Recruitment and Population Dynamics of Coral-reef Fishes

Recruitment and Population Dynamics of Coral-reef Fishes PDF Author: M. J. Caley
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 120

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Recruitment and Population Dynamics of Coral-reef Fishes

Recruitment and Population Dynamics of Coral-reef Fishes PDF Author: M. J. Caley
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 120

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ReeFish '95

ReeFish '95 PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Coral reef ecology
Languages : en
Pages : 308

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Coral Reef Fishes

Coral Reef Fishes PDF Author: Peter F. Sale
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 008053001X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 566

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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. Coral Reef Fishes 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 provide 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, up-to-date, provocative chapters written to suggest future research priorities An important companion and successor to The Ecology of Fishes on Coral Reefs 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

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.

The Influence of Pre- and Post-settlement Processes on the Population Dynamics of Coral Reef Damselfishes

The Influence of Pre- and Post-settlement Processes on the Population Dynamics of Coral Reef Damselfishes PDF Author: Mark Gregory Meekan
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Pomacentridae
Languages : en
Pages : 166

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Abstract: Over the last decade there has been a vigorous debate among ecologists about the relative importance of pre- and post-settlement processes on the dynamics of benthic populations of coral reef fish. Advocates for the importance of pre-settlement processes claim that variabifity in the supply of new individuals from the plankton is a major determinant of the size and structure of benthic populations. This variability is thought to occur as a result of the mortality and dispersal of pelagic larvae. In contrast, those advocating the importance of post-settlement processes claim that competition (for space and/or food) and predation largely determines the distribution and abundance of benthic populations. One of the reasons that this debate remains unresolved is that there have been no complete demographic studies of reef fish. Rather, the proponents of one view or the other have tended to restrict their research to small parts of the problem. This study describes one of the first examinations of demographic processes occurring during both the pre-settlement and post-settlement life-history stages of reef fishes.-- In this study I documented the recruitment, larval abundance, spawning and post-settlement mortality of damselfishes in three reef habitats at Lizard Island, northern Great Barrier Reef (GBR). The recruitment patterns of three species, Pomacentrus amboinensis, P. nagasakiensis and Dischistodus perspicillatus were described by weekly collections of recruits from small, artificial patch reefs during the 1988/89 and 1989/90 summers. During the first summer, the majority of recruits of these species arrived in benthic habitats in a broad episode of settlement that encompassed a 4-week period at the beginning of the summer. This pattern was repeated only by D. perspicillatus during the following summer; P. amboinensis and P. nagasakiensis recruited during most weeks of sampling in 1989/90.-- Recruitment patterns were strongly correlated with the timing and magnitude of catches of these same species in light traps in the nearshore waters around Lizard Island. This suggested that recruitment patterns at this locality were largely determined by the distribution and abundance of older larval stages within the plankton.-- Catches of larvae by light traps often peaked over short periods of a few days. Peaks in catches occurred synchronously, but with variable magnitude among habitats. These patterns were consistent with the suggestion that physical and biological processes aggregate pre-settlement fish into large (up to km) patches within the plankton.-- Other evidence suggested that larval behaviour was also an important determinant of patterns in catches and recruitment. Few Pomacentrus nagasakiensis larvae were collected by light traps in the lagoon habitat during both summers. As catches of P. amboinensis and Dischistodus perspicillatus did not vary in a similar fashion, differential behaviour is implied. P. nagasakiensis may either settle preferentially on the reef margins so that larval supply is exhausted by the time water enters the lagoon, or else larvae of this species may be able to detect and avoid the lagoon habitat.-- The relative influence of larval production and planktonic processes on recruitment patterns was examined by documenting the spawning patterns of Pomacentrus amboinensis. Males of this species guard clutches of demersally spawned eggs until hatching, and reproductive output can be estimated at daily intervals by mapping the area of eggs held within nests. Spawning occurred at lunar intervals during the 1988/89 summer, with peaks in output coinciding with the full moon. During the following season, spawning occurred in an asymmetrical semi-lunar pattern, with larger full moon peaks than new moon peaks.-- Significant correlations were found between temporal patterns of light trap catches, recruitment and spawning of Pomacentrus amboinensis when data sets were lagged by a period of lime equivalent to pre-settlement life (23 days). However, the magnitude of light trap catches and recruitment was only weakly correlated with the magnitude of reproduction. Peaks in recruitment were approximately three times more variable in size than peaks of spawning. This variability was attributed to the action of processes occurring within the plankton.-- The correlation between temporal patterns of spawning, larval abundance and recruitment contradicts prevailing views that recruitment patterns are largely determined by processes acting in the plankton. As Pomacentrus anthoinensis has a relatively short planktonic duration (19 days), this may allow little time for planktonic processes to decouple temporal patterns of spawning and recruitment. P. amboinensis larvae also have well-developed sensory and locomotory abilities at hatching, and may be more capable of influencing their fate within the plankton than the passively dispersed eggs of pelagic spawners.-- The cyclical pattern of reproduction of Pomacentrus amboinensis may have been determined by factors operating at both global (tidal cycles, moon phase) and local scales (predation, food availability). This combination of factors would account for the considerable variability in reproduction observed among habitats in this species. Spawning occurred in a lunar pattern in all habitats during the 1988/89 summer. However, in the 1989/90 summer, spawning occurred at semi-lunar intervals in the leeward habitat, while lunar patterns were recorded in the lagoon. Spawning occurred in an acyclic pattern in the windward habitat. During both summers, males in the lagoon produced fewer larvae than those in the windward or leeward habitats.-- The mortality of newly-settled reef fish was examined by comparing the numbers of recruits collected from artificial patch reefs at daily, weekly and monthly intervals. These comparisons showed that recruits experienced very high rates of mortality, probably as a result of predation, within the first week and month of settlement. Mortality varied inconsistently among species, times and habitats. Thus, patterns established at settlement may not determine the abundance of older juveniles and adults in any predictable fashion. These results suggest that predation may be an important determinant of the size and structure of benthic populations at Lizard Island.-- There was little evidence that the mortality of Pomacentrus amboinensis recruits was influenced by growth. Estimates of growth rates were obtained by plotting age of recruits (calculated from otolith analysis) against a measure of size (standard length). However, comparisons of growth and mortality were hampered by the migration of recruits from patch reefs and by errors in otolith analysis. There were no patterns in the growth or mortality of recruits that were consistent with any effect of density. This suggests that competition for benthic resources had little influence on patterns of abundance, at least within the first month of settlement.-- This study demonstrates that processes occurring during a variety of life-history stages may regulate the dynamics of populations of coral reef fish. These interactive effects must be described if predictive and general models of demographics are to be constructed. Given the increasing anthropogenic stresses being placed on stocks of reef fishes and on reef systems world-wide, the development of such models is now overdue.

