Aguilar-Perera, Jacinto A.

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    Coastal habitat connectivity of reef fishes from southwestern Puerto Rico
    (2004) Aguilar-Perera, Jacinto A.; Appeldoorn, Richard S.; College of Arts and Sciences - Sciences; García-Sais, Jorge R.; Hensley, Dannie; Recksiek, Conrad R.; Aponte, Nilda E.; Department of Marine Sciences; Lewis, Allen R.
    In the western Atlantic, despite increasing concerns about designing and implementing an integrated approach in coastal conservation and management, the ecological relationships (i.e., habitat connectivity) for reef fishes between mangroves, seagrass and shallow-water coral reefs have received relatively little attention. Whereas the fish community of southwestern Puerto Rico, off La Parguera, has been extensively studied, little information is available analyzing the relative importance of these coastal shallow-water habitats in terms of nursery value and ontogenetic habitat shifts. Based on underwater visual censuses, the present study determined the pattern and extent of habitat use in post-settlement fishes and how these processes may change during ontogeny, leading to a quantification of habitat connectivity. The study was divided in three components: (1) presenting a baseline characterization of the fish community structure along an inshore-offshore, cross-shelf gradient from Montalva Bay to Turrumote, (2) evaluating the nursery value of these habitats, and (3) providing evidence for ontogenetic migrations and habitat shifts. There were significant differences in community structure and spatial distribution of fishes among these habitats, revealing an unequal spatial pattern. Among the dominant groups were Haemulidae, Pomacentridae, Scaridae, Labridae, Lutjanidae, and Acanthuridae. The nursery value of a given habitat was species specific, and not only mangroves or seagrass but a combination of habitats exhibited high densities of juveniles; however, Romero Key was more important and may function as a transition point from bay habitats to coral reef habitats further away. Most strata along this gradient showed a high proportional abundance of juveniles of selected species; however, there was a preponderance of high densities of juveniles in shallow-water strata (0-3 m depth), whereas the adults were found in deeper strata (3-10 m). Results were consistent with ontogenetic migrations for many of the fish species studied, displaying species specific migratory routes from mangroves and seagrass to deep reefs, and from shallow to deeper reefs. This lead to the idea that certain “corridors” may exist along the inshore-offshore habitat gradient. The findings highlight the relevance of including the habitat connectivity in coastal shallow-water areas for the conservation and management strategies for the marine ecosystem.