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Multi-decadal decline in reef fish abundance and species richness in the southeast USA assessed by standardized trap catches

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Abstract

Reef fish species naturally fluctuate in abundance over various temporal and spatial scales, but recent broad-scale declines in abundance have been observed worldwide and attributed to various anthropogenic influences. We used 25 years of fishery-independent trap data (N = 11,237 trap hauls) to examine the spatial and temporal variability in temperate reef fish abundance along the southeast coast of the USA, a relatively understudied region with many economically important reef fish species. Overall, 441,298 individuals from 118 species were caught in the trap survey. Number of species and total number of individuals caught in the trap survey declined over the 25 years, but when separated, nontargeted fish species declined more than fishery-targeted species. For instance, traps caught a median of 18 nontargeted individuals and a median of 2–3 nontargeted reef fish species in the early 1990s, but by the 2010s, traps caught a median of fewer than three nontargeted individuals and a median of one nontarget species. Using generalized additive models, we found that the catch of fishery-targeted and nontargeted species was positively related to bottom water temperature, while depth influenced nontargeted and fishery-targeted species in opposite ways. The substantial and consistent decline in nontargeted fish species suggests that more research and management attention should be given to these often ignored species. These results suggest that the temperate reef fish community in the southeast USA is influenced by more than just fishing, perhaps including invasive species (e.g., lionfish Pterois volitans), decadal-scale environmental variability, or climate change.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the captains and crews of the RV Palmetto, RV Savannah, NOAA Ship Pisces, and NOAA Ship Nancy Foster, SERFS staff, and numerous volunteers for making field work possible. We thank N. Ballew, A. Hohn, T. Kellison, P. Marraro, K. Shertzer, and two reviewers for providing comments on earlier versions of this manuscript. This work was funded by the National Marine Fisheries Service. Data collection for this study was allowed through various Scientific Research Permits, and research followed the guidelines of the US Government Principles for the Utilization and Care of Vertebrate Animals Used in Testing, Research, and Training (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/phspol.htm#USGovPrinciples). This article does not contain any studies with human participants performed by any of the authors. The views and opinions expressed or implied in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA.

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  1. Southeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, 101 Pivers Island Road, Beaufort, NC, 28516, USA

    Nathan M. Bacheler

  2. Marine Resources Research Institute, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, 217 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC, 29412, USA

    Tracey I. Smart

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  1. Nathan M. Bacheler
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Correspondence to Nathan M. Bacheler.

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Bacheler, N.M., Smart, T.I. Multi-decadal decline in reef fish abundance and species richness in the southeast USA assessed by standardized trap catches. Mar Biol 163, 26 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-015-2774-x

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