The influence of coral reef benthic condition on associated fish assemblages.
Accumulative disturbances can erode a coral reef's resilience, often leading to replacement of scleractinian corals by macroalgae or other non-coral organisms. These degraded reef systems have been mostly described based on changes in the composition of the reef benthos, and there is little und...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2012-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3411644?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1818013557284929536 |
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| author | Karen M Chong-Seng Thomas D Mannering Morgan S Pratchett David R Bellwood Nicholas A J Graham |
| author_facet | Karen M Chong-Seng Thomas D Mannering Morgan S Pratchett David R Bellwood Nicholas A J Graham |
| author_sort | Karen M Chong-Seng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Accumulative disturbances can erode a coral reef's resilience, often leading to replacement of scleractinian corals by macroalgae or other non-coral organisms. These degraded reef systems have been mostly described based on changes in the composition of the reef benthos, and there is little understanding of how such changes are influenced by, and in turn influence, other components of the reef ecosystem. This study investigated the spatial variation in benthic communities on fringing reefs around the inner Seychelles islands. Specifically, relationships between benthic composition and the underlying substrata, as well as the associated fish assemblages were assessed. High variability in benthic composition was found among reefs, with a gradient from high coral cover (up to 58%) and high structural complexity to high macroalgae cover (up to 95%) and low structural complexity at the extremes. This gradient was associated with declining species richness of fishes, reduced diversity of fish functional groups, and lower abundance of corallivorous fishes. There were no reciprocal increases in herbivorous fish abundances, and relationships with other fish functional groups and total fish abundance were weak. Reefs grouping at the extremes of complex coral habitats or low-complexity macroalgal habitats displayed markedly different fish communities, with only two species of benthic invertebrate feeding fishes in greater abundance in the macroalgal habitat. These results have negative implications for the continuation of many coral reef ecosystem processes and services if more reefs shift to extreme degraded conditions dominated by macroalgae. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T06:34:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a32347149abe42c99f1cde4a13d53eb3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T06:34:41Z |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-a32347149abe42c99f1cde4a13d53eb32022-12-22T02:07:31ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032012-01-0178e4216710.1371/journal.pone.0042167The influence of coral reef benthic condition on associated fish assemblages.Karen M Chong-SengThomas D ManneringMorgan S PratchettDavid R BellwoodNicholas A J GrahamAccumulative disturbances can erode a coral reef's resilience, often leading to replacement of scleractinian corals by macroalgae or other non-coral organisms. These degraded reef systems have been mostly described based on changes in the composition of the reef benthos, and there is little understanding of how such changes are influenced by, and in turn influence, other components of the reef ecosystem. This study investigated the spatial variation in benthic communities on fringing reefs around the inner Seychelles islands. Specifically, relationships between benthic composition and the underlying substrata, as well as the associated fish assemblages were assessed. High variability in benthic composition was found among reefs, with a gradient from high coral cover (up to 58%) and high structural complexity to high macroalgae cover (up to 95%) and low structural complexity at the extremes. This gradient was associated with declining species richness of fishes, reduced diversity of fish functional groups, and lower abundance of corallivorous fishes. There were no reciprocal increases in herbivorous fish abundances, and relationships with other fish functional groups and total fish abundance were weak. Reefs grouping at the extremes of complex coral habitats or low-complexity macroalgal habitats displayed markedly different fish communities, with only two species of benthic invertebrate feeding fishes in greater abundance in the macroalgal habitat. These results have negative implications for the continuation of many coral reef ecosystem processes and services if more reefs shift to extreme degraded conditions dominated by macroalgae.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3411644?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Karen M Chong-Seng Thomas D Mannering Morgan S Pratchett David R Bellwood Nicholas A J Graham The influence of coral reef benthic condition on associated fish assemblages. PLoS ONE |
| title | The influence of coral reef benthic condition on associated fish assemblages. |
| title_full | The influence of coral reef benthic condition on associated fish assemblages. |
| title_fullStr | The influence of coral reef benthic condition on associated fish assemblages. |
| title_full_unstemmed | The influence of coral reef benthic condition on associated fish assemblages. |
| title_short | The influence of coral reef benthic condition on associated fish assemblages. |
| title_sort | influence of coral reef benthic condition on associated fish assemblages |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3411644?pdf=render |
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