The Influence of Habitat at Several Spatial Scales on Kelp Forest Fishes PDF Download

Author: Christopher Derek Stallings
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Fishes
Languages : en
Pages : 130

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Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Electronic books
Languages : en
Pages : 45

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Book Description
Habitat use of a species is a vital component in explaining the dynamics of natural populations. For mobile marine species such as fishes, describing habitat heterogeneity at a seascape scale is essential because it quantifies the spatial extent to which fishes are interacting with their environment. Here, we explored the relationships between habitat metrics and the density and size of coastal rocky reef fishes across a seascape that is naturally fragmented. Multibeam sonar and GIS analysis were employed to create a seascape map that explicitly depicted bathymetry and spatial configuration of rocky reefs in southern California. Georeferenced subtidal transect surveys were conducted across this seascape to describe habitat attributes, including the density of macroalgae, and record the number and size of fishes. To compare the relative influence of habitat metrics, individual variables were grouped into macroalgae, bathymetry, and spatial configuration components, allowing for comparisons of within-patch to surrounding habitat metrics in describing the numerical density, biomass density, average size, and maximum size of five abundant rocky reef fishes. We found that responses to different habitat components were dependent on particular species, the choice of spatial scale, and the inherent characteristics of the seascape itself. Notably, the relative influence of seascape components were dependent on the configuration of the seascape; where fishes in a more isolated and less-connected seascape were more influenced by spatial configuration than a seascape with greater habitat connectedness. This study demonstrates that explicit habitat maps allow for a more comprehensive understanding of population structure when describing fishes across large spatial scales.

Author: D. A. Birkett
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781857164367
Category : Biodiversity conservation
Languages : en
Pages : 174

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Author: Dr. Larry G. Allen
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520932471
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 1353

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Marine fishes have been intensively studied, and some of the fundamental ideas in the science of marine ecology have emerged from the body of knowledge derived from this diverse group of organisms. This unique, authoritative, and accessible reference, compiled by 35 luminary ecologists, evolutionary biologists, and ichthyologists, provides a synthesis and interpretation of the large, often daunting, body of information on the ecology of marine fishes. The focus is on the fauna of the eastern Pacific, especially the fishes of the California coast, a group among the most diverse and best studied of all marine ecosystems. A generously illustrated and comprehensive source of information, this volume will also be an important launching pad for future research and will shed new light on the study of marine fish ecology worldwide. The contributors touch on many fields in biology, including physiology, development, genetics, behavior, ecology, and evolution. The book includes sections on the history of research, both published and unpublished data, sections on collecting techniques, and references to important earlier studies.

Author: David R. Schiel
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520961099
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 412

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The largest seaweed, giant kelp (Macrocystis) is the fastest growing and most prolific of all plants found on earth. Growing from the seafloor and extending along the ocean surface in lush canopies, giant kelp provides an extensive vertical habitat in a largely two-dimensional seascape. It is the foundation for one of the most species-rich, productive, and widely distributed ecological communities in the world. Schiel and Foster’s scholarly review and synthesis take the reader from Darwin’s early observations to contemporary research, providing a historical perspective for the modern understanding of giant kelp evolution, biogeography, biology, and physiology. The authors furnish a comprehensive discussion of kelp species and forest ecology worldwide, with considerations of human uses and abuses, management and conservation, and the current and likely future impacts of global change. This volume promises to be the definitive treatise and reference on giant kelp and its forests for many years, and it will appeal to marine scientists and others who want a better appreciation and understanding of these wondrous forests of the sea.

Author: Michael S. Foster
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Giant kelp
Languages : en
Pages : 180

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Author: Larry G. Allen
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520246535
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 672

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“A masterful accomplishment—Allen, Pondella and Horn have assembled a talented team of experts who produce authoritative, up-to-date accounts. This book will be used as the primary text in many fish biology courses and as a valuable reference elsewhere. Here is a wealth of data waiting to be mined by legions of graduate students as they generate the new ideas that will motivate marine ecology for years.”—Peter Sale, Editor of Coral Reef Fishes: Dynamics and Diversity in a Complex Ecosystem "A copiously illustrated and comprehensive interpretation of the past, present, and future state of over 500 species of fishes in Californian waters. A compilation of virtually all the many important studies on the ecology of California marine fishes."—Bruce B. Collette, National Marine Fisheries Service and co-author of The Diversity of Fishes

Author: Samuel Charles Ginther
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 85

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The susceptibility of ecosystems to the introduction of non-native species has increased drastically with the development of advanced transportation technologies. It is now quite common for organisms to be easily transported by humans across physiological, ecological, or behavioral barriers that once served as natural population constraints. Despite this increased rate of introductions to locations that were previously unreachable, most organisms that are introduced perish because they are not able to withstand the new environmental pressures of the introduced location, or there are simply not enough conspecifics to perpetuate the population. However, when introduced organisms are able to thrive and reproduce, they may have devastating economic or ecological consequences. A new opportunity to document and understand the effects of an invasive alga on native community members has presented itself in southern Californian waters. Native to northeastern Asia, Sargassum horneri is a macroalga that was presumably transported in ballast water and discovered in Long Beach Harbor in 2003. By 2006 it had spread to the western side of Santa Catalina Island, California, and within a year spread along the entire leeward coast, forming dense stands in numerous areas. Although not all exotic species are ecologically harmful, S. horneri has attributes (fast growing and occurs in high densities) that may allow it to readily establish and out compete marine flora critical to the community structure of fishes. The purpose of this study aimed to document the effects of S. horneri on kelp forest fishes at Santa Catalina Island, California. I first employed observational, correlative methods to explore the role of S. horneri in shaping biotic and abiotic habitat characteristics of reefs and fish assemblages. I also explored habitat characteristics that predict fish assemblage structure, as well as species-specific responses of fish to habitat predictor variables during 4 distinct time periods. Fish assemblages changed over the course of my 4 sampling periods, and a number of habitat variables (including S. horneri) explained variation in fish assemblage during those times. However, there is more evidence that favors M. pyrifera as a driver of fish assemblage change, as indicated by species-level responses. Additionally, a field experiment testing whether the removal of S. horneri from reef areas affected the fish assemblage was used to evaluate whether patterns documented in the observational portion of my study that could be attributed to S. horneri do in fact appear to be caused by the invasive alga. Removing S. horneri from established areas of reef did not affect multivariate or univariate metrics of fish assemblage over the course of 7 sampling periods. Removal and control (unaltered) areas of reef contained strikingly similar fish assemblages, fish richness, and fish densities over time. Despite a drastic change in reef landscape, it appears that M. pyrifera, rather than S. horneri, was a more significant driver of differences in kelp forest fish assemblages observed in my study. Second, I compared the role of relatively low-lying S. horneri and vertically extensive M. pyrifera in shaping recruitment patterns of a popular sport fish (Paralabrax clathratus) by using an observational and experimental study. I first examined kelp bass recruit abundance on naturally standing S. horneri and M. pyrfera to better understand how fish recruitment rates differ between the introduced and native species. Additionally, I experimentally isolated 3 treatments (M. pyrifera only, S. horneri only, and M. pyrifera and S. horneri together) over a sandy bottom to understand whether the presence of S. horneri, and increased benthic complexity for young fish, enhances kelp bass recruitment. An overwhelming majority of kelp bass recruited to M. pyrifera, and larger recruits were located in the bottom two-thirds of the thalli. Kelp bass recruitment was were observed with S. horneri, regardless of whether the alga was alone or paired with M. pyrifera. Similar to my observational results, larger kelp bass recruits were observed in the bottom third of M. pyrifera treatments. Additionally, I found that the presence of larger, predatory conspecifics explained a spatial pattern of declining recruitment rates across treatment plots. My study presents the first evidence that S. horneri negatively impacts the recruitment of an important southern California reef fish. Results from both of my studies offer contrasting outlooks on S. horneri's role in southern California kelp forests. When focusing on the entire fish assemblage, little evidence is in favor of S. horneri as a driver of kelp forest fish structure. However when focusing on a particular early life history characteristic of a common kelp forest fish, the effects of S. horneri are dramatically negative. The contrasting results of my studies are important reminders for the need of additional studies to generate a more comprehensive understanding of this invasive alga's impact on kelp forest organisms.

Author:
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0080878857
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 4604

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The study of estuaries and coasts has seen enormous growth in recent years, since changes in these areas have a large effect on the food chain, as well as on the physics and chemistry of the ocean. As the coasts and river banks around the world become more densely populated, the pressure on these ecosystems intensifies, putting a new focus on environmental, socio-economic and policy issues. Written by a team of international expert scientists, under the guidance of Chief Editors Eric Wolanski and Donald McClusky, the Treatise on Estuarine and Coastal Science, Ten Volume Set examines topics in depth, and aims to provide a comprehensive scientific resource for all professionals and students in the area of estuarine and coastal science Most up-to-date reference for system-based coastal and estuarine science and management, from the inland watershed to the ocean shelf Chief editors have assembled a world-class team of volume editors and contributing authors Approach focuses on the physical, biological, chemistry, ecosystem, human, ecological and economics processes, to show how to best use multidisciplinary science to ensure earth's sustainability Provides a comprehensive scientific resource for all professionals and students in the area of estuarine and coastal science Features up-to-date chapters covering a full range of topics

Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309083400
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 137

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Concerns over the potential ecological effects of fishing have increased with the expansion of fisheries throughout the marine waters of the United States. Effects of Trawling and Dredging on Seafloor Habitat describes how assessment of fishing impacts depends on gear type, number and location of bottom tows, and the physical and biological characteristics of seafloor habitats. Many experimental studies have documented acute, gear-specific effects of trawling and dredging on various types of habitat. These studies indicate that low mobility, long-lived species are more vulnerable to towed fishing gear than short-lived species in areas where the seabed is often disturbed by natural phenomena. Trawling and dredging may also change the composition and productivity of fish communities dependent on seafloor habitats for food and refuge. The scale of these impacts depends on the level of fishing effort. This volume presents color maps of fishing effort for all regions with significant bottom trawl or dredge fisheries-the first time that such data has been assembled and analyzed for the entire nation.