Population Ecology of a Coral Reef Fish Across Multiple Spatial Scales

Population Ecology of a Coral Reef Fish Across Multiple Spatial Scales PDF Author: J. Wilson White
Publisher: ProQuest
ISBN: 9780549152422
Category : Fish populations
Languages : en
Pages : 332

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Book Description
A major goal in ecology is to understand how processes observed on single habitat patches "scale up" to predict population- or metapopulation-scale dynamics. This issue is especially critical for marine species with widely-dispersing, planktonic larvae. I addressed this question by investigating the behavior, growth, and mortality of juvenile bluehead wrasse, bifasciatum, a small planktivore, on reefs around the Caribbean island of St. Croix. At a small spatial scale (centimeters), bluehead wrasse enjoyed safety-in-numbers: per-capita mortality was substantially lower in larger groups. This effect did not scale up, however, and mortality was density-dependent at the spatial scale of entire reefs (Chapter 1). The relative safety of groups may explain why settlers occurred in groups more often than expected by chance, but group sizes may be limited by competition for prey. Grouped fish spent more time foraging than solitary fish, but dietary and otolith analyses revealed that grouped fish obtained the same number of prey and grow slower than solitary fish despite foraging more. Behavior and growth were also affected by the local abundance of copepod prey, which varied consistently across reefs (Chapter 2). Of even greater interest is spatial variation in the recruitment and abundance of a major wrasse predator, which closely followed the spatial pattern of bluehead wrasse recruitment. Presumably this occurred because larvae of both species are affected by the same oceanographic forces. This spatial correlation in recruitment is noteworthy because predator density strongly affected the form and intensity of density-dependent mortality among recently settled wrasse (Chapter 3). Since the majority of marine metapopulation models assume that density dependence is spatially homogenous, models incorporating spatially correlated settlement of predators and their prey produce strikingly different results. Populations with consistently low larval settlement experience much weaker density-dependence and are consequently far more important to the persistence of the metapopulation than high-settlement, high-predation populations (Chapter 4). Far from supporting the idea that small-scale processes scale up, I have identified several new potential sources of large-scale, oceanographically-driven variability that may affect the fate of individual fish and entire metapopulations.

Population Ecology of a Coral Reef Fish Across Multiple Spatial Scales

Population Ecology of a Coral Reef Fish Across Multiple Spatial Scales PDF Author: J. Wilson White
Publisher: ProQuest
ISBN: 9780549152422
Category : Fish populations
Languages : en
Pages : 332

Get Book Here

Book Description
A major goal in ecology is to understand how processes observed on single habitat patches "scale up" to predict population- or metapopulation-scale dynamics. This issue is especially critical for marine species with widely-dispersing, planktonic larvae. I addressed this question by investigating the behavior, growth, and mortality of juvenile bluehead wrasse, bifasciatum, a small planktivore, on reefs around the Caribbean island of St. Croix. At a small spatial scale (centimeters), bluehead wrasse enjoyed safety-in-numbers: per-capita mortality was substantially lower in larger groups. This effect did not scale up, however, and mortality was density-dependent at the spatial scale of entire reefs (Chapter 1). The relative safety of groups may explain why settlers occurred in groups more often than expected by chance, but group sizes may be limited by competition for prey. Grouped fish spent more time foraging than solitary fish, but dietary and otolith analyses revealed that grouped fish obtained the same number of prey and grow slower than solitary fish despite foraging more. Behavior and growth were also affected by the local abundance of copepod prey, which varied consistently across reefs (Chapter 2). Of even greater interest is spatial variation in the recruitment and abundance of a major wrasse predator, which closely followed the spatial pattern of bluehead wrasse recruitment. Presumably this occurred because larvae of both species are affected by the same oceanographic forces. This spatial correlation in recruitment is noteworthy because predator density strongly affected the form and intensity of density-dependent mortality among recently settled wrasse (Chapter 3). Since the majority of marine metapopulation models assume that density dependence is spatially homogenous, models incorporating spatially correlated settlement of predators and their prey produce strikingly different results. Populations with consistently low larval settlement experience much weaker density-dependence and are consequently far more important to the persistence of the metapopulation than high-settlement, high-predation populations (Chapter 4). Far from supporting the idea that small-scale processes scale up, I have identified several new potential sources of large-scale, oceanographically-driven variability that may affect the fate of individual fish and entire metapopulations.

Ecology of Fishes on Coral Reefs

Ecology of Fishes on Coral Reefs PDF Author: Camilo Mora
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1316300145
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 389

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Book Description
The local diversity and global richness of coral reef fishes, along with the diversity manifested in their morphology, behaviour and ecology, provides fascinating and diverse opportunities for study. Reflecting the very latest research in a broad and ever-growing field, this comprehensive guide is a must-read for anyone interested in the ecology of fishes on coral reefs. Featuring contributions from leaders in the field, the 36 chapters cover the full spectrum of current research. They are presented in five parts, considering coral reef fishes in the context of ecology, patterns and processes, human intervention and impacts, conservation, and past and current debates. Beautifully illustrated in full-colour, this book is designed to summarise and help build upon current knowledge and to facilitate further research. It is an ideal resource for those new to the field as well as for experienced researchers.

