Introduced substrates trigger colonization by reef-associated fish in a degraded coastal system.

ABSTRACT: Coastal reefs benefit the survival and growth of mobile organisms by providing shelter and increased food availability. Under increasing pressure from human activities, the coverage of subtidal reefs has decreased along the world's coasts. This decline is motivating efforts to restore these important habitats by re-introducing hard substrates into the coastal zone. However, many such projects use artificial substrates, such as concrete or metal, that are not naturally occurring in the marine environment. We experimentally introduced hard substrates that were either historically common in a soft sediment-dominated ecosystem, or are mimicking these substrates with biodegradable material, and monitored the substrates for mobile species use (fish and invertebrates). Six substrates were tested:

SUBMITTER: Watson MS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11781683 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature