Fish Habitat: Essential Fish Habitat and Rehabilitation

1999 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
New England ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Fish Habitat ◽  
Coastal Development ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Habitat Alteration ◽  
Essential Fish Habitat ◽  
Nontarget Organisms ◽  
Fishery Resources

<em>Abstract</em> .—New England aquatic, estuarine, and marine environments are highly variable and present distinct habitat features that support a number of commercial, recreational, and nontarget organisms. The heterogeneous environmental conditions found throughout New England provide important habitat characteristics for the reproduction, development, growth, feeding, and sustainability of fishery resources. Organisms have specific ontogenetic requirements that demonstrate their evolutionary adaptation to particular riverine, inshore, and offshore habitats. Habitat alteration and disturbance occur due to natural processes and human activities. Human-induced chemical, biological, and physical threats to habitat can have direct and indirect effects on local fish and mollusk populations. Increases in coastal development and humangenerated pollutants entering the environment are major threats to marine and aquatic habitats and are a result of increasing human population. Human activities and direct habitat alteration (e.g., hydrologic modifications) can disrupt environmental processes and conditions, and pollutants are discharged from a variety of nonpoint and point sources including runoff and industrial discharge, respectively. The sustainability of fishery resources in the New England region depends upon the protection of essential fish habitat. This protection includes identifying and understanding all potential nonfishing threats, point and nonpoint pollutant sources, and anthropogenic activities and impacts.

scholarly journals Mangrove Health Assessment and Genetic Diversity of Associated Sesarmid Crab Parasesarma Persicum in Nayband National Park, Iran

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Dehghani ◽  
Ahmad Shadi ◽  
Yasaman Gandomi ◽  
Ahmad Ghasemi
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Habitat Quality ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
National Park ◽  
Quality Index ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Habitat Destruction ◽  
Habitat Alteration ◽  
Mangrove Habitat ◽  
Mangrove Crab

Abstract Mangrove forests as one of the most important coastal ecosystems provide important ecological and economic performance to the world, have been threatened by developmental human activities and subsequent land use changes. The present study aims to assess mangrove ecosystem health in Nayband Marine National Park, Iran using Mangrove Quality Index (MQI), in addition to analyse the effect of mangrove habitat quality on the genetic diversity of Parasesarma persicum the associated mangrove crab by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). Four stations were studied for mangrove quality index analysis as well as genetic analysis. The results of MQI survey based on hydrology, water, soil, biota criteria indicated moderate to low habitat quality of mangroves in the study area. Station 4 in the southern Nayband gulf showed highest impact by human activities and MQI of 0.7, indicating serious habitat alteration in this area. Station 2 in the northern part of Nayband gulf showed a moderate mangrove quality (MQI = 0.5). Based on the results of the AFLP genetic assessment, the estimated heterozygosity(He) of crabs was between 0.29 to 0.32 with a mean of 0.30. The highest genetic diversity was found at station 2, however, no complete population differentiation was observed between 4 stations. The analysis revealed a significant correlation between mangrove habitat alteration and heterozygosity reduction (P<0.05). Based on the results of the present study, mangrove habitat destruction due to anthropogenic activities may directly reduce the genetic diversity of associated species of this ecosystem.

Fish Habitat: Essential Fish Habitat and Rehabilitation

1999 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
New England ◽  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Habitat Management ◽  
Fish Habitat ◽  
Regulatory System ◽  
Initial Study ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Fishing Gear ◽  
Essential Fish Habitat ◽  
Management Plans

<em>Abstract.</em> —This study sought input from fishermen on their knowledge of fish habitat and the effects of fishing gear to fill some gaps in the science. We looked for any documentation of habitats and effects to habitats from fishing gear or other causes that fishermen could or were willing to provide. This report summarizes documentation provided by fishermen of fish habitat, changes to habitat observed over time, and fishing gear effects. In addition, the report evaluates the effectiveness of different approaches to identify fishermen’s knowledge and document their observations. To better represent fishermen and provide accurate information, we were interested in fishermen’s responses to two questions: (1) How can we better solicit fishermen’s knowledge of habitat, and (2) what would make it possible for fishermen to share that information? The results of this study were influenced by several factors, including the fact that methodologies for integrating fishermen’s knowledge into fisheries scientific literature and fisheries management are at an embryonic stage. In addition, for this initial study, resources were limited, which gave the survey a strong New England bias. We also found that fishermen are reluctant to get involved in essential fish habitat identification for several reasons, including the perceived proprietary nature of their habitat information. This review represents an important first step toward making the crucial linkage between fisheries management and fishermen’s local knowledge. This study and future similar studies will provide opportunities to bring fishermen’s knowledge to the forefront as essential fish habitat management plans are being developed. The contribution of fishermen’s knowledge should help managers design a balanced regulatory system that will lead to sustainable fisheries and fisheries communities.

