Publication:
Fish assemblages across artificial and natural reefs in Puerto Rico: Implications for management
Fish assemblages across artificial and natural reefs in Puerto Rico: Implications for management
dc.contributor.advisor | Cruz Motta, Juan J. | |
dc.contributor.author | Nieves Ortiz, Manuel Amaury | |
dc.contributor.college | College of Arts and Sciences - Sciences | en_US |
dc.contributor.committee | Appeldoorn, Richard S. | |
dc.contributor.committee | Weil, Ernesto F. | |
dc.contributor.committee | Ruiz Torres, Hector J. | |
dc.contributor.department | Department of Marine Sciences | en_US |
dc.contributor.representative | Alfaro, Mónica | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2021-01-15T18:59:14Z | |
dc.date.available | 2021-01-15T18:59:14Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2020-12-11 | |
dc.description.abstract | When accompanied with well-informed management actions, active restoration strategies such as coral gardening and deployment of artificial reef structures can help mitigate negative effects of human impact on fish assemblages associated to natural reefs. However, ecological patterns of variation of fish assemblages associated with artificial reefs are poorly understood. From mid-April 2018 to mid-June 2019, we compared fish assemblages associated to one of four types of reef structures: natural reefs (NR), transplanted reefs (TR; i.e., Acropora palmata colonies), concrete modules or restoration reefs (RR), and accidental reefs (AC; submerged docks and shipwrecks) across twelve sites around Puerto Rico. Response variables were abundance, biomass, and number of species and these were correlated with potential environmental factors responsible for the observed patterns of spatial and temporal variation in fish assemblages. Despite natural seasonal fluctuations, differences in fish assemblages between reef types were generally greater than differences among sites, although less obvious between TR and NR. Based on these results, and on the assumption that the general aim of artificial reef deployment is to produce fish assemblages that mimic natural reefs, there need to be additional management strategies tailored to site-specific or reef-specific goals and needs. Our study highlights the importance of multivariate statistics to recognize patterns of spatial and temporal variation at the smallest spatial scales, understand ecosystem function, and improve the effectiveness of management actions including active restoration strategies like coral gardening and creation of artificial reef habitats. | en_US |
dc.description.abstract | Cuando son acompañadas por acciones de manejo adecuadamente informadas, técnicas de restauración activas como la jardinería de corales y el despacho de arrecifes artificiales pueden ayudar a mitigar los efectos negativos que tiene el impacto humano en los ensamblajes de peces asociados a arrecifes naturales. Sin embargo, se conoce muy poco sobre la variación en los patrones ecológicos de los ensamblajes de peces asociados a diferentes estructuras arrecifales. De mediados de abril-2018 a mediados de junio-2019, comparamos los ensamblajes de peces asociados a cuatro estructuras arrecifales: arrecifes naturales (NR), arrecifes transplantados (TR; colonias de Acropora palmata), módulos de concreto o arrecifes de restauración (RR), y arrecifes accidentales (AC; dos ruinas de muelles y un barco hundido) a través de doce sitios alrededor de Puerto Rico. Las variables respuesta fueron abundancia, biomasa, y número de especies por muestra y estas fueron correlacionadas a factores ambientales que potencialmente explicaran los patrones de variación espacial y temporal en los ensamblajes de peces. A pesar de una variación significativa temporal, las diferencias en los ensamblajes de peces entre diferentes tipos de arrecifes fueron mayores que las diferencias entre sitios, aunque menos obvias entre TR y NR. Basándonos en estos resultados, este estudio resalta la importancia de las estadísticas multivariadas para reconocer patrones de variación espacial y temporal en las escalas espaciales más pequeñas. Comprender los ensamblajes de peces en el contexto mayor de la función del ecosistema mejoraría las decisiones de manejo respecto a estrategias de restauración activa como la jardinería de corales y la creación de hábitats de arrecifes artificiales. | en_US |
dc.description.graduationSemester | Fall | en_US |
dc.description.graduationYear | 2020 | en_US |
dc.description.sponsorship | PRIMERv7 software and partial funding for drafting the manuscript was provided by the Laboratory of Experimental Ecology at the Marine Science Laboratory at Isla Magueyes. Small boats to visit sites were also provided by UPRM’s Marine Science Laboratory. Funding for diving and research equipment were provided by the National Science Foundation through the Puerto Rico’s Louis Stoke’s Alliance for Minorities Participation (PR-LSAMP) Bridge to the Doctorate Program (BDP) cohort XII (award no. 1612393). | en_US |
dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11801/2720 | |
dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
dc.rights.holder | (c) 2020 Manuel A. Nieves Ortiz | en_US |
dc.subject | Artificial reef | en_US |
dc.subject | Restoration ecology | en_US |
dc.subject | Fish assemblages | en_US |
dc.subject | Puerto Rico | en_US |
dc.subject | Coastal management | en_US |
dc.subject.lcsh | Artificial reefs - Habitat - Puerto Rico | en_US |
dc.subject.lcsh | Reef fisheries - Puerto Rico | en_US |
dc.subject.lcsh | Coral reef fisheries - Conservation - Puerto Rico | en_US |
dc.subject.lcsh | Coastal zone management - Puerto Rico | en_US |
dc.subject.lcsh | Restoration ecology - Puerto Rico | en_US |
dc.title | Fish assemblages across artificial and natural reefs in Puerto Rico: Implications for management | en_US |
dc.type | Thesis | en_US |
dspace.entity.type | Publication | |
thesis.degree.discipline | Marine Sciences | en_US |
thesis.degree.level | M.S. | en_US |
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