Fish diversity in tidepools: assembling effects of environmental heterogeneity

Abstract

Tidepools are considered ecosystems of high interchangeable fish biota. However, natural and anthropogenic actions that alter negatively marine ecosystems functioning (e.g., algal exploitation) are causing homogenization of fish biodiversity. Here, we describe the functional and taxonomic assembling of fishes in beach rocks of northeastern Brazil. Traits of fish species were retrieved from Fishbase and beta diversity was assessed by the dispersion of abundance, presence-absence and functional diversity in the multivariate space. We explained spatial-temporal variation in: alpha diversity, taxonomic and functional community composition; as well as temporal variation in functional, beta and gamma diversities. We found an annual stability in fish diversity and composition, and that fish biota was assembled mainly per tidepools' depths. Substrate heterogeneity was correlated to depth, highlighting the role of local features as filters to organize the fish fauna vertically in tidepools, especially a cultivation of algae that influences the local assembling. We also highlight the uniqueness status of beach rocks in the Brazilian tropical region.

A network meta‐analysis of threats to South American fish biodiversity

“…The lower acceleration of marine cultivation reported in our results could represent a future zone of exploitation, but this is not the case yet. Nevertheless, trade‐offs emerging from the exploitation and resilience of marine environments should be evaluated (Bezerra et al, ; Libralato & Agnetta, ).…”

“…The sun coral (Tubastraea coccinea and T. tagusensis, Dendrophylliidae) was introduced in the South Atlantic in past decades via ballast water, and this invader is now widespread in protected and unprotected areas of the South Atlantic (Mantelatto, Creed, Mourão, Migotto, & Lindner, 2011;Moura et al, 2013). While expanding its range northward and southward, the sun coral can cover nearly 100% of the benthos (Mantelatto et al, 2011), which inhibits several endemic species, such as the brain coral (Mussimilia hispida, Mussidae), and increases environmental redundancy, thus affecting the associated fish biodiversity (Creed, 2006;Bezerra et al, 2017). Another hypothesis to the yellow bar angelfish is that such species did not arrive in Brazil via ballast water or aquarium trade but probably associated with oil platforms (Soeth et al, 2018).…”

“…The "insurance hypothesis" states that biodiversity grants stability to ecosystem processes (Naeem & Li, 1997), so a researcher should always document a decrease in biodiversity and explain its effects to the society (Cardinale et al, 2012;Bezerra, Padial, Mariano, Garcez, & Sánchez-Botero, 2017). Studies at the species level hinder essential aspects of the aquatic biodiversity as many rare and vulnerable species can be functionally redundant (Leitão et al, 2016).…”

“…The lower acceleration of marine cultivation reported in our results could represent a future zone of exploitation, but this is not the case yet. Nevertheless, trade-offs emerging from the exploitation and resilience of marine environments should be evaluated(Bezerra et al, 2017;Libralato & Agnetta, 2019).Finally, managers and decision-makers do not entirely determine conservation outcomes; democratic nations directly influence the global status of fish biodiversity when choosing their candidates. During Brazilian 2018 trials, the president promised the end of protected areas, advocated the closure of the Ministry of the Environment and encouraged the exploitation of Amazon (please, see "Bolsonaro's Environmental Assault" in <nacla.org>).…”

Ictiofauna De Poças De Maré Em Terraços Consolidados Do Litoral Amazônico Brasileiro

“…Nas últimas duas décadas houve um aumento expressivo nas pesquisas sobre a ictiofauna que ocupam as poças de marés no Brasil, com enfoque na compreensão da estrutura de comunidades e características abióticas das poças (e.g. Barreiros et al 2004, Cunha et al 2007, 2008, Macieira & Joyeux 2011, Macieira et al 2011, Freitas & Lotufo 2015, Machado et al 2015, Pastro et al 2016, Bezerra et al 2017. Pesquisas como inventários de espécies, processos ecológicos e monitoramento são essenciais para a manuntenção da saúde do meio ambiente (Machado et al 2015) e relevantes para o conhecimento e conservação de espécies que ocorrem nas zonas entremarés.…”