How much variation can be explained by seasonal, spatial and environmental effects in nekton assemblages of the Terminos Lagoon?

Abstract

ABSTRACT1. The coastline is very sensitive to both climatic and human influences but also provides essential goods and services upon which human welfare depends. Species inhabiting these coastal areas provide valuable resources and enhance ecosystem functioning: it is therefore essential to understand the main factors influencing species abundance patterns. The aim of this study is to estimate the amount of variation in nekton coastal assemblages explained by spatial, temporal and environmental variables.2. Nekton sampling was carried out over 17 months in the Terminos Lagoon, a reserve area situated in the Gulf of Mexico, using a shrimp trawl. At each station, 11 environmental variables were recorded. The influence of seasonal, spatial and environmental variables on nekton species abundance was analysed using Partial Canonical Correspondence Analysis (PCCA).3. The explanatory variables explained only 19.7% of the total observed variation in the nekton community for the Terminos Lagoon. The major part of the explained variation was due to the spatial effect (9.2%), while environmental variables and seasonality explained only 3.6% and 0.8%, respectively, suggesting the necessity to consider experimental fishing design in such artisanal fisheries.4. Results also suggest focusing on more integrative indicators of community structure such as measures of taxonomic diversity based on presence/absence or on measures related to functional attributes of communities rather than using species abundance patterns to predict changes in coastal ecosystems.

Seasonal variability of nektonic community structure and phylogenetic diversity in Weizhou Island, the Beibu Gulf

“…Overfishing is one of the main reasons for the decline of fish biodiversity and fishery resources in the Beibu Gulf even the South China Sea (Chen et al, 2011;Zhang et al, 2021;Su et al, 2022). Numerous studies have revealed the importance of seasonal variations in explaining the structure and distribution of coastal nektonic communities (Hoff and Ibara, 1977;Lazzari et al, 1999;Raposa et al, 2003;Pattrick and Strydom, 2008;Ramos-Miranda et al, 2008). The results of our study further support that the environmental heterogeneity caused by seasonal variation contributes to the coastal nekton community assembly and phylogenetic diversity in the Beibu Gulf.…”

Variación temporal de la abundancia de la comunidad de peces en el delta del río Usumacinta, México

“…Se ha detectado que la abundancia de peces de la zona marina y estuarina incrementa durante la temporada de lluvias . En cambio, la ictiofauna en la laguna de Términos muestra cambios en la abundancia y en la riqueza de manera espacial, como resultado del efecto de la descarga de ríos y la disminución de la salinidad (Ramos-Miranda et al, 2008;Sosa-López et al, 2007). Los sistemas fluvio-lagunares estuarinos Palizada y Pom-Atasta muestran variaciones temporales en la salinidad, temperatura y oxígeno disuelto, las cuales pueden verse influenciadas por la dinámica de la laguna de Términos https://doi.…”

Optimal fishing samplers to reveal the morphological structure of a fish assemblage in a subtropical tidal flat

“…In tropical and subtropical ecosystems, fish biodiversity includes widely variable forms. However, most studies on this subject have been performed based on a single gear type (Miranda et al, 2008;Rocha et al, 2010;Soeth et al, 2015;Work et al, 2017), even though different gears perform better for specific components. The use of a single gear often underestimates the species richness and the morphofunctional diversity of the system, thereby contributing to an inaccurate assessment of its health (Diekmann et al, 2005;Garcia et al, 2012).…”