An Integrated Assessment of the Introduction of Lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles complex) to the Western Atlantic Ocean.

Lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles complex) are venomous coral reef fishes from the Indian and western Pacific oceans that are now found in the western Atlantic Ocean. Adult lionfish have been observed from Miami, Florida to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and juvenile lionfish have been observed off North Carolina, New York, and Bermuda. The large number of adults observed and the occurrence of juveniles indicate that lionfish are established and reproducing along the southeast United States coast. Introductions of marine species occur in many ways. Ballast water discharge, a very common method of introduction for marine invertebrates, is responsible for many freshwater fish introductions. In contrast, most marine fish introductions result from intentional stocking for fishery purposes. Lionfish, however, likely were introduced via unintentional or intentional aquarium releases, and the introduction of lionfish into United States waters should lead to an assessment of the threat posed by the aquarium trade as a vector for fish introductions. Currently, no management actions are being taken to limit the effect of lionfish on the southeast United States continental shelf ecosystem. Further, only limited funds have been made available for research. Nevertheless, the extent of the introduction has been documented and a forecast of the maximum potential spread of lionfish is being developed. Under a scenario of no management actions and limited research, three predictions are made: ● With no action, the lionfish population will continue to grow along the southeast United States shelf. ● Effects on the marine ecosystem of the southeast United States will become more noticeable as the lionfish population grows. ● There will be incidents of lionfish envenomations of divers and/or fishers along the east coast of the United States. Removing lionfish from the southeast United States continental shelf ecosystem would be expensive and likely impossible. A bounty could be established that would encourage the removal of fish and provide specimens for research. However, the bounty would need to be lower than the price of fish in the aquarium trade (~$25-$50 each) to ensure that captured specimens were from the wild. Such a low bounty may not provide enough incentive for capturing lionfish in the wild. Further, such action would only increase the interaction between the public and lionfish, increasing the risk of lionfish envenomations. As the introduction of lionfish is very likely irreversible, future actions should focus on five areas. 1) The population of lionfish should be tracked. 2) Research should be conducted so that scientists can make better predictions regarding the status of the invasion and the effects on native species, ecosystem function, and ecosystem services. 3) Outreach and education efforts must be increased, both specifically toward lionfish and more generally toward the aquarium trade as a method of fish introductions. 4) Additional regulation should be considered to reduce the frequency of marine fish introduction into U.S. waters. However, the issue is more complicated than simply limiting the import of non-native species, and these complexities need to be considered simultaneously. 5) Health care providers along the east coast of the United States need to be notified that a venomous fish is now resident along the southeast United States. The introduction and spread of lionfish illustrates the difficulty inherent in managing introduced species in marine systems. Introduced species often spread via natural mechanisms after the initial introduction. Efforts to control the introduction of marine fish will fail if managers do not consider the natural dispersal of a species following an introduction. Thus, management strategies limiting marine fish introductions need to be applied over the scale of natural ecological dispersal to be effective, pointing to the need for a regional management approach defined by natural processes not by political boundaries. The introduction and success of lionfish along the east coast should change the long-held perception that marine fish invasions are a minimal threat to marine ecosystems. Research is needed to determine the effects of specific invasive fish species in specific ecosystems. More broadly, a cohesive plan is needed to manage, mitigate and minimize the effects of marine invasive fish species on ecosystems that are already compromised by other human activities. Presently, the magnitude of marine fish introductions as a stressor on marine ecosystems cannot be quantified, but can no longer be dismissed as negligible. (PDF contains 31 pages

Effects of Marine Reserves versus Nursery Habitat Availability on Structure of Reef Fish Communities

No-take marine fishery reserves sustain commercial stocks by acting as buffers against overexploitation and enhancing fishery catches in adjacent areas through spillover. Likewise, nursery habitats such as mangroves enhance populations of some species in adjacent habitats. However, there is lack of understanding of the magnitude of stock enhancement and the effects on community structure when both protection from fishing and access to nurseries concurrently act as drivers of fish population dynamics. In this study we test the separate as well as interactive effects of marine reserves and nursery habitat proximity on structure and abundance of coral reef fish communities. Reserves had no effect on fish community composition, while proximity to nursery habitat only had a significant effect on community structure of species that use mangroves or seagrass beds as nurseries. In terms of reef fish biomass, proximity to nursery habitat by far outweighed (biomass 249% higher than that in areas with no nursery access) the effects of protection from fishing in reserves (biomass 21% lower than non-reserve areas) for small nursery fish (≤25 cm total length). For large-bodied individuals of nursery species (>25 cm total length), an additive effect was present for these two factors, although fish benefited more from fishing protection (203% higher biomass) than from proximity to nurseries (139% higher). The magnitude of elevated biomass for small fish on coral reefs due to proximity to nurseries was such that nursery habitats seem able to overrule the usually positive effects on fish biomass by reef reserves. As a result, conservation of nursery habitats gains importance and more consideration should be given to the ecological processes that occur along nursery-reef boundaries that connect neighboring ecosystems

Ontogenetic diet shifts in Nassau grouper: Trophic linkages and predatory impact

Understanding which fauna and flora from seagrass beds serve as primary food for reef-based commuters is critical in defining trophic linkages between shallow-water habitats of tropical oceanic regions. Although numerous studies have documented the relative importance of crustaceans in the diet of reef fishes associated with tropical seagrass meadows, it is unknown if trophic importance corresponds to a significant effect on prey distribution and abundance patterns. We quantified size-specific diet of juvenile Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus) inhabiting natural and artificial patch reefs, and manipulated the density of artificial patch reefs (0, 8, and 16 patch reefs per ha) to examine the predatory impact of patch reef associates on nocturnally foraging crabs. Stomach content analysis indicated an ontogenetic shift in diet, where small grouper (TL) consumed mainly brachyuran crabs and other small crustaceans, and large grouper (\u3e30 cm TL) consumed primarily fish. Mid-size fish (20.0-29.9 cm TL) were transitional in diet, with crustaceans occurring more frequently than fish. Diet was least diverse for large fish, and nearly identical for mid-size and small fish. Similar numbers of prey taxa were ingested in natural and artificial patch reefs. Before patch reefs were deployed in the field, nighttime band censuses revealed a mean density of 3 crabs per 240 m(2) (ranges = 0-8 crabs/transect) in nearby seagrass beds. After patch reefs were deployed, crab densities dropped by one-half to 43-fold in sites with patch reefs compared to control sites (0 patch reefs). There was a negative and significant relationship between grouper density (no. ha(-1)) and crab density (no. 240 m(-2)) at all sites and locations combined. These results suggest that patch reef associated predators have a significant predatory impact on nocturnally foraging crabs in adjacent seagrass meadows, and highlight an important trophic link between tropical patch reef and seagrass habitats

The functional ecology of fish predation on coral reefs

Michalis Mihalitsis studied fish predation on coral reefs. Fish predators feed in fundamentally different ways. The main predators on reefs are completely different from the ones previously considered, suggesting the need for a paradigm shift in this field. His results have significant implications for how we understand reef function

Prevalence of pelagic dependence among coral reef predators across an atoll seascape

1)Coral reef food webs are complex, vary spatially and remain poorly understood. Certain large predators, notably sharks, are subsidised by pelagic production on outer reef slopes, but how widespread this dependence is across all teleost fishery target species and within atolls is unclear. 2)North Malé Atoll (Maldives) includes oceanic barrier as well as lagoonal reefs. Nine fishery target predators constituting ca. 55% of the local fishery target species biomass at assumed trophic levels 3‐5 were selected for analysis. Data were derived from carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N) and sulfur (δ34S) stable isotopes from predator white dorsal muscle samples, and primary consumer species representing production source end‐members. 3)Three‐source Bayesian stable isotope mixing models showed that uptake of pelagic production extends throughout the atoll, with predatory fishes showing equal planktonic reliance between inner and outer edge reefs. Median plankton contribution was 65‐80% for all groupers and 68‐88% for an emperor, a jack and snappers. 4)Lagoonal and atoll edge predators are equally at risk from anthropogenic and climate‐induced changes which may impact the linkages they construct, highlighting the need for management plans that transcend the boundaries of this threatened ecosystem

Predatory fish depletion and recovery potential on Caribbean reefs

The natural, prehuman abundance of most large predators is unknown because of the lack of historical data and a limited understanding of the natural factors that control their populations. Determining the supportable predator biomass at a given location (that is, the predator carrying capacity) would help managers to optimize protection and would provide site-specific recovery goals. We assess the relationship between predatory reef fish biomass and several anthropogenic and environmental variables at 39 reefs across the Caribbean to (i) estimate their roles determining local predator biomass and (ii) determine site-specific recovery potential if fishing was eliminated. We show that predatory reef fish biomass tends to be higher in marine reserves but is strongly negatively related to human activities, especially coastal development. However, human activities and natural factors, including reef complexity and prey abundance, explain more than 50% of the spatial variation in predator biomass. Comparing site-specific predator carrying capacities to field observations, we infer that current predatory reef fish biomass is 60 to 90% lower than the potential supportable biomass in most sites, even within most marine reserves. We also found that the scope for recovery varies among reefs by at least an order of magnitude. This suggests that we could underestimate unfished biomass at sites that provide ideal conditions for predators or greatly overestimate that of seemingly predator-depleted sites that may have never supported large predator populations because of suboptimal environmental conditions

Sponge Community Structure and Anti-Predator Defenses on Temperate Reefs of the South Atlantic Bight

The interaction between predation and anti-predator defenses of prey is important in shaping community structure in all ecosystems. This study examined the relationship between sponge predation and the distribution of sponge anti-predator defenses on temperate reefs in the South Atlantic Bight. Significant differences in the distribution of sponge species, sponge densities, and densities of sponge predators were documented across two adjacent reef habitats. Significant differences also occurred in the distribution of sponge chemical and structural defenses with chemical deterrence significantly greater in sponges associated with the habitat having higher predation intensity. Structural defenses, although effective in some instances, appear to be inadequate against spongivorous predators thereby restricting the distribution of sponge species lacking chemical defenses to habitats with lower predation intensity. These results, when compared to published data from tropical studies, also indicate that predation pressure and the production of anti-predator defenses may be inversely correlated with latitude

