Trait groups as management entities in a complex, multispecies reef fishery

Anderson, L.; Houk, Peter; Miller, Mark G. R.; Cuetos-Bueno, Javier; Graham, Curtis; Kanemoto, Kriskitina; Terk, Elizabeth; McLeod, Elizabeth; Beger, Maria

doi:10.1111/cobi.13866

Cited by 6 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 53 publications

(70 reference statements)

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“…The categorical single‐trait database followed traditional trait‐based techniques and allowed for one value per trait per species. These values were obtained from FishBase, where the mean (numerical traits) or the dominant reported value (categorical traits) was assigned (Anderson, Houk, et al., 2022, Anderson, Mclean, et al., 2022, Cook et al., 2022, Miller et al., 2023, Clay et al., 2023). Traits for the categorical trait database included two numerical (maximum length and pelagic larval duration [PLD]) and three categorical (trophic level, substrate preference and reproductive method) data formats.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variation in functional composition of reef fishes along a tropical‐to‐temperate gradient

Clay,

Reimer,

Sommer

et al. 2023

Journal of Biogeography

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AimsTransformation of species and functional composition on subtropical reefs are ongoing due to poleward range shifts of some tropical species, with largely unknown consequences to ecosystem functioning. Trait‐based approaches are powerful tools to quantify such changes. Here, we evaluated changes in the trait composition of coral‐associated fish assemblages along a tropical‐to‐temperate environmental gradient of ca. 1400 km in southern Japan with abundance‐weighted trait expression to assess how trait composition changes with increasing latitude.LocationRyukyu Islands and southern Pacific coast of Japan.TaxonReef fish.MethodsWe tested for shifts in trait space and functional redundancy, based on five morphological, life history and behavioural traits: maximum length, pelagic larval duration, trophic level, substrate preference and reproductive mode. Our trait database was coded with two approaches, first, by attributing a single value to each trait per species, and second, by fuzzy coding that allows more than one value per trait and hence considers some intraspecific trait variation.ResultsWe found a reduction in specialist habitat traits (coral substrate preference, nesters and herbivores) and an increase in generalist traits (predators) with increasing latitude, along with a contraction in trait space from tropical‐to‐temperate reefs. Functional redundancy declined with increasing latitude. These trends were closely linked with latitudinal gradients in temperature, along with changes in other environmental factors such as turbidity and photosynthetically active radiation.Main ConclusionFunctional turnover and contractions are thus likely due to the marginal conditions for coral‐associated fishes at higher latitudes, favouring generalist species, whereas increased resources at lower latitudes favour high redundancy and niche partitioning. Accounting for intraspecific trait variation indicated the same trends but highlighted increased functional vulnerability across all sites. We show that trait complexity in coral‐associated fish communities decreases from tropical‐to‐temperate reefs, highlighting the reduced functional scope that comes with marginal environmental conditions.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variation in functional composition of reef fishes along a tropical‐to‐temperate gradient

Clay,

Reimer,

Sommer

et al. 2023

Journal of Biogeography

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Co-variation of fish and coral traits in relation to habitat type and fishery status

et al. 2022

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Escalating climate impacts on coral reefs are increasingly expanding management goals beyond preserving biodiversity to also maintaining ecosystem functions. Morphological and ecological species traits can help assess changes within reef communities beyond taxonomic identities alone. However, our limited understanding of trait interactions between habitat-building corals and associated reef fishes and whether they are captured by current monitoring practices hampers management. Here, we apply co-inertia analyses to test whether trait assemblages in corals and fishes co-vary across different habitats and test whether different components of the reef fish community (fisheries vs. non-target species) display distinct relationships. We find that spatial co-variation across habitat types between coral and fish traits is strengthened by the addition of non-target fishes. Additionally, even in fisheries with diverse targets, non-target species make unique contributions to the overall trait structure and highlight the importance of considering monitoring protocols when drawing conclusions about traits and ecosystems.

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Variation in species and functional composition of octocorals and zoantharians across a tropical to temperate environmental gradient in the Indo-Pacific

Otis,

Reimer,

Kawamura

et al. 2024

Coral Reefs

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Global warming causes functional shifts and reorganisation in marine communities through range shifts to high-latitude reefs and cnidarian bleaching mortality in the tropics. Such changes threaten the integrity and structure of marine communities, especially as foundational and associated species are reduced or lost. However, comparatively little is known about the extent of range shifts and their ecological consequences for the overlooked components of marine ecosystems, such as octocorals and zoantharians (O + Z) on shallow coral reefs. As these groups play a crucial part in building complexity and sustaining life in reef communities, functional shifts in these taxa may cascade through the entire ecosystem, but these processes have not been quantified. Here, we examined the environmental drivers and functional consequences of spatial variation in octocoral and zoantharian communities across 27 sites in southern Japan, spanning from tropical to warm-temperate waters. We collated a trait database for 42 entities (species, genus, and family level identifications) of octocorals and zoantharians and calculated functional diversity and functional richness to measure functional compositional change. We identified five functional groups according to their trait similarities and identified how their abundances respond to changing environmental factors with general additive models (GAMs). We found functional shifts among octocorals and zoantharians across the tropical to temperate thermal gradient, with the abundances of two functional groups best explained by gradients in minimum sea surface temperature. Non-linear relationships between the functional groups and thermal gradients imply a more intricate relationship than expected, suggesting other non-temperature-based drivers, e.g., nitrogen or pH levels might also play an important role. Only functional group richness and species richness showed significant correlations with latitude, whilst functional diversity and functional richness did not. Our results indicate that octocoral and zoantharian communities and functionality potentially undergo shifts with clear community compositional changes, influenced by climate change across environmental gradients. However, the taxonomy and identification of these taxa remain difficult, and information on functional traits is often sparse or not species-specific, indicating a clear need for further basic zoological and ecological work on octocorals and zoantharians.

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Trait groups as management entities in a complex, multispecies reef fishery

Abstract: Article impact statement: Groups of species that share similar traits respond differentially to fishing pressure, which can be used to structure management actions.

Cited by 6 publications

References 53 publications

Variation in functional composition of reef fishes along a tropical‐to‐temperate gradient

Variation in functional composition of reef fishes along a tropical‐to‐temperate gradient

Co-variation of fish and coral traits in relation to habitat type and fishery status

Variation in species and functional composition of octocorals and zoantharians across a tropical to temperate environmental gradient in the Indo-Pacific

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