Seasonal variability of rocky reef fish assemblages: Detecting functional and structural changes due to fishing effects |
| |
| Institution: | 1. Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, 6150, Western Australia, Australia;2. Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Post Office Box 20, North Beach, 6920, Western Australia, Australia;1. School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia;2. Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia;1. Aix-Marseille Université, Université de Toulon, CNRS/INSU/IRD, Institut Méditerranéen d’Océanologie (MIO), UM 110, Campus de Luminy, case 901, 13288 Marseille cedex 09, France;2. Groupe d’Etude du Mérou, Observatoire du Parc Marin de la Côte Bleue, Plage du Rouet, 13620 Carry-Le-Rouet, France;3. Université Nice Sophia Antipolis, EA 4228 ECOMERS, Faculté des Sciences, Parc Valrose, 06108 Nice cedex 2, France;4. Réserve Naturelle de Scandola, Parc naturel régional de Corse, France;5. Gis Posidonie, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, case 901, 13288 Marseille cedex 09, France;1. School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL, UK;2. Operation Wallacea, Wallace House, Old Bolingbroke, Lincolnshire, PE23 4EX, UK;3. Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Aquatic & Terrestrial Ecology, Vautierstraat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium;4. Institute of Global Food Security (IGFS), Queen’s University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL, UK;2. FCUL – Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal |
| |
| Abstract: | The present study analyzed the effects of seasonal variation on the stability of fish-based metrics and their capability to detect changes in fish assemblages, which is yet poorly understood despite the general idea that guilds are more resilient to natural variability than species abundances. Three zones subject to different levels of fishing pressure inside the Arrábida Marine Protected Area (MPA) were sampled seasonally. The results showed differences between warm (summer and autumn) and cold (winter and spring) seasons, with the autumn clearly standing out. In general, the values of the metrics density of juveniles, density of invertebrate feeders and density of omnivores increased in warm seasons, which can be attributed to differences in recruitment patterns, spawning migrations and feeding activity among seasons. The density of generalist/opportunistic individuals was sensitive to the effect of fishing, with higher values at zones with the lowest level of protection, while the density of individuals with high commercial value only responded to fishing in the autumn, due to a cumulative result of both juveniles and adults abundances during this season. Overall, this study showed that seasonal variability affects structural and functional features of the fish assemblage and that might influence the detection of changes as a result of anthropogenic pressures. The choice of a specific season, during warm sea conditions after the spawning period (July–October), seems to be more adequate to assess changes on rocky-reef fish assemblages. |
| |
| Keywords: | |
| 本文献已被 ScienceDirect 等数据库收录！ |
|