Toxicity and taste:unequal chemical defences in a mimicry ring

Mimicry of warning signals is common, and can be mutualistic when mimetic species harbour equal levels of defence (Müllerian), or parasitic when mimics are undefended but still gain protection from their resemblance to the model (Batesian). However, whether chemically defended mimics should be similar in terms of toxicity (i.e. causing damage to the consumer) and/or unpalatability (i.e. distasteful to consumer) is unclear and in many studies remains undifferentiated. In this study, we investigated the evolution of visual signals and chemical defences in a putative mimicry ring of nudibranch molluscs. First, we demonstrated that the appearance of a group of red spotted nudibranchs molluscs was similar from the perspective of potential fish predators using visual modelling and pattern analysis. Second, using phylogenetic reconstruction, we demonstrated that this colour pattern has evolved multiple times in distantly related individuals. Third, we showed that these nudibranchs contained different chemical profiles used for defensive purposes. Finally, we demonstrated that although levels of distastefulness towards Palaemon shrimp remained relatively constant between species, toxicity levels towards brine shrimp varied significantly. We highlight the need to disentangle toxicity and taste when considering chemical defences in aposematic and mimetic species, and discuss the implications for aposematic and mimicry signal evolution

Fish assemblages of Caribbean coral reefs: Effects of overfishing on coral communities under climate change

Coral reefs are threatened worldwide due to local stressors such as overfishing, pollution, and diseases outbreaks, as well as global impacts such as ocean warming. The persistence of this ecosystem will depend, in part, on addressing local impacts since humanity is failing to control climate change. However, we need a better understanding of how protection from local stressors decreases the susceptibility of reef corals to the effects of climate change across large-spatial scales. My dissertation research evaluates the effects of overfishing on coral reefs under local and global impacts to determine changes in ecological processes across geographical scales. First, as large predatory reef fishes have drastically declined due to fishing, I reconstructed natural baselines of predatory reef fish biomass in the absence of human activities accounting for environmental variability across Caribbean reefs. I found that baselines were variable and site specific; but that contemporary predatory fish biomass was 80-95% lower than the potential carrying capacity of most reef areas, even within marine reserves. Second, I examined the effect of current native predatory reef fishes on controlling the invasion of Pacific lionfish across the Caribbean. Native predators and lionfish abundance were not related, even when predatory capacity was relatively high within certain marine reserves. Third, as herbivorous fishes may facilitate coral recovery after warming events by controlling competitive macroalgae, I evaluated whether major benthic groups, such as hard corals, crustose coralline algae, and macroalgae, were associated with these fish assemblages across Caribbean and Pacific reefs. Although, macroalgae abundance was negatively related to herbivorous fishes across geographical regions, contemporary coral cover showed no association with herbivores abundance after a recent history of thermal stress. Finally, I analyzed the relationship between ~30 years of thermal stress anomalies and coral assemblages in the Caribbean and suggest that recent warming has partially promoted a shift in coral-community composition across the region that compromise reef functionality. My dissertation research highlights the complex interactions among functional groups in coral reefs, local stressors, and environmental variability across geographical scales, and provides novel insights to reevaluate conservation strategies for this ecosystem in a rapidly changing world.Doctor of Philosoph

Assessing the Nursery-Role Function of Pelagic Sargassum for Juvenile Fishes in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Sargassum, a genus of holopelagic brown algae, floats at the ocean’s surface using air-filled bladders and forms a complex comprised of two species, S. natans and S. fluitans. Oceanic processes (e.g., Langmuir circulation, etc.) aggregate Sargassum into mats and weedlines, and primarily distribute the algal complex throughout the North Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). These floating habitats provide shelter and feeding opportunities for a diverse community of invertebrates and fishes. Sargassum is a presumed nursery habitat for juvenile stages of commercially- and recreationally-targeted fishery species. In this study, I estimated the standardized abundances of juvenile fishes, fish assemblages, and diets of Sargassum-associated fishes in the northern GOM, and investigated temporal, spatial, and environmental variability in these estimates. I observed some interannual variability in fish density and diversity, but species’ distributions were often related to surface chlorophyll, spatial variables, or surface features (Loop Current or associated eddies). Diets were analyzed for juvenile Gray Triggerfish, Greater Amberjack, Lesser Amberjack, Almaco Jack, and Tripletail, and were found to be spatially variable (especially with distance from shelf break). I observed a continuum of dependency on Sargassum for feeding by these different species, from more obligate (e.g., Gray Triggerfish and Tripletail) to transient feeders on the habitat (e.g., Amberjack spp.). The results of this thesis fill a knowledge gap of diet information for Sargassum-associated juvenile fishes in the northern GOM, and provide an understanding of the factors contributing to variability in juvenile fish abundances and assemblages