Changes in reef fish assemblages in a cross-shelf euphotic-mesophotic gradient in tropical SW Atlantic

Silva, M.B.; Rosa, Ricardo S.; Menezes, R.; Francini‐Filho, Ronaldo B.

doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2021.107465

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 78 publications

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“…Importantly, shifts in the trait composition of reef fishes can have flow-on effects on the movement and storage of energy and materials (i.e., ecosystem functions) 29 . The latter is exemplified in studies on the trophic structure of reef fishes across euphotic-mesophotic zones, where species relying on epibenthic productivity (e.g., herbivorous and invertivorous pathways) tend to dominate shallow reefs, while species depending on planktonic productivity tend to dominate in deeper areas 10 , 12 , 30 . Understanding these processes, and the extent to which shallow and mesophotic reefs overlap in their functional (i.e., trait) composition and structure, is thus a critical knowledge gap to understand the extent to which mesophotic reefs can serve as refugia of core ecosystem functions on rapidly eroding shallow reefs 31 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Black coral forests enhance taxonomic and functional distinctiveness of mesophotic fishes in an oceanic island: implications for biodiversity conservation

Bosch

Espino

Tuya

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

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The degradation of shallow ecosystems has called for efforts to understand the biodiversity and functioning of Mesophotic Ecosystems. However, most empirical studies have been restricted to tropical regions and have majorly focused on taxonomic entities (i.e., species), neglecting important dimensions of biodiversity that influence community assembly and ecosystem functioning. Here, using a subtropical oceanic island in the eastern Atlantic Ocean (Lanzarote, Canary Islands), we investigated variation in (a) alpha and (b) beta functional (i.e., trait) diversity across a depth gradient (0–70 m), as a function of the presence of black coral forests (BCFs, order Antipatharian) in the mesophotic strata, a vulnerable but often overlooked ‘ecosystem engineer’ in regional biodiversity. Despite occupying a similar volume of the functional space (i.e., functional richness) than shallow (< 30 m) reefs, mesophotic fish assemblages inhabiting BCFs differed in their functional structure when accounting for species abundances, with lower evenness and divergence. Similarly, although mesophotic BCFs shared, on average, 90% of the functional entities with shallow reefs, the identity of common and dominant taxonomic and functional entities shifted. Our results suggest BCFs promoted the specialization of reef fishes, likely linked to convergence towards optimal traits to maximize the use of resources and space. Regional biodiversity planning should thus focus on developing specific management and conservation strategies for preserving the unique biodiversity and functionality of mesophotic BCFs.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Black coral forests enhance taxonomic and functional distinctiveness of mesophotic fishes in an oceanic island: implications for biodiversity conservation

Bosch

Espino

Tuya

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

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“…It concentrates diverse fishing resources over a relatively narrow area, sustaining important multispecific reef fisheries 21 – 24 . However, so far few study actually quantified the relative importance of mesophotic reefs for fish and/or in comparison to euphotic reefs, in particular because consistent observations extending from the shoreline to the shelf-break are lacking 25 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comprehensive spatial distribution of tropical fish assemblages from multifrequency acoustics and video fulfils the island mass effect framework

Salvetat

Bez

Habasque

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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Tropical marine ecosystems are highly biodiverse and provide resources for small-scale fisheries and tourism. However, precise information on fish spatial distribution is lacking, which limits our ability to reconcile exploitation and conservation. We combined acoustics to video observations to provide a comprehensive description of fish distribution in a typical tropical environment, the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago (FNA) off Northeast Brazil. We identified and classified all acoustic echoes into ten fish assemblage and two triggerfish species. This opened up the possibility to relate the different spatial patterns to a series of environmental factors and the level of protection. We provide the first biomass estimation of the black triggerfish Melichthys niger, a key tropical player. By comparing the effects of euphotic and mesophotic reefs we show that more than the depth, the most important feature is the topography with the shelf-break as the most important hotspot. We also complete the portrait of the island mass effect revealing a clear spatial dissymmetry regarding fish distribution. Indeed, while primary productivity is higher downstream, fish concentrate upstream. The comprehensive fish distribution provided by our approach is directly usable to implement scientific-grounded Marine Spatial Planning.

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Habitat use plasticity by the dog snapper (Lutjanus jocu) across the Abrolhos Bank shelf, eastern Brazil, inferred from otolith chemistry

Menezes

Moura

Santos

et al. 2021

Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science

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Changes in reef fish assemblages in a cross-shelf euphotic-mesophotic gradient in tropical SW Atlantic

Cited by 4 publications

References 78 publications

Black coral forests enhance taxonomic and functional distinctiveness of mesophotic fishes in an oceanic island: implications for biodiversity conservation

Black coral forests enhance taxonomic and functional distinctiveness of mesophotic fishes in an oceanic island: implications for biodiversity conservation

Comprehensive spatial distribution of tropical fish assemblages from multifrequency acoustics and video fulfils the island mass effect framework

Habitat use plasticity by the dog snapper (Lutjanus jocu) across the Abrolhos Bank shelf, eastern Brazil, inferred from otolith chemistry

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