Marine Macroecology

Marine Macroecology PDF Author: Jon D. Witman
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226904148
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 442

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Book Description
Pioneered in the late 1980s, the concept of macroecology—a framework for studying ecological communities with a focus on patterns and processes—revolutionized the field. Although this approach has been applied mainly to terrestrial ecosystems, there is increasing interest in quantifying macroecological patterns in the sea and understanding the processes that generate them. Taking stock of the current work in the field and advocating a research agenda for the decades ahead, Marine Macroecology draws together insights and approaches from a diverse group of scientists to show how marine ecology can benefit from the adoption of macroecological approaches. Divided into three parts, Marine Macroecology first provides an overview of marine diversity patterns and offers case studies of specific habitats and taxonomic groups. In the second part, contributors focus on process-based explanations for marine ecological patterns. The third part presents new approaches to understanding processes driving the macroecolgical patterns in the sea. Uniting unique insights from different perspectives with the common goal of identifying and understanding large-scale biodiversity patterns, Marine Macroecology will inspire the next wave of marine ecologists to approach their research from a macroecological perspective.

The Ecology of Fishes on Coral Reefs

The Ecology of Fishes on Coral Reefs PDF Author: Peter F. Sale
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 0080925510
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 773

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Book Description
This book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the ecology of coral reef fishes presented by top researchers from North America and Australia. Immense strides have been made over the past twenty years in our understanding of ecological systems in general and of reef fish ecology in particular. Many of the methodologies that reef fish ecologists use in their studies will be useful to a wider audience of ecologists for the design of their ecological studies. Significant among the impacts of the research on reef fish ecology are the development of nonequilibrium models of community organization, more emphasis on the role of recruitment variability in structuring local assemblages, the development and testing of evolutionary models of social organization and reproductive biology, and new insights into predator-prey and plant-herbivore interactions.

Coral Reef Fishes

Coral Reef Fishes PDF Author: Peter F. Sale
Publisher: Gulf Professional Publishing
ISBN: 9780123736093
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 574

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Book Description
Coral Reef Fishes is the successor of The Ecology of Fishes on Coral Reefs. This new edition includes provocative reviews covering the major areas of reef fish ecology. Concerns about the future health of coral reefs, and recognition that reefs and their fishes are economically important components of the coastal oceans of many tropical nations, have led to enormous growth in research directed at reef fishes. This book is much more than a simple revision of the earlier volume; it is a companion that supports and extends the earlier work. The included syntheses provides readers with the current highlights in this exciting science. * An up-to-date review of key research areas in reef fish ecology, with a bibliography including hundreds of citations, most from the last decade * Authoritative and provocative chapters written to suggest future research priorities * Includes discussions of regulation of fish populations, dispersal or site fidelity of larval reef fishes, sensory and motor capabilities of reef fish larvae, and complexities of management of reef species and communities

Handbook of Scaling Methods in Aquatic Ecology

Handbook of Scaling Methods in Aquatic Ecology PDF Author: Laurent Seuront
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 0203489551
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 624

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Book Description
The evolution of observational instruments, simulation techniques, and computing power has given aquatic scientists a new understanding of biological and physical processes that span temporal and spatial scales. This has created a need for a single volume that addresses concepts of scale in a manner that builds bridges between experimentalists and

The Ecology of Marine Fishes

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

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Book Description
“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

Habitat Ecology and Analysis

Habitat Ecology and Analysis PDF Author: Joseph A. Veech
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0198829280
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 241

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Book Description
Provides the first concise, authoritative resource that clearly presents emerging methods together and demonstrates how they can be applied to data using statistical methodology, whilst putting the decades-old pursuit of analyzing habitat into historical context.

Marine Conservation

Marine Conservation PDF Author: G. Carleton Ray
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118714431
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 384

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Book Description
Providing a guide for marine conservation practice, Marine Conservation takes a whole-systems approach, covering major advances in marine ecosystem understanding. Its premise is that conservation must be informed by the natural histories of organisms together with the hierarchy of scale-related linkages and ecosystem processes. The authors introduce a broad range of overlapping issues and the conservation mechanisms that have been devised to achieve marine conservation goals. The book provides students and conservation practitioners with a framework for thoughtful, critical thinking in order to incite innovation in the 21st century. "Marine Conservation presents a scholarly but eminently readable case for the necessity of a systems approach to conserving the oceans, combining superb introductions to the science, law and policy frameworks with carefully chosen case studies. This superb volume is a must for anyone interested in marine conservation, from students and practitioners to lay readers and policy-makers." —Simon Levin, George M. Moffett Professor of Biology, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University

Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Invertebrate Larvae

Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Invertebrate Larvae PDF Author: Tyler J. Carrier
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198786964
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 365

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Book Description
"More than seventy percent of the earth's surface is covered by the ocean which is home to a staggering and sometimes overwhelming diversity of organisms, the majority of which reside in pelagic form. Marine invertebrate larvae are an integral component of this pelagic diversity and have stimulated the curiosity of researchers for centuries. This accessible, upper-level text provides an important and timely update on the topic of larval evolution and ecology, representing the first major synthesis of this interdisciplinary field for more than 20 years. The content is structured around four major areas: evolutionary origins and transitions in developmental mode; functional morphology and ecology of larval forms; larval transport, settlement, and metamorphosis; larval ecology in extreme and changing environments. This novel synthesis integrates traditional larval ecology with life history theory, evolutionary developmental biology, and modern genomics research to provide a research and teaching tool for decades to come." -- from the rear cover.