Marine reserves indirectly affect fine-scale habitat associations, but not overall densities, of small benthic fishes.

ABSTRACT: Many large, fishery-targeted predatory species have attained very high relative densities as a direct result of protection by no-take marine reserves. Indirect effects, via interactions with targeted species, may also occur for species that are not themselves targeted by fishing. In some temperate rocky reef ecosystems, indirect effects have caused profound changes in community structure, notably the restoration of predator-urchin-macroalgae trophic cascades. Yet, indirect effects on small benthic reef fishes remain poorly understood, perhaps because of behavioral associations with complex, refuge-providing habitats. Few, if any, studies have evaluated any potential effects of marine reserves on habitat associations in small benthic fishes. We surveyed densities of small benthic fishes, in

SUBMITTER: Smith AN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5058535 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature