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Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/1969.6/86488
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Browsing Publications by Author "Banks, Kesley Gibson"
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Item Designing Cost-Effective Artificial Reefs: Fine-Scale Movement and Habitat Use of Red Snapper around a Nearshore Artificial Reef Complex(American Fisheries Society, 2021-09-18) Banks, Kesley Gibson; M. Curtis, Judson; A. Williams, Jason; J. Wetz, Jennifer; W. Stunz, GregoryArtificial reefs are commonly used to provide structured habitat in areas with limited natural habitat to enhance the environment. Creating artificial reefs is expensive, and materials are often limited; thus, discussions are needed regarding the best material and design to maximize reefing efficiency while best meeting the goal of reefing programs. We tracked Red Snapper Lutjanus campechanus, an economically important and reef-dependent species, by using a Vemco Positioning System to determine fine-scale movements and habitat use around a nearshore reef comprised of three types of reefing structure: concrete reef pyramids, concrete culverts, and a sunken ship. Habitat use (core volume and home range, or the probability of a fish being absent 50% or 5% of the time, respectively) was significantly different by month, with the largest movements during summer months. Mean depth values also differed by study month (February–August), with Red Snapper residing deepest in the water column during August and shallowest during April. In the summer months, differences among structure types were observed in core volume use but not home range, suggesting that Red Snapper used similar-sized areas on all three structure types. A high reported recapture rate (77%; 10 of 13 fish) indicated that these easily accessible nearshore reefs undergo heavy fishing pressure. Half of the recaptures were reported as recaptured on a structure other than their tagging structure; however, tagged fish spent the greatest percentage of time on their tagging structure. Red Snapper habitat use was influenced more by the presence of structure than by the type of reefing structure. Using the results from this study combined with a cost comparison of reef types, we argue that use of the least expensive reefing material that covers the largest area may be the best policy in designing future artificial reefs.Item Influence of Hurricane Activity on Acoustic Array Efficiency: A Case Study of Red Snapper within an Artificial Reef Complex(Marine and Coastal Fisheries, 2022-09-27) Banks, Kesley Gibson; Streich, Matthew K.; Curtis, Judson M.; Stunz, Gregory W.Meteorological disturbances, such as hurricanes, can cause wide distributional changes to fish populations, but studies documenting fish movement in response to these disturbances are rare and serendipitous. We opportunistically examined how a hurricane influenced behavior of Red Snapper Lutjanus campechanus at an artificial reef complex in the western Gulf of Mexico. Red Snapper had a variety of responses, with some fish emigrating and some remaining on site during Hurricane Harvey—a category 4 storm. Hurricane-induced destruction or alteration of habitat may alter space use behavior of fish. However, caution should be used when interpreting behavior without the inclusion of array performance, which may change due to environmental conditions. Importantly, when acoustic array efficiency was not accounted for in space use analyses, mean kernel utilization distribution (m3) was marginally different among the periods before, during, and after Hurricane Harvey. However, when mean daily array efficiency was included as a covariate, space use among the three periods was not significantly different. Hurricanes can affect the movement and residency of marine species and can be an important driver in the displacement of populations and degradation of habitats, but array efficiency should be incorporated to prevent misinterpreting the behaviors of tagged fish.