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The present study evaluated the ecological response of fish fauna to hydrological restoration in a mangrove area in Terminos Lagoon in the Gulf of Mexico. In two years, environmental parameters and ichthyofauna were obtained in a channel under restoration and a conserved channel. The fish fauna was composed of 12 species. As a result of the restoration process, changes in composition and abundance of some species were detected. The presence of visiting marine species Bathygobius soporator and Eucinostomus melanopterus, and an increase in the abundance of resident fish, livebearers species, were recorded. Richness, diversity, and evenness vary significantly between channels. Generalized linear mixed models indicated that the abundances of resident and overall fishes were significantly related to water depth, temperature, and salinity. The results suggest that fish are an ecological indicator of the mangrove reconnection with the Terminos Lagoon and the restoration of natural tidal flow in the short term. Long-term systematic monitoring of fish fauna will promote a better understanding of the restoration of mangroves and corresponding changes in the function of this ecosystem.

Mangroves are coastal wetlands with high biodiversity and productivity, with great interaction with coastal environments. In the face of worldwide mangrove loss, restoration projects attempt to recover ecosystem composition and functioning over time. Our objective was to examine and compare the food webs in mangrove areas with different restoration times and in a reference mangrove in Términos Lagoon, Mexico. We estimated the trophic structure, identified the carbon resources that maintain aquatic consumers through the analysis of stable isotopes, and compared the trophic niche of the restored mangroves with the reference mangrove. We analyzed environmental variables, trophic structure, and contributions of resources during three seasons: rainy, dry, and “nortes”. Environmental changes and food structure changed in response to regional seasons. Bayesian mixing models indicated that food webs varied seasonally as a response to the primary productivity developed at Términos Lagoon. As expected, the assimilation of C3 plants in the reference mangrove was highest, as a primary (“nortes” season) and secondary resource (dry and rainy seasons). The restored mangroves depended mainly on allochthonous resources (seagrass, epiphytes, and phytoplankton). The assimilation of these resources highlighted the importance of connectivity and the input of sources of carbon from nearby coastal environments. Trophic niche analysis showed that the area with longer restoration time was more similar to the reference mangrove, which is evidence of the importance and efficacy of the restoration process, as well as the restoration of the ecosystem function over time.