Linking variation in planktonic primary production to coral reef fish growth and condition.

ABSTRACT: Within low-nutrient tropical oceans, islands and atolls with higher primary production support higher fish biomass and reef organism abundance. External energy subsidies can be delivered onto reefs via a range of physical mechanisms. However, the influence of spatial variation in primary production on reef fish growth and condition is largely unknown. It is not yet clear how energy subsidies interact with reef depth and slope. Here we test the hypothesis that with increased proximity to deep-water oceanic nutrient sources, or at sites with shallower reef slopes, parameters of fish growth and condition will be higher. Contrary to expectations, we found no association between fish growth rate and sites with higher mean chlorophyll-a values. There were no differences in fish δ ^15<

SUBMITTER: Roche RC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9428543 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature