Fish community modeling agents on an artificial reef on the northern coast of Rio de Janeiro - Brazil

Brotto, Daniel Shimada; Krohling, Werther; Zalmon, Ilana Rosental

Abstracts

Stationary visual census surveys were performed on an experimental artificial reef (21º29'S, 41º00'W) to clarify the role of structural complexity and benthic community as fish community modeling agents. Concrete modules of four types were grouped according to the combination of structural complexity through the presence/absence of holes and favourable/unfavourable surface for benthic colonization by anti-fouling painting. The survey (December 2002 to March 2003) showed higher abundance, richness and diversity in the complex modules. The same habitat usage pattern was observed according to vertical position and bottom type categories: demersal, hard-bottom and habitat generalist fishes preferred the complex ones. A higher number of juveniles occurred at those modules. It is assumed that trophic relationships and different habitat selection related to ontogenetic stages are also important modeling agents to the fish community structure since juvenile fish seem to actively seek the experimental complex modules.

Artificial reef; Fish community; Modeling agents; Structural complexity; Rio de Janeiro

Censos visuais estacionários foram realizados em um recife artificial (21º29'S, 41º00'W) para determinar o papel da complexidade estrutural e da comunidade bêntica como agentes modeladores da comunidade íctica. Módulos de concreto foram agrupados de acordo com a combinação do fator complexidade estrutural através da presença/ausência de cavidades internas nos módulos e de superfícies favoráveis/desfavoráveis à colonização da comunidade bêntica através de tinta anti-incrustante. De dezembro de 2002 a março de 2003, foram registrados maiores valores de abundância, riqueza e diversidade nos módulos complexos. Padrões de uso de habitat similares foram observados de acordo com a posição vertical na coluna de água e tipo de fundo: peixes demersais, de fundo consolidado e habitat generalista preferiram módulos complexos. Os resultados indicam que relações tróficas e seleção de habitat relacionada ao estágio ontogenético são também importantes agentes modeladores da comunidade íctica, uma vez que peixes juvenis buscam ativamente os módulos experimentais estruturalmente mais complexos.

Recife artificial; Comunidade íctica; Agentes modeladores; Complexidade estrutural; Rio de Janeiro

