Publication:
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
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
CIMA_NievesOrtizMA_2020.pdf
Size:
2.12 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.71 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description: