Spatial distribution and structure along ecological gradients: penaeid shrimps in a tropical estuarine habitat of Mexico

Abstract

The spatial structure of salinity, submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) and 4 shrimp (Farfantepenaeus spp.) populations along an estuarine habitat was evaluated seasonally, based on data gathered every 1 km along a 1-dimensional transect in Celestun Lagoon, Mexico. Geostatistical techniques were used to evaluate autocorrelation among data points along the transect, and to predict their spatial distribution by kriging. The estuarine habitat was characterized by persistent salinity gradients, decreasing from the seaward (1 km) to the inner (18 km) zone of the lagoon. SAV biomass was almost always spatially structured and best described by spherical variograms. Spatial partitioning between SAV species was evident: the seagrasses Halodule wrightii and Ruppia maritima dominated the seaward and central zones of the lagoon, respectively, whereas the green alga Chara fibrosa was constrained to the inner zone. Shrimp abundance also presented a marked spatial structure best described by spherical variograms. Spatial structure of shrimps, discriminated by species (F. aztecus, F. brasiliensis, F. duorarum and F. notialis) and population components (recruits, juveniles, subadults) was most evident in the Nortes season (i.e. the season of strong northerly winds) and poorly defined in the Dry season. Spatial partitioning among species and population components was not detectable. Total shrimps and recruits were generally most abundant close to the mouth of the lagoon, although juvenile and subadult abundance peaked farther from the mouth than recruits. Distance from the mouth was the most important factor determining the spatial distribution of shrimps along the estuarine habitat. At local scales, abundance and type of SAV beds were crucial factors determining the abundance and spatial distribution of shrimps. Analysis at different spatial scales allowed us to identify the importance of spatial structure in biotic and abiotic variables of this estuarine habitat.

Spatial structure and bathymetric patterns of penaeoid shrimps in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico

“…the expected values at any sampling site were constant and the covariance of shrimp density at two sampling sites depended solely on the distance between stations and not on their location (Warren, 1998). Pérez-Castañeda and Defeo (2004) also found a marked spatial structure of shrimp abundance for F. aztecus, F. duorarum, F. brasiliensis and F. notialis in a tropical estuarine habitat of Mexico, which was best described by spherical variograms.…”

Using estuarine landscape structure to model distribution patterns in nekton communities and in juveniles of fishery species

“…estuary mouth or pass) can influence habitat use by nekton species and assemblages (e.g. Bell et al 1988, Hannan & Williams 1998, Pérez-Castañeda & Defeo 2004. At these broad scales, only a few studies (e.g.…”

Can ephemeral proliferations of submerged macrophytes influence zoobenthos and water quality in coastal lagoons?

“…Submerged macrophytes can also attenuate eutrophication by stabilizing clear water states, outcompeting phytoplankton for nutrients and light, among other complex biological interactions (Scheffer, 1998;Søndergaard & Moss, 1998). Macrophytes act as a refuge for zooplankton (Timms & Moss, 1984;Mazzeo et al, 2003), crustaceans (Pérez-Castañeda & Defeo, 2004) and fishes (Stevenson, 1988;Jeppesen et al, 1998;Meerhoff et al, 2003). The benthic community shows a strong association with SAV (Thomaz et al, 2008), generally with higher richness and total abundance in vegetated than in unvegetated zones (Stevenson, 1988;Bergey et al, 1992;Connolly, 1997) due to the higher diversity of habitats, refuge and food availability (Diehl & Kornijów, 1998).…”