Bohnsack, J. A. & Sutherland, D. L. 1985. Artificial reef research: A review with recommendations for future priorities. Bull. mar. Sci., 31:11–39.
Bohnsack, J. A. & Bannerot, S. P. 1986. A stationary visual census technique for quantitatively assessing community structure of coral reef fishes. NOAA Tech. Rep. NMFS, 41:1–15.
Bohnsack, S. A.; Harper, D. E.; McClellan, D. B. & Hulsberck, M. 1994. Effects of reef size on colonization and assemblage structure of fishes at artificial reefs of southern Florida, USA. Bull. mar.. Sci., 55:796–823.
Brock, R. E. & Kam, A. H. K. 1994. Focusing the recruitment of juvenile fishes on coral reefs. Bull. mar. Sci., 55:623–630.
Brotto, D. S.; Krohling, W.; Brum, S. & Zalmon, I. R. 2006. Usage patterns of an artificial reef by the fish community on the northern coast of Rio de Janeiro. J. coast. Res., SI 39:1277–1281.
Carslile Jr, J. G.; Turner, C. H. & Ebert, E. 1964. Artificial habitat in the marine environment. Fish. Bull., 124:1–93.
Charbonnel, E.; Serre, C.; Ruitton, S.; Harmelin, J. G. & Jensen, A. C. 2002. Effects of increased habitat complexity on fish assemblages associated with large artificial reef units (French Mediterranean coast). ICES J. mar. Sci., 59 (Supplement):208–213.
Chou, L. M.; Lim, G. S. Y. & Leng, C. B. 1991. An assessment of fish communities of artificial reef structures in Brunei Darussalam with recommendations for management an development. Res. Manag. Optimization, 91:15–31.
Eklund, A. M. 1997. The importance of post–settlement predation and reef resources limitation on the structure of reef fish assemblages. In: Internacional Coral Reef Symposium, 8. Paraná, 1996. Proceedings. Panamá, Smithsonian Tropical Research Inotitute, 2:1139–1142.
Ferreira, C. E. L.; Gonçalves, J. E. A. & Coutinho, R. 2001. Community structure of fishes and habitat complexity on a tropical rocky shore. Envir. Biol. Fish., 61:353–369.
Floeter, S. R. & Gasparini, J. L. 2000. The southwestern Atlantic reef fish fauna: composition and zoogeographic patterns. J. Fish Biol., 56:1099–1114.
Frazer, T. K. & Lindberg, W. J. 1994. Refuge spacing similarly affects reef associated species from three phyla. Bull. mar. Sci., 55:388–400.
Godoy, E. A. S.; Almeida, T. C. M. & Zalmon, I. R. 2002. Fish assemblages and environmental variables on an artificial reef – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ICES J. mar.. Sci., 59 (Supplement):138–143.
Herrera, R.; Espino, F.; Garrido, M. & Haroun, R. J. 2002. Observations on fish colonization and predation on two artificial reefs in the Canary Islands. ICES mar. Sci., 59 (Supplement):69–73.
Holbrook, S. J.; Schmitt, R. J.. & Ambrose, R. F. 1990. Biogenic habitat structure and characteristics of temperate reef fish assemblages. Aust. J. Ecol., 15:489–503.
Jacobi, C. M. & Langevin, R. 1994. Habitat geometry of benthic substrata: effects on arrival and settlement of mobile epifauna. J. expl. mar. Biol. Ecol., 206:39–54.
Jones, C. G.; Lawton, J. H. & Shachak, M. 1997. Positive and negative effects of organisms as physical ecosystem engineers. Ecology, 78:1946–1957.
Kawasaki, H.; Sano, M. & Shibuno, T. 2003. The relationship between habitat physical complexity and recruitment of the coral reef damselfish, Pomacentrus amboinensis: an experimental study using small–scale artificial reefs. Ichthyol. Res., 50:73–77.
Krohling, W.; Brotto, D. S. & Zalmon, I. R. 2006. Fouling community recruitment on an artificial reef in the north coast of Rio de Janeiro State. J. coast. Res., SI 39:1118–1121.
Labrosse, P. 2002. Underwater visual fish census surveys: proper use and implementation.Noumea, New Caledonia: Secretariat of the Pacific Community, 60p.
Luckhurst, B. E. & Luckhurst, L. 1977. Analysis of the influence of bottom variables on coral reefs communities. Mar. Biol., 49:317–323.
Ogden, J. C. & Ebersole, J. P. 1981. Scale and community structure of coral reef fishes: a long–term study of a large artificial reef. Mar. Ecol.– Prog. Ser., 4:97–103.
Russel, B. C.; Anderson, G. R. V. & Talbot, F. H. 1978. Seasonality and recruitment of coral reef fishes. Aust. J. mar. Freshwater Res., 28:521–528.
Sale, P. F. & Dybdahl, R. 1975. Determinants of community structure of coral reef fishes in a experimental habitat. Ecology, 56:1343–1355.
Samoilys, M. 1997. Manual for assessing fish stocks on Pacific coral reefs. Brisbane, Australia: The State of Queensland Department of Primary Industries. 75p.
Seaman, W. 2000. Artificial reef evaluation with application to natural marine habitats. 1.ed. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press. 247p.
Sherman, R. L.; Gillian, D. S. & Spieler, R. E. 2002. Artificial reef design: void space, complexity, and attractants. J. mar. Sci., 59:196–200.
Zalmon, I. R.; Novelli, R.; Gomes, M. P. & Faria, V. V. 2002. Experimental results of an artificial reef program on the Brazilian Coast North of Rio de Janeiro. ICES J. mar. Sci., 59 (Supplement):83–87.

Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
05 Nov 2007
Date of issue
Dec 2006

History

Received
06 Apr 2006
Reviewed
31 July 2006
Accepted
25 Sept 2006

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

[1] Bohnsack, J. A. & Sutherland, D. L. 1985. Artificial reef research: A review with recommendations for future priorities. Bull. mar. Sci., 31:11–39.

[2] Bohnsack, J. A. & Bannerot, S. P. 1986. A stationary visual census technique for quantitatively assessing community structure of coral reef fishes. NOAA Tech. Rep. NMFS, 41:1–15.

[3] Bohnsack, S. A.; Harper, D. E.; McClellan, D. B. & Hulsberck, M. 1994. Effects of reef size on colonization and assemblage structure of fishes at artificial reefs of southern Florida, USA. Bull. mar.. Sci., 55:796–823.

[4] Brock, R. E. & Kam, A. H. K. 1994. Focusing the recruitment of juvenile fishes on coral reefs. Bull. mar. Sci., 55:623–630.

[5] Brotto, D. S.; Krohling, W.; Brum, S. & Zalmon, I. R. 2006. Usage patterns of an artificial reef by the fish community on the northern coast of Rio de Janeiro. J. coast. Res., SI 39:1277–1281.

[6] Carslile Jr, J. G.; Turner, C. H. & Ebert, E. 1964. Artificial habitat in the marine environment. Fish. Bull., 124:1–93.

[7] Charbonnel, E.; Serre, C.; Ruitton, S.; Harmelin, J. G. & Jensen, A. C. 2002. Effects of increased habitat complexity on fish assemblages associated with large artificial reef units (French Mediterranean coast). ICES J. mar. Sci., 59 (Supplement):208–213.

[8] Chou, L. M.; Lim, G. S. Y. & Leng, C. B. 1991. An assessment of fish communities of artificial reef structures in Brunei Darussalam with recommendations for management an development. Res. Manag. Optimization, 91:15–31.

[9] Eklund, A. M. 1997. The importance of post–settlement predation and reef resources limitation on the structure of reef fish assemblages. In: Internacional Coral Reef Symposium, 8. Paraná, 1996. Proceedings. Panamá, Smithsonian Tropical Research Inotitute, 2:1139–1142.

[10] Ferreira, C. E. L.; Gonçalves, J. E. A. & Coutinho, R. 2001. Community structure of fishes and habitat complexity on a tropical rocky shore. Envir. Biol. Fish., 61:353–369.

[11] Floeter, S. R. & Gasparini, J. L. 2000. The southwestern Atlantic reef fish fauna: composition and zoogeographic patterns. J. Fish Biol., 56:1099–1114.

[12] Frazer, T. K. & Lindberg, W. J. 1994. Refuge spacing similarly affects reef associated species from three phyla. Bull. mar. Sci., 55:388–400.

[13] Godoy, E. A. S.; Almeida, T. C. M. & Zalmon, I. R. 2002. Fish assemblages and environmental variables on an artificial reef – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ICES J. mar.. Sci., 59 (Supplement):138–143.

[14] Herrera, R.; Espino, F.; Garrido, M. & Haroun, R. J. 2002. Observations on fish colonization and predation on two artificial reefs in the Canary Islands. ICES mar. Sci., 59 (Supplement):69–73.

[15] Holbrook, S. J.; Schmitt, R. J.. & Ambrose, R. F. 1990. Biogenic habitat structure and characteristics of temperate reef fish assemblages. Aust. J. Ecol., 15:489–503.

[16] Jacobi, C. M. & Langevin, R. 1994. Habitat geometry of benthic substrata: effects on arrival and settlement of mobile epifauna. J. expl. mar. Biol. Ecol., 206:39–54.

[17] Jones, C. G.; Lawton, J. H. & Shachak, M. 1997. Positive and negative effects of organisms as physical ecosystem engineers. Ecology, 78:1946–1957.

[18] Kawasaki, H.; Sano, M. & Shibuno, T. 2003. The relationship between habitat physical complexity and recruitment of the coral reef damselfish, Pomacentrus amboinensis: an experimental study using small–scale artificial reefs. Ichthyol. Res., 50:73–77.

[19] Krohling, W.; Brotto, D. S. & Zalmon, I. R. 2006. Fouling community recruitment on an artificial reef in the north coast of Rio de Janeiro State. J. coast. Res., SI 39:1118–1121.

[20] Labrosse, P. 2002. Underwater visual fish census surveys: proper use and implementation.Noumea, New Caledonia: Secretariat of the Pacific Community, 60p.

[21] Luckhurst, B. E. & Luckhurst, L. 1977. Analysis of the influence of bottom variables on coral reefs communities. Mar. Biol., 49:317–323.

[22] Ogden, J. C. & Ebersole, J. P. 1981. Scale and community structure of coral reef fishes: a long–term study of a large artificial reef. Mar. Ecol.– Prog. Ser., 4:97–103.

[23] Russel, B. C.; Anderson, G. R. V. & Talbot, F. H. 1978. Seasonality and recruitment of coral reef fishes. Aust. J. mar. Freshwater Res., 28:521–528.

[24] Sale, P. F. & Dybdahl, R. 1975. Determinants of community structure of coral reef fishes in a experimental habitat. Ecology, 56:1343–1355.

[25] Samoilys, M. 1997. Manual for assessing fish stocks on Pacific coral reefs. Brisbane, Australia: The State of Queensland Department of Primary Industries. 75p.

[26] Seaman, W. 2000. Artificial reef evaluation with application to natural marine habitats. 1.ed. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press. 247p.

[27] Sherman, R. L.; Gillian, D. S. & Spieler, R. E. 2002. Artificial reef design: void space, complexity, and attractants. J. mar. Sci., 59:196–200.

[28] Zalmon, I. R.; Novelli, R.; Gomes, M. P. & Faria, V. V. 2002. Experimental results of an artificial reef program on the Brazilian Coast North of Rio de Janeiro. ICES J. mar. Sci., 59 (Supplement):83–87.

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Fish community modeling agents on an artificial reef on the northern coast of Rio de Janeiro - Brazil

Abstracts

Publication Dates

History