ALBERT — All Library Books, journals and Electronic Records Telegrafenberg

1

Electronic Resource

Latitudinal variation in abundance of herbivorous fishes: a comparison of temperate and tropical reefs (1997)

Meekan, M. G. ; Choat, J. H.

Springer

Marine biology 128 (1997), S. 373-383

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ISSN: 1432-1793

Source: Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000

Topics: Biology

Notes: Abstract The aim of the study was to provide comparable estimates of abundance of herbivorous reef fishes at temperate and tropical localities using a standardized methodology. Faunas of herbivorous fish were sampled on the rocky reefs of temperate northern New Zealand and on the coral reefs of the northern Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia, and the San Blas Archipelago in the Caribbean. A pilot study established the most appropriate habitat setting and the scale and magnitude of replication for the sampling program in temperate waters. Herbivorous fishes, including members of families endemic to the southern hemisphere (Odacidae and Aplodactylidae), were most abundant in turbulent, shallow water (0 to 6 m) and had patchy distributions within this habitat. A hierarchical sampling program using 10-min transect counts within the 0 to 6 m depth stratum examined abundance patterns at a range of spatial scales including mainland and island coasts, localities separated by up to 100 km and sites separated by up to 10 km. This program identified a characteristic fauna of seven species of herbivorous fishes with mean total abundances ranging from 23 to 30 individuals per 10-min transect. Species composition of the fauna varied between islands and coasts. A similar methodology was used to sample the major families of herbivorous fish in a number of sites in each of the tropical regions. These sampling programs revealed a fauna dominated by acanthurids and scarids in both the GBR and Caribbean localities. Estimates of abundance from these regions were similar, with a mean of 108 individuals recorded on the GBR and 129 per 10-min transect in the Caribbean. Species richness varied between each region, with 44 taxa recorded from the GBR and 11 from the Caribbean. Abundances of temperate water herbivores in New Zealand were found to be 75 to 80% lower than those recorded from shallow water habitats sampled on coral reefs. This was not related to species richness, since both New Zealand and the Caribbean locality had patterns of low richness. We suggest that the differences in abundance found by our study between temperate and tropical regions are not restricted to herbivorous fishes, but are representative of general latitudinal trends in reef fish faunas.

Type of Medium: Electronic Resource

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s002270050103

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2

Electronic Resource

Does behaviour explain the larval dispersal of coral reef fishes better than oceanography?– An individual based model simulation approach (2003)

Simpson, S. D. ; Dytham, C. ; Meekan, M. G.

Oxford, UK; Malden, USA : Blackwell Science Ltd/Inc

Journal of fish biology 63 (2003), S. 0

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ISSN: 1095-8649

Source: Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005

Topics: Biology

Notes: Until recently, oceanographic models have been used, with limited success, to predict the larval dispersal of coral reef fishes. Settlement-stage larvae have been shown to be capable swimmers and have highly developed sensory organs. We built two simulation individual based models (IBMs) of larval dispersal in the Dampier Archipelago, Western Australia. One followed an oceanographic model, while the other was driven by behavioural constraints. We compare predictions of these models with an extensive dataset from a light-trapping programme in an attempt to elucidate the overriding mechanism of larval coral reef fish dispersal.

Type of Medium: Electronic Resource

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.2003.216ai.x

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3

Electronic Resource

Spatial patterns in the distribution of damselfishes on a fringing coral reef (1995)

Meekan, M. G. ; Steven, A. D. L. ; Fortin, M. J.

Springer

Coral reefs 14 (1995), S. 151-161

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ISSN: 1432-0975

Source: Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000

Topics: Biology , Geosciences

Notes: Abstract Damselfishes are an important element of the fauna of coral reefs. This study describes spatial patterns in the distribution of 15 species of damselfishes at Lizard Island, northern Great Barrier Reef (GBR). The aim of the work was to identify the spatial scales at which major changes in the composition and abundance of the fauna occurred. These patterns were then compared with previous studies in an attempt to determine if distributions followed general patterns at a range of localities. The assemblage found at Lizard Island was similar to that of reefs in the central GBR. The most important changes in the composition of the fauna occurred among reef zones. Shallow zones (the reef flat and crest) were dominated by herbivorous species while planktivorous and omnivorous species were most abundant in deeper zones (the reef slope). Densities of herbivorous damselfishes in shallow reef zones at Lizard Island averaged 45.5 individuals per 80 m2, a value comparable to densities found in similar zones on reefs in the central and southern GBR and at one locality in the Caribbean. Comparisons of relative distributions suggested that abundant species tend to be widely distributed among zones and habitats, while rare species have restricted distributions at Lizard Island. However, computer simulation of the sampling program suggested that the ability of our study to describe the distribution patterns of rare species was limited, despite intensive sampling. Correlations between breadth of distribution and abundance may have occurred simply because rare species were less likely to be recorded within a transect. Our results suggest that it will be difficult to compare the distribution patterns of species among studies. Furthermore, the interpretation of relative patterns of distribution at a single locality in terms of ecological specialization or partitioning may first require an assessment of the ability of the sampling program to accurately record spatial patterns.

Type of Medium: Electronic Resource

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00367233

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4

Electronic Resource

Spatial patterns in the distribution of damselfishes on a fringing coral reef (1995)

Meekan, M. G. ; Steven, A. D. L. ; Fortin, M. J.

Springer

Coral reefs 14 (1995), S. 151-161

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ISSN: 1432-0975

Source: Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000

Topics: Biology , Geosciences

Notes: Abstract. Damselfishes are an important element of the fauna of coral reefs. This study describes spatial patterns in the distribution of 15 species of damselfishes at Lizard Island, northern Great Barrier Reef (GBR). The aim of the work was to identify the spatial scales at which major changes in the composition and abundance of the fauna occurred. These patterns were then compared with previous studies in an attempt to determine if distributions followed general patterns at a range of localities. The assemblage found at Lizard Island was similar to that of reefs in the central GBR. The most important changes in the composition of the fauna occurred among reef zones. Shallow zones (the reef flat and crest) were dominated by herbivorous species while planktivorous and omnivorous species were most abundant in deeper zones (the reef slope). Densities of herbivorous damselfishes in shallow reef zones at Lizard Island averaged 45.5 individuals per 80 m2, a value comparable to densities found in similar zones on reefs in the central and southern GBR and at one locality in the Caribbean. Comparisons of relative distributions suggested that abundant species tend to be widely distributed among zones and habitats, while rare species have restricted distributions at Lizard Island. However, computer simulation of the sampling program suggested that the ability of our study to describe the distribution patterns of rare species was limited, despite intensive sampling. Correlations between breadth of distribution and abundance may have occurred simply because rare species were less likely to be recorded within a transect. Our results suggest that it will be difficult to compare the distribution patterns of species among studies. Furthermore, the interpretation of relative patterns of distribution at a single locality in terms of ecological specialization or partitioning may first require an assessment of the ability of the sampling program to accurately record spatial patterns.

Type of Medium: Electronic Resource

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00367233

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Convergence of marine megafauna movement patterns in coastal and open oceans (2018)

Sequeira, A. M. M. ; Rodríguez, J. P. ; Eguíluz, V. M. ; [et al.]

National Academy of Sciences

In: PNAS - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2018; 115(12): 3072-3077. Published 2018 Feb 26. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1716137115.

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Publication Date: 2018-02-26

Description: The extent of increasing anthropogenic impacts on large marine vertebrates partly depends on the animals’ movement patterns. Effective conservation requires identification of the key drivers of movement including intrinsic properties and extrinsic constraints associated with the dynamic nature of the environments the animals inhabit. However, the relative importance of intrinsic versus extrinsic factors remains elusive. We analyze a global dataset of ∼2.8 million locations from 〉2,600 tracked individuals across 50 marine vertebrates evolutionarily separated by millions of years and using different locomotion modes (fly, swim, walk/paddle). Strikingly, movement patterns show a remarkable convergence, being strongly conserved across species and independent of body length and mass, despite these traits ranging over 10 orders of magnitude among the species studied. This represents a fundamental difference between marine and terrestrial vertebrates not previously identified, likely linked to the reduced costs of locomotion in water. Movement patterns were primarily explained by the interaction between species-specific traits and the habitat(s) they move through, resulting in complex movement patterns when moving close to coasts compared with more predictable patterns when moving in open oceans. This distinct difference may be associated with greater complexity within coastal microhabitats, highlighting a critical role of preferred habitat in shaping marine vertebrate global movements. Efforts to develop understanding of the characteristics of vertebrate movement should consider the habitat(s) through which they move to identify how movement patterns will alter with forecasted severe ocean changes, such as reduced Arctic sea ice cover, sea level rise, and declining oxygen content.

Print ISSN: 0027-8424

Electronic ISSN: 1091-6490

Topics: Biology , Medicine , Natural Sciences in General

Published by National Academy of Sciences

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Size estimates of whale sharks (2016)

Sequeira, A. M. M., Thums, M., Brooks, K., Meekan, M. G.

