Fishery-Independent Data Reveal Negative Effect of Human Population Density on Caribbean Predatory Fish Communities

BACKGROUND: Understanding the current status of predatory fish communities, and the effects fishing has on them, is vitally important information for management. However, data are often insufficient at region-wide scales to assess the effects of extraction in coral reef ecosystems of developing nations. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here, I overcome this difficulty by using a publicly accessible, fisheries-independent database to provide a broad scale, comprehensive analysis of human impacts on predatory reef fish communities across the greater Caribbean region. Specifically, this study analyzed presence and diversity of predatory reef fishes over a gradient of human population density. Across the region, as human population density increases, presence of large-bodied fishes declines, and fish communities become dominated by a few smaller-bodied species. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Complete disappearance of several large-bodied fishes indicates ecological and local extinctions have occurred in some densely populated areas. These findings fill a fundamentally important gap in our knowledge of the ecosystem effects of artisanal fisheries in developing nations, and provide support for multiple approaches to data collection where they are commonly unavailable

Spatial Patterns in Herbivory on a Coral Reef Are Influenced by Structural Complexity but Not by Algal Traits

Background: Patterns of herbivory can alter the spatial structure of ecosystems, with important consequences for ecosystem functions and biodiversity. While the factors that drive spatial patterns in herbivory in terrestrial systems are well established, comparatively less is known about what influences the distribution of herbivory in coral reefs. Methodology and Principal Findings: We quantified spatial patterns of macroalgal consumption in a cross-section of Ningaloo Reef (Western Australia). We used a combination of descriptive and experimental approaches to assess the influence of multiple macroalgal traits and structural complexity in establishing the observed spatial patterns in macroalgal herbivory, and to identify potential feedback mechanisms between herbivory and macroalgal nutritional quality. Spatial patterns in macroalgal consumption were best explained by differences in structural complexity among habitats. The biomass of herbivorous fish, and rates of herbivory were always greater in the structurally-complex coral-dominated outer reef and reef flat habitats, which were also characterised by high biomass of herbivorous fish, low cover and biomass of macroalgae and the presence of unpalatable algae species. Macroalgal consumption decreased to undetectable levels within 75 m of structurally-complex reef habitat, and algae were most abundant in the structurally-simple lagoon habitats, which were also characterised by the presence of the most palatable algae species. In contrast to terrestrial ecosystems, herbivory patterns were not influenced by the distribution, productivity or nutritional quality of resources (macroalgae), and we found no evidence of a positive feedback between macroalgal consumption and the nitrogen content of algae. Significance: This study highlights the importance of seascape-scale patterns in structural complexity in determining spatial patterns of macroalgal consumption by fish. Given the importance of herbivory in maintaining the ability of coral reefs to reorganise and retain ecosystem functions following disturbance, structural complexity emerges as a critical feature that is essential for the healthy functioning of these ecosystems

The effects of suspended sediment on coral reef fish assemblages and feeding guilds of north-west Australia

© 2018 Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature Understanding environmental drivers of fish assemblage composition is fundamental to designing useful management plans for anthropogenic activities. This study investigated the influence of suspended sediment on reef fish assemblages and habitat composition over a cross-shelf turbidity gradient in the nearshore Pilbara region of Western Australia. The responses of all feeding guilds were analysed to identify feeding guilds vulnerable to elevations in suspended sediment and sedimentation. This study is the first of its kind to utilise both remotely sensed and in situ turbidity data to characterise the general turbidity regime and magnitude of stochastic events. By using the coordinates from a principle coordinates analysis, we were able to capture both the general turbidity conditions and stochastic turbidity spikes at each site, whilst the use of in situ turbidity measurements allowed us to effectively ‘ground-truth’ the remotely sensed TSS data. Underwater visual census was used to sample the fish assemblage and quantify habitat across the turbidity gradient. Generalised additive mixed models were used to explore the relationships between environmental variables, habitat variables, and fish assemblage metrics. Species richness significantly declined with increasing levels of turbidity. This study identified two key functional groups of fish that are vulnerable to elevated suspended sediment loads. Planktivorous omnivores and herbivorous scrapers decreased in abundance at high turbidity sites. Total biomass of herbivorous scrapers was lower at turbid sites, whilst the biomass of planktivorous omnivores was not related to any of the predictor variables. Changes in the abundance, biomass, and behaviour of these functional groups can have severe consequences for the resilience and recovery of coral reefs. Anthropogenic activities that elevate suspended sediment in regions where coral reef communities exist should consider these implications when designing management plans

Nuclear spins and magnetic moments of Cu71,73,75: Inversion of π2p3/2 and π1f5/2 Levels in Cu75

We report the first confirmation of the predicted inversion between the π2p3/2 and π1f5/2 nuclear states in the νg9/2 midshell. This was achieved at the ISOLDE facility, by using a combination of in-source laser spectroscopy and collinear laser spectroscopy on the ground states of Cu71,73,75, which measured the nuclear spin and magnetic moments. The obtained values are μ(Cu71)=+2.2747(8)μN, μ(Cu73)=+1.7426(8)μN, and μ(Cu75)=+1.0062(13)μN corresponding to spins I=3/2 for Cu71,73 and I=5/2 for Cu75. The results are in fair agreement with large-scale shell-model calculations. © 2009 The American Physical Society

Nuclear spins and magnetic moments of 71,73,75Cu: inversion of pi2p3/2 and pi1f5/2 levels in 75Cu.

We report the first confirmation of the predicted inversion between the pi2p3/2 and pi1f5/2 nuclear states in the nu(g)9/2 midshell. This was achieved at the ISOLDE facility, by using a combination of in-source laser spectroscopy and collinear laser spectroscopy on the ground states of 71,73,75Cu, which measured the nuclear spin and magnetic moments. The obtained values are mu(71Cu)=+2.2747(8)mu(N), mu(73Cu)=+1.7426(8)mu(N), and mu(75Cu)=+1.0062(13)mu(N) corresponding to spins I=3/2 for 71,73Cu and I=5/2 for 75Cu. The results are in fair agreement with large-scale shell-model calculations

Nuclear Spins and Magnetic Moments of Cu-71,Cu-73,Cu-75: Inversion of pi 2p(3/2) and pi 1f(5/2) Levels in Cu-75

We report the first confirmation of the predicted inversion between the pi 2p(3/2) and pi 1f(5/2) nuclear states in the nu g(9/2) midshell. This was achieved at the ISOLDE facility, by using a combination of in-source laser spectroscopy and collinear laser spectroscopy on the ground states of Cu-71,Cu-73,Cu-75, which measured the nuclear spin and magnetic moments. The obtained values are mu(Cu-71)=+2.2747(8)mu(N), mu(Cu-73)=+1.7426(8)mu(N), and mu(Cu-75)=+1.0062(13)mu(N) corresponding to spins I=3/2 for Cu-71,Cu-73 and I=5/2 for Cu-75. The results are in fair agreement with large-scale shell-model calculations.status: publishe

Nuclear spins and magnetic moments of 71,73,75Cu: inversion of pi2p3/2 and pi1f5/2 levels in 75Cu.

We report the first confirmation of the predicted inversion between the pi2p3/2 and pi1f5/2 nuclear states in the nu(g)9/2 midshell. This was achieved at the ISOLDE facility, by using a combination of in-source laser spectroscopy and collinear laser spectroscopy on the ground states of 71,73,75Cu, which measured the nuclear spin and magnetic moments. The obtained values are mu(71Cu)=+2.2747(8)mu(N), mu(73Cu)=+1.7426(8)mu(N), and mu(75Cu)=+1.0062(13)mu(N) corresponding to spins I=3/2 for 71,73Cu and I=5/2 for 75Cu. The results are in fair agreement with large-scale shell-model calculations