The Effects of Early Life History on Recruitment and Early Juvenile Survival of a Coral Reef Fish in the Florida Keys

The Effects of Early Life History on Recruitment and Early Juvenile Survival of a Coral Reef Fish in the Florida Keys PDF Author: Tauna Leigh Rankin
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Processes that influence the early life stages of fishes can significantly impact population dynamics, yet they continue to be poorly understood. This dissertation examined relationships between the environment, early life history traits (ELHTs), behavior, and post-settlement survival for a coral reef fish, Stegastes partitus, in the upper Florida Keys, to elucidate how they influence juvenile demography. Otolith analysis of settlers and recruits coupled with environmental data revealed that S. partitus surviving the early juvenile period settled at larger sizes and grew slower post-settlement. Water temperature also influenced the ranges of these and other ELHTs as well as the intensity and direction of selective mortality processes acting on some of these traits (i.e., pelagic larval duration, mean larval growth). Otolith analysis was paired with behavioral observations of newly settled juvenile S. partitus in the field to reveal that the relationship between size-at-settlement, early juvenile growth and survival is behaviorally-mediated. Individuals that were larger at settlement were more active (i.e., spent less time sheltered, swam farther from shelters) and grew more slowly post-settlement. Likewise, slower juvenile growth was associated with greater activity, more conspecific aggression, and faster escape swimming speeds. A six-year time series of recruitment densities revealed substantial temporal (interannual, seasonal, lunar) and spatial (by microhabitat, conspecific density) variability in recruitment which influenced the composition of recruits. For instance, larvae settling during the darkest phases of the moon were larger at settlement, but selective mortality processes during brighter periods removed more of the smallest settlers, resulting in juveniles with similar sizes-at-settlement regardless of when they arrived to the reef. Because recruitment strength and composition varied temporally, genetic markers (6 microsatellite and 1 mitochondrial loci) were used to determine if the genetic composition of monthly cohorts of settling larvae and juveniles also varies interannually, monthly, or across life stages. A lack of genetic structure suggested that S. partitus has a large effective population size and variation in ELHTs is not likely the result of successful spawning of a disproportionately small group of adults. As a whole, these results reveal processes associated with larval supply and post-settlement life that collectively shape juvenile demography.

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

Early Life History and Recruitment in Fish Populations

Early Life History and Recruitment in Fish Populations PDF Author: R.C. Chambers
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9780412641909
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 638

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Book Description
Many of the processes influencing recruitment to an adult fish population or entry into a fishery occur very early in life. The variations in life histories and behaviours of young fish and the selective processes operating on this variation ultimately determine the identities and abundance of survivors. This important volume brings together contributions from many of the world's leading researchers from the field of fish ecology. The book focuses on three major themes of pressing importance in the analysis of the role that the early life history of fishes plays in the number and quality of recruits: the selective processes at play in their early life history; the contributions of early life history to the understanding of recruitment.

Recruitment in Time and Space

Recruitment in Time and Space PDF Author: Maya Srinivasan
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Coral reef ecology
Languages : en
Pages : 282

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Population Dynamics of the Reef Crisis

Population Dynamics of the Reef Crisis PDF Author:
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0128215305
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 514

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Book Description
Population Dynamics of the Reef Crisis, Volume 87 in the Advances in Marine Biology series, updates on many topics that will appeal to postgraduates and researchers in marine biology, fisheries science, ecology, zoology and biological oceanography. Chapters in this new release cover SCTL disease and coral population dynamics in S-Florida, Spatial dynamics of juvenile corals in the Persian/Arabian Gulf, Surprising stability in sea urchin populations following shifts to algal dominance on heavily bleached reefs, Biophysical model of population connectivity in the Persian Gulf, Population dynamics of 20-year decline in clownfish anemones on coral reefs at Eilat, northern Red Sea, and much more. Reviews articles on the latest advances in marine biology Authored by leading figures in their respective fields of study Presents materials that are widely used by managers, students and academic professionals in the marine sciences