The structure of rocky reef fish assemblages across a nearshore to coastal islands' gradient in Southeastern Brazil

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor(a) principal: Gibran,Fernando Zaniolo
Data de Publicação: 2012
Outros Autores: Moura,Rodrigo Leão de
Tipo de documento: Artigo
Idioma: eng
Título da fonte: Neotropical ichthyology (Online)
Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1679-62252012000200012
Resumo: Local assemblages of fishes associated with reefs are influenced by interactions among the availability of larvae and survival of recruits with subsequent biotic and abiotic forcing, as well as by periodic and episodic disturbances of varying natures and magnitudes. Therefore, besides being structurally heterogeneous and patchily distributed, reef systems are strongly context-dependent due to the influence of a broad array of ecological processes. In order to assess interactions of local factors that influence the distribution and abundance of reef fishes within a coastal mosaic of rocky reefs, we tested the null hypothesis of no significant variation in fish assemblage structure, by comparing 33 sites along the northern coast of the São Paulo State, Southeastern Brazil. Replicated stationary visual census samples (n = 396) were obtained at different distances from the coast, depths and wave exposures, including the mainland, three relatively small coastal islands, and the two margins of a wide channel between the mainland and the large São Sebastião Island (~350 km²), totaling 225 h of SCUBA diving. The regional rocky shore fish fauna comprised 106 species (41 families), with preponderance of diurnal mobile-invertebrate feeders. Samples from the outer margin of the São Sebastião Island, together with those from Alcatrazes, Búzios, and Vitória islands were significantly dissimilar from samples from the coastal sites at the São Sebastião Channel. Species richness tended to increase in a gradient from the coast to the more offshore islands. Local conditions such as depth and other habitat characteristics also influenced fish assemblages' structure. Distance from coast and depth were the main predictors for fish assemblages, followed by water transparency, temperature and benthic cover. This study represents the first regional-scale assessment of fish assemblages associated with rocky reefs in the São Paulo State coast, filling a major geographic knowledge gap in the South Atlantic. As the study region is experiencing fast coastal development and growing threats from seaport expansion, oil and gas exploitation, as well as increasing fishing and tourism pressure, the understanding of the underlying factors that influence the distribution and abundance of the reef-associated biota comprises a relevant baseline for monitoring, conservation planning and management.
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spelling The structure of rocky reef fish assemblages across a nearshore to coastal islands' gradient in Southeastern BrazilCoastal managementSão Paulo coastSão Sebastião ChannelSouth AtlanticSpecies richnessLocal assemblages of fishes associated with reefs are influenced by interactions among the availability of larvae and survival of recruits with subsequent biotic and abiotic forcing, as well as by periodic and episodic disturbances of varying natures and magnitudes. Therefore, besides being structurally heterogeneous and patchily distributed, reef systems are strongly context-dependent due to the influence of a broad array of ecological processes. In order to assess interactions of local factors that influence the distribution and abundance of reef fishes within a coastal mosaic of rocky reefs, we tested the null hypothesis of no significant variation in fish assemblage structure, by comparing 33 sites along the northern coast of the São Paulo State, Southeastern Brazil. Replicated stationary visual census samples (n = 396) were obtained at different distances from the coast, depths and wave exposures, including the mainland, three relatively small coastal islands, and the two margins of a wide channel between the mainland and the large São Sebastião Island (~350 km²), totaling 225 h of SCUBA diving. The regional rocky shore fish fauna comprised 106 species (41 families), with preponderance of diurnal mobile-invertebrate feeders. Samples from the outer margin of the São Sebastião Island, together with those from Alcatrazes, Búzios, and Vitória islands were significantly dissimilar from samples from the coastal sites at the São Sebastião Channel. Species richness tended to increase in a gradient from the coast to the more offshore islands. Local conditions such as depth and other habitat characteristics also influenced fish assemblages' structure. Distance from coast and depth were the main predictors for fish assemblages, followed by water transparency, temperature and benthic cover. This study represents the first regional-scale assessment of fish assemblages associated with rocky reefs in the São Paulo State coast, filling a major geographic knowledge gap in the South Atlantic. As the study region is experiencing fast coastal development and growing threats from seaport expansion, oil and gas exploitation, as well as increasing fishing and tourism pressure, the understanding of the underlying factors that influence the distribution and abundance of the reef-associated biota comprises a relevant baseline for monitoring, conservation planning and management.Sociedade Brasileira de Ictiologia2012-01-01info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersiontext/htmlhttp://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1679-62252012000200012Neotropical Ichthyology v.10 n.2 2012reponame:Neotropical ichthyology (Online)instname:Sociedade Brasileira de Ictiologia (SBI)instacron:SBI10.1590/S1679-62252012005000013info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessGibran,Fernando ZanioloMoura,Rodrigo Leão deeng2012-07-05T00:00:00Zoai:scielo:S1679-62252012000200012Revistahttp://www.ufrgs.br/ni/https://old.scielo.br/oai/scielo-oai.php||neoichth@nupelia.uem.br1982-02241679-6225opendoar:2012-07-05T00:00Neotropical ichthyology (Online) - Sociedade Brasileira de Ictiologia (SBI)false
