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Influence of marine reserves on reef fish recruitment in the upper Florida Keys

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Abstract

Coral reef fish recruitment to the upper Florida Keys was monitored monthly for 7 years (2003–2009) to establish a baseline and test whether recruitment varied between reserve and non-reserve sites. Recruits <30 days old were surveyed in two primary habitat types (reef and rubble) in each of two replicate reserve and non-reserve sites. Recruitment of all fish species peaked in the summer and early fall; winter recruitment was consistently low. Some interannual recruitment patterns were roughly similar among species, with recruitment generally lower in 2004 for several taxa, possibly reflecting a system-wide process. During 7 peak recruitment months each year, overall recruitment to reef habitat was significantly higher in non-reserve sites in 2 of 7 years. In contrast, recruitment to rubble habitat was significantly higher in reserves in 3 of 7 years. Specific fish taxa had variable patterns of recruitment to reserves and non-reserves: Despite high interannual variation in recruitment magnitude, Scaridae (parrotfish) densities were significantly higher in reserves than in non-reserves. Densities of two abundant goby taxa (Gnatholepis thompsoni and Coryphopterus spp.) were also higher in reserves than in non-reserves, but the magnitude varied among years. Recruitment of the bicolor damselfish, Stegastes partitus, did not differ consistently between reserves and non-reserves. Densities of Thalassoma bifasciatum had an opposite trend relative to other taxa, with densities typically higher in non-reserves than in reserves (in 6 of 7 years; significant in only 2 years). Higher recruit densities (scarids, gobies, and all rubble taxa together) within reserves were coupled with significantly lower densities of intermediate-sized piscivores and significantly greater cover of Dictyota spp. macroalgae and turfs relative to non-reserves. Reserves may be areas of relative refuge from predation for some fish recruits due to a combination of reduced predator abundance and enhanced small-scale structural habitat.

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Acknowledgments

Over the many years of surveying new recruits, a large number of people participated in and contributed to collecting the monthly data: S. Bignami, E. D’Alessandro, K. Denit, K. Huebert, D. Pinkard Meier, T. Rankin, and K. Shulzitski were among the most regular divers, but J. Boulay, C. Boynton, E. Buck, A. Chapin, C. Gioia, C. Guigand, L. Havel, J. Kool, K. Lamb, J. Llopiz, T. Murphy, R. Okazaki, D. Richardson, M. Sullivan, and S. Trbovich also stepped in when needed. Numerous boat tenders kept the divers safe: Our thanks to all. We thank R. Gomez for dive support, J. Walter for assistance with the software package R, and D. Richardson for providing code used to create Fig. 1. Fish were collected under permits #02R-524(A), 04SR-533, and 07SR-524 from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, #2002-025, 2004-024, and 2007-030 from the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and #01-056, 05-019, and 07-068 under the University of Miami Animal Care and Use Committee. Earlier drafts of the manuscript benefitted from the comments of R.K. Cowen, and G. Shideler double-checked some technical details.

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Communicated by Biology Editor Prof. Philip Munday

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Sponaugle, S., Walter, K.D., Grorud-Colvert, K. et al. Influence of marine reserves on reef fish recruitment in the upper Florida Keys. Coral Reefs 31, 641–652 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-012-0915-y

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