Importance of low-relief nursery habitat for reef fishes

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dc.contributor.authorDance, Michael A.
dc.contributor.authorRooker, Jay R.
dc.contributor.authorKline, Richard
dc.contributor.authorQuigg, Antonietta
dc.contributor.authorStunz, Gregory R.
dc.contributor.authorWells, R. J. David
dc.contributor.authorLara, Kirsten
dc.contributor.authorLee, Jessica
dc.contributor.authorSuarez, Bobbie
dc.creator.orcidhttp://orcid.org/0000-0002-5934-7688en_US
dc.creator.orcidhttp://orcid.org/0000-0002-4116-2060en_US
dc.creator.orcidhttp://orcid.org/0000-0001-5640-1426en_US
dc.creator.orcidhttp://orcid.org/0000-0003-3068-6579en_US
dc.creator.orcidhttp://orcid.org/0000-0001-9152-4085en_US
dc.creator.orcidhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-5934-7688
dc.creator.orcidhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-4116-2060
dc.creator.orcidhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-5640-1426
dc.creator.orcidhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-3068-6579
dc.creator.orcidhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9152-4085
dc.creator.orcidhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-5934-7688
dc.creator.orcidhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-4116-2060
dc.creator.orcidhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-5640-1426
dc.creator.orcidhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-3068-6579
dc.creator.orcidhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9152-4085http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5934-7688
dc.creator.orcidhttp://orcid.org/0000-0002-4116-2060
dc.creator.orcidhttp://orcid.org/0000-0001-5640-1426
dc.creator.orcidhttp://orcid.org/0000-0003-3068-6579
dc.creator.orcidhttp://orcid.org/0000-0001-9152-4085
dc.date.accessioned2022-03-16T19:58:08Z
dc.date.available2022-03-16T19:58:08Z
dc.date.issued2021-06-08
dc.description.abstractCoastal restoration projects to mitigate environmental impacts have increased global demand for sand resources. Unfortunately, these resources are often extracted from sand/shell banks on the inner continental shelf, resulting in significant alteration or loss of low-relief reefs in coastal oceans. Experimental reefs (oyster shell, limestone rubble, composite) were deployed in the western Gulf of Mexico to assess their potential value as nurseries for newly settled reef fishes. Occurrence, abundance, and species richness of juvenile fishes were significantly higher on all three types of low-relief reefs compared with unconsolidated sediment. Moreover, reefs served as nursery habitat for a range of reef fish taxa (angelfishes, grunts, sea basses, snappers, and triggerfishes). Red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) was the dominant species present on all experimental reefs (100% occurrence), and mean density of this species was markedly higher on each of the three low-relief reefs (>40.0 individuals/reef) relative to comparable areas over unconsolidated sediment (0.2 individuals). Our results suggest creation or restoration of structurally complex habitat on the inner shelf has the potential to markedly increase early life survival and expedite the recovery of exploited reef fish populations, and therefore may represent a critical conservation tool for increasing recruitment and maintaining reef fish diversity.en_US
dc.identifier.citationDance, M.A., Rooker, J.R., Kline, R.J., Quigg, A., Stunz, G.R., Wells, R.D., Lara, K., Lee, J. and Suarez, B., 2021. Importance of low‐relief nursery habitat for reef fishes. Ecosphere, 12(6), p.e03542.en_US
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3542
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1969.6/90280
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.publisherEcological Society of Americaen_US
dc.rightsAttribution 4.0 International*
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/*
dc.subjectcoastal restorationen_US
dc.subjectcontinental shelfen_US
dc.subjectdredgingen_US
dc.subjectgulf of mexicoen_US
dc.subjectjuvenileen_US
dc.subjectlow-relief reefen_US
dc.subjectnursery habitaten_US
dc.subjectoyster shellen_US
dc.subjectred snapperen_US
dc.subjectreef fishen_US
dc.subjectshoals; trawlingen_US
dc.titleImportance of low-relief nursery habitat for reef fishesen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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