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv The structure of rocky reef fish assemblages across a nearshore to coastal islands' gradient in Southeastern Brazil
title The structure of rocky reef fish assemblages across a nearshore to coastal islands' gradient in Southeastern Brazil
spellingShingle The structure of rocky reef fish assemblages across a nearshore to coastal islands' gradient in Southeastern Brazil
Gibran,Fernando Zaniolo
Coastal management
São Paulo coast
São Sebastião Channel
South Atlantic
Species richness
title_short The structure of rocky reef fish assemblages across a nearshore to coastal islands' gradient in Southeastern Brazil
title_full The structure of rocky reef fish assemblages across a nearshore to coastal islands' gradient in Southeastern Brazil
title_fullStr The structure of rocky reef fish assemblages across a nearshore to coastal islands' gradient in Southeastern Brazil
title_full_unstemmed The structure of rocky reef fish assemblages across a nearshore to coastal islands' gradient in Southeastern Brazil
title_sort The structure of rocky reef fish assemblages across a nearshore to coastal islands' gradient in Southeastern Brazil
author Gibran,Fernando Zaniolo
author_facet Gibran,Fernando Zaniolo
Moura,Rodrigo Leão de
author_role author
author2 Moura,Rodrigo Leão de
author2_role author
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv Gibran,Fernando Zaniolo
Moura,Rodrigo Leão de
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv Coastal management
São Paulo coast
São Sebastião Channel
South Atlantic
Species richness
topic Coastal management
São Paulo coast
São Sebastião Channel
South Atlantic
Species richness
description Local assemblages of fishes associated with reefs are influenced by interactions among the availability of larvae and survival of recruits with subsequent biotic and abiotic forcing, as well as by periodic and episodic disturbances of varying natures and magnitudes. Therefore, besides being structurally heterogeneous and patchily distributed, reef systems are strongly context-dependent due to the influence of a broad array of ecological processes. In order to assess interactions of local factors that influence the distribution and abundance of reef fishes within a coastal mosaic of rocky reefs, we tested the null hypothesis of no significant variation in fish assemblage structure, by comparing 33 sites along the northern coast of the São Paulo State, Southeastern Brazil. Replicated stationary visual census samples (n = 396) were obtained at different distances from the coast, depths and wave exposures, including the mainland, three relatively small coastal islands, and the two margins of a wide channel between the mainland and the large São Sebastião Island (~350 km²), totaling 225 h of SCUBA diving. The regional rocky shore fish fauna comprised 106 species (41 families), with preponderance of diurnal mobile-invertebrate feeders. Samples from the outer margin of the São Sebastião Island, together with those from Alcatrazes, Búzios, and Vitória islands were significantly dissimilar from samples from the coastal sites at the São Sebastião Channel. Species richness tended to increase in a gradient from the coast to the more offshore islands. Local conditions such as depth and other habitat characteristics also influenced fish assemblages' structure. Distance from coast and depth were the main predictors for fish assemblages, followed by water transparency, temperature and benthic cover. This study represents the first regional-scale assessment of fish assemblages associated with rocky reefs in the São Paulo State coast, filling a major geographic knowledge gap in the South Atlantic. As the study region is experiencing fast coastal development and growing threats from seaport expansion, oil and gas exploitation, as well as increasing fishing and tourism pressure, the understanding of the underlying factors that influence the distribution and abundance of the reef-associated biota comprises a relevant baseline for monitoring, conservation planning and management.
publishDate 2012
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2012-01-01
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1679-62252012000200012
url http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1679-62252012000200012
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv 10.1590/S1679-62252012005000013
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
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dc.format.none.fl_str_mv text/html
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Sociedade Brasileira de Ictiologia
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Sociedade Brasileira de Ictiologia
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Neotropical Ichthyology v.10 n.2 2012
reponame:Neotropical ichthyology (Online)
instname:Sociedade Brasileira de Ictiologia (SBI)
instacron:SBI
instname_str Sociedade Brasileira de Ictiologia (SBI)
instacron_str SBI
institution SBI
reponame_str Neotropical ichthyology (Online)
collection Neotropical ichthyology (Online)
repository.name.fl_str_mv Neotropical ichthyology (Online) - Sociedade Brasileira de Ictiologia (SBI)
repository.mail.fl_str_mv ||neoichth@nupelia.uem.br
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