species display may be sensitive indicators of community responses to environmental change. However, interpretation of community responses may be confounded by environmental variation at different spatial scales. Using a hierarchical approach, we assessed the spatial and temporal variation of traits in coastal fish communities in Lake Huron over a 5-year time period (2001-2005) in response to biotic and abiotic environmental factors. The association of environmental and spatial variables with trophic, life-history, and thermal traits at two spatial scales (regional basin-scale, local site-scale) was quantified using multivariate statistics and variation partitioning. We defined these two scales (regional, local) on which to measure variation and then applied this measurement framework identically in all 5 study years. With this framework, we found that there was no change in the spatial scales of fish community traits over the course of the study, although there were small inter-annual shifts in the importance of regional basin- and local site-scale variables in determining community trait composition (e.g., life-history, trophic, and thermal). The overriding effects of regional-scale variables may be related to inter-annual variation in average summer temperature. Additionally, drivers of fish community traits were highly variable among study years, with some years dominated by environmental variation and others dominated by spatially structured variation. The influence of spatial factors on trait composition was dynamic, which suggests that spatial patterns in fish communities over large landscapes are transient. Air temperature and vegetation were significant variables in most years, underscoring the importance of future climate change and shoreline development as drivers of fish community structure. Overall, a trait-based hierarchical framework may be a useful conservation tool, as it highlights the multi-scaled interactive effect of variables over a large landscape.