Effects of artificial holdfast units on seahorse density in the Ria Formosa lagoon, Portugal

Correia, Miguel; Koldewey, Heather J.; Andrade, J.P.; Palma, Jorge

doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2015.05.012

Cited by 24 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…With habitat availability the suspected cause of Hippocampus spp. population declines in Ria Formosa lagoon, artificial holdfast units were deployed as a potential conservation tool for the species H. guttulatus and H. hippocampus (Correia et al, ). These artificial habitats were inhabited by large densities of Hippocampus spp., though results suggested that these units may have limited effect when placed in close proximity to undamaged, high complexity natural habitats (Correia et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…population declines in Ria Formosa lagoon, artificial holdfast units were deployed as a potential conservation tool for the species H. guttulatus and H. hippocampus (Correia et al, ). These artificial habitats were inhabited by large densities of Hippocampus spp., though results suggested that these units may have limited effect when placed in close proximity to undamaged, high complexity natural habitats (Correia et al, ). Although it is known that artificial habitats may be selected by seahorses such as H. whitei , it is not known how these choices work at scale, nor where large amounts of preferred habitat are present; i.e ., soft coral and sponge habitats.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…T A B L E 1 Results of Student's t-tests run for each experiment, which tested the null hypotheses that the mean choice scores for Hippocampus whitei (within each experiment) were equal to zero. In a significant A v. B test, a positive t test indicates that habitat A has been chosen and vice versa (Correia et al, 2015). These artificial habitats were inhabited by large densities of Hippocampus spp., though results suggested that these units may have limited effect when placed in close proximity to undamaged, high complexity natural habitats (Correia et al, 2015).…”

Section: Ranking Of Habitatsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The endangered White's seahorse Hippocampus whitei chooses artificial over natural habitats

Simpson

Morris

Harasti

et al. 2019

Journal of Fish Biology

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To explore whether the endangered White's seahorse Hippocampus whitei would choose to inhabit artificial over natural habitats, 10 adult H. whitei individuals were put through a series of binary choice trials in aquaria, during which they were offered different paired combinations of natural (different types of macroalga and seagrass) and artificial habitat (panels of swimming‐net material). It was found that H. whitei displayed a significant choice for swimming‐net material over all other available natural habitats and chose habitats according to the following rankings: (a) Net; (b) Sargassum sp.; (c) Posidonia australis; (d) Zostera muelleri. Hippocampus whitei’s choice of swimming net material over natural habitat suggests that these artificial structures could be a useful conservation measure for seahorses in areas where natural habitat is becoming less favourable due to declines in abundance or quality.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Ranking Of Habitatsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The endangered White's seahorse Hippocampus whitei chooses artificial over natural habitats

Simpson

Morris

Harasti

et al. 2019

Journal of Fish Biology

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“…The Hippocampus species in temperate Atlantic regions are usually associated with seagrass habitats (Foster & Vincent, ), although some observations suggest that they can also exploit uncovered substrates and sandy bottoms with few potential holdfasts and hiding places (Bell, Lockyear, McPherson, Marsden, & Vincent, ; Garrick‐Maidment & Jones, ). Various publications (Correia, Koldewey, Andrade, & Palma, ; Curtis & Vincent, ; Gristina et al, ; Woodall, ) suggest that H. guttulatus prefers seagrass beds and artificial substrates, whereas H. hippocampus can be found more frequently on soft bottoms among rocks and algae, but also on artificial substrates.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution and habitat preferences of Hippocampus species along the Apulian coast

Lazic

Pierri

Gristina

et al. 2018

Aquatic Conservation

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The aim of this study was to provide further knowledge of the ecological, spatial, and temporal distribution and life‐cycle traits of the sympatric seahorse species Hippocampus hippocampus and Hippocampus guttulatus. From 2011 to 2014, data were collected from 20 sites along the Apulian coast (Southern Italy) in order to cover a wide range of coastal marine, open water, and lagoon sites, from the surface to a depth of 48 metres. Seahorses were found at seven of the 20 sites investigated. Both species displayed temporal persistence, patchy distribution, and a high spatial demographic heterogeneity. This study revealed a smaller maximum size and size at maturity of H. guttulatus than has been reported elsewhere. Although it is possible that environmental factors are influencing the size of these animals, there may be genetic explanations, especially for lagoon populations. Despite the fragmented distribution and often low abundance found along the Apulian coast, some seahorse populations appear to be locally persistent and stable over time, suggesting that there is a need for appropriate location‐specific conservation strategies. Not just maintaining but increasing the area of artificial substrates, which enhance habitat complexity and provide holdfasts, could represent a possible approach to help conserve marine littoral biodiversity and to protect endangered species in lagoons.

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“…The higher H. capensis population densities consistently found in the marina is perhaps not surprising, as artificial habitats and structures can increase seahorse population densities (Harasti et al ., ; Correia et al ., ), particularly in areas devoid of natural habitat (Correia et al ., ). Seahorse species found in shallow waters tend to occur in habitats that are protected against adverse environmental effects, such as storms, and which provide suitable habitat in terms of holdfasts (Choo & Liew, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Monthly population density and structure patterns of an endangered seahorse Hippocampus capensis: a comparison between natural and artificial habitats

Claassens

Hodgson

2018

Journal of Fish Biology

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This study investigated aspects of the population ecology of the endangered Knysna seahorse Hippocampus capensis within different habitat types. High densities of H. capensis were found within artificial Reno mattress habitat, within the Knysna Estuary, South Africa. Monthly surveys at three sites were conducted from October 2015 to August 2016 to compare population densities of H. capensis in this artificial habitat with natural eel grass Zostera capensis habitat. Hippocampus capensis densities varied significantly across all sites and highest population densities were consistently observed within the Reno mattress habitat. Hippocampus capensis were also found to be significantly larger within the Reno mattress habitat and pooled data showed that males were significantly larger than females. The overall sex ratio for all three sites was female biased, although this varied across seasons at two sites. The findings suggest that artificial Reno mattresses provide novel habitat for this endangered species and consideration should be given to the usefulness of these structures in future conservation actions.

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Effects of artificial holdfast units on seahorse density in the Ria Formosa lagoon, Portugal

Cited by 24 publications

References 35 publications

The endangered White's seahorse Hippocampus whitei chooses artificial over natural habitats

The endangered White's seahorse Hippocampus whitei chooses artificial over natural habitats

Distribution and habitat preferences of Hippocampus species along the Apulian coast

Monthly population density and structure patterns of an endangered seahorse Hippocampus capensis: a comparison between natural and artificial habitats

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