Royal Society

In: Royal Society Open Science

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Publication Date: 2016-03-25

Description: Body size and age at maturity are indicative of the vulnerability of a species to extinction. However, they are both difficult to estimate for large animals that cannot be restrained for measurement. For very large species such as whale sharks, body size is commonly estimated visually, potentially resulting in the addition of errors and bias. Here, we investigate the errors and bias associated with total lengths of whale sharks estimated visually by comparing them with measurements collected using a stereo-video camera system at Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. Using linear mixed-effects models, we found that visual lengths were biased towards underestimation with increasing size of the shark. When using the stereo-video camera, the number of larger individuals that were possibly mature (or close to maturity) that were detected increased by approximately 10%. Mean lengths calculated by each method were, however, comparable (5.002 ± 1.194 and 6.128 ± 1.609 m, s.d.), confirming that the population at Ningaloo is mostly composed of immature sharks based on published lengths at maturity. We then collated data sets of total lengths sampled from aggregations of whale sharks worldwide between 1995 and 2013. Except for locations in the East Pacific where large females have been reported, these aggregations also largely consisted of juveniles (mean lengths less than 7 m). Sightings of the largest individuals were limited and occurred mostly prior to 2006. This result highlights the urgent need to locate and quantify the numbers of mature male and female whale sharks in order to ascertain the conservation status and ensure persistence of the species.

Keywords: ecology

Electronic ISSN: 2054-5703

Topics: Natural Sciences in General

Published by Royal Society

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Once upon a larva: revisiting the relationship between feeding success and growth in fish larvae (2015)

Pepin, P., Robert, D., Bouchard, C., Dower, J. F., Falardeau, M., Fortier, L., Jenkins, G. P., Leclerc, V., Levesque, K., Llopiz, J. K., Meekan, M. G., Murphy, H. M., Ringuette, M., Sirois, P., Sponaugle, S.

Oxford University Press

In: ICES Journal of Marine Science

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Publication Date: 2015-01-20

Description: Variations in larval fish growth rates are largely the result of variability in biotic and abiotic characteristics of the feeding environment experienced by each individual. An assessment of an individual's overall feeding success (i.e. accumulation of utilizable organic matter) can best be achieved at the time of capture when the relationships among environment, short-term feeding success as defined by gut content and long-term feeding success as defined by accumulated growth can be contrasted. Here, we investigated the relationships between average growth, feeding success, and variability in individual growth and feeding rates across a range of taxa based on a synthesis of studies in which stomach content and otolith growth were measured in the same individuals. Instantaneous measures of feeding success were highly variable and demonstrated a positive yet somewhat limited association with growth rates across all taxa. The strength of the feeding-growth relationships among taxa, and cohorts within taxa, was reflected in the autocorrelation of individual growth rates, suggesting that stable growth was achieved through consistent feeding success. However, when viewed at the individual level, faster growth was achieved in individuals with more variable growth rates, and by inference more variable past feeding success. The dichotomy in these underlying relationships may point to the importance of stochastic events in the development of exceptional individuals in a population, and may be linked to how surplus energy is allocated to individual growth rates. The positive correlation found between feeding success and growth in all taxa is consistent with the growth-survival paradigm for the larval stage of fish. However, both the correlation between feeding success and growth and the serial correlation of growth time-series was greatest in fast-growing species, suggesting that the potential for an early "critical period" regulating survival varies among species, reaching a maximum in fast-growing fish.

Print ISSN: 1054-3139

Electronic ISSN: 1095-9289

Topics: Biology , Geosciences , Physics

Published by Oxford University Press

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light on water attracts hatchlings (2016)

Thums, M., Whiting, S. D., Reisser, J., Pendoley, K. L., Pattiaratchi, C. B., Proietti, M., Hetzel, Y., Fisher, R., Meekan, M. G.

Royal Society

In: Royal Society Open Science

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Publication Date: 2016-05-20

Description: We examined the effect of artificial light on the near shore trajectories of turtle hatchlings dispersing from natal beaches. Green turtle ( Chelonia mydas ) hatchlings were tagged with miniature acoustic transmitters and their movements tracked within an underwater array of 36 acoustic receivers placed in the near shore zone. A total of 40 hatchlings were tracked, 20 of which were subjected to artificial light during their transit of the array. At the same time, we measured current speed and direction, which were highly variable within and between experimental nights and treatments. Artificial lighting affected hatchling behaviour, with 88% of individual trajectories oriented towards the light and spending, on average, 23% more time in the 2.25 ha tracking array (19.5 ± 5 min) than under ambient light conditions (15.8 ± 5 min). Current speed had little to no effect on the bearing (angular direction) of the hatchling tracks when artificial light was present, but under ambient conditions it influenced the bearing of the tracks when current direction was offshore and above speeds of approximately 32.5 cm s –1 . This is the first experimental evidence that wild turtle hatchlings are attracted to artificial light after entering the ocean, a behaviour that is likely to subject them to greater risk of predation. The experimental protocol described in this study can be used to assess the effect of anthropogenic (light pollution, noise, etc.) and natural (wave action, current, wind, moonlight) influences on the in-water movements of sea turtle hatchlings during the early phase of dispersal.

Keywords: behaviour, ecology

Electronic ISSN: 2054-5703

Topics: Natural Sciences in General

Published by Royal Society

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