Patchwork of oil and gas facilities in Saudi waters of the Arabian Gulf has the potential to enhance local fisheries production

2015 ◽  
Vol 72 (8) ◽  
pp. 2398-2408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lotfi Rabaoui ◽  
Yu-Jia Lin ◽  
Mohammad A. Qurban ◽  
Rommel H. Maneja ◽  
Javier Franco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Arabian Gulf ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Small Fish ◽  
Faunal Assemblages ◽  
Fishery Resources ◽  
Management Measures ◽  
Coastal Embayments ◽  
Oceanographic Variables

Abstract Because of the increasing oil industry development in the Arabian Gulf, hundreds of oil and gas facilities have been installed in both offshore and inshore areas during the last few decades. However, no studies have been conducted till now on the influence of these platforms on the structure and composition of marine faunal assemblages. The present work addresses this issue to propose environmental management measures connected to the utilization of fishery resources. Offshore and inshore surveys were carried out along the Saudi Gulf waters using trawl and beach-seine nets, respectively. Data relative to only fish (offshore) and fish and invertebrates (inshore) were collected concurrently with several factors: density of oil and gas facilities (offshore), distance to the nearest coastal platform (inshore), oceanographic variables, and habitat characteristics. Results of offshore surveys indicated higher fish density—both total and of fishery resources—in locations with a higher number of oil and gas facilities within a 5 km radius, whereas biomass density was not significantly different. Hence, oil and gas facilities seem to serve as nursery areas for small fish. For inshore communities, more species and diversity were found in stations closer to coastal oil and gas facilities. In addition, among the five coastal embayments sampled, those with more oil and gas facilities had more species. The findings of the present work support the hypothesis of a positive net ecological role of oil and gas platforms of the Saudi Arabian Gulf, with the implication that this effect could be extended to improve the sustainability of important fishery resources.

scholarly journals Habitat affinity and density-dependent movement as indicators of fish habitat restoration efficacy

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos M. Polivka
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Ecology ◽  
Habitat Restoration ◽  
Pacific Salmon ◽  
Fish Habitat ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Density Data ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Effectiveness Studies ◽  
Habitat Affinity

AbstractConceptual and methodological tools from behavioral ecology can inform studies of habitat quality and their potential for evaluating habitat restoration in conservation efforts is explored here. Such approaches provide mechanistic detail in understanding the relationship between organisms and their habitats and are thus more informative than correlations between density and habitat characteristics. Several Pacific salmon species have been the target of habitat restoration efforts for the past 2-3 decades, but most post-restoration effectiveness studies have been limited to correlative data described above. In mark-recapture assays from four different study years, the affinity of sub-yearling Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tschawytscha) and steelhead (O. mykiss) for stream pools restored with or created by engineered log structures was greater than that for pools without restoration, though with high interannual variability. From corresponding distribution and density data, it was clear that habitat affinity data are not always concordant with single observations of density. The same was true of the correlation between either affinity or density and physical characteristics of pools, although depth and current velocity had some explanatory power for both responses in Chinook. Movement into pools by Chinook during the assays indicated that restored pools can support more immigrants at a given density than can unrestored pools; however no such pattern emerged for steelhead. Variation among individuals in body condition has implications for population-wide fitness, and such low variation was correlated with stronger affinity for pools in Chinook regardless of restoration status. This suggests that pools may mediate habitat-related trade-offs and that restoring them might have a positive effect on fitness. Thus affinity, immigration, and condition data give much-needed mechanistic indication of habitat selection for restored habitat via an apparent capacity increase and those potential fitness benefits. This is stronger support for restoration effectiveness than density differences alone because density data 1) may simply indicate redistribution of fish from poor to good habitats and 2) are not adequate to show correlations between restoration and positive change in traits correlated with fitness.

scholarly journals Benthic foraminifera as ecological indicators in the Tunda Island Waters, Serang District, Banten Province, Indonesia

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
ISNI NURRUHWATI ◽  
FACHRI ARDIANSYAH ◽  
YUNIARTI ◽  
LINTANG PERMATA SARI YULIADI ◽  
Ruhyat Partasasmita
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Benthic Foraminifera ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
Ecological Indicators ◽  
Coastal Development ◽  
Mangrove Forests ◽  
Benthic Foraminifers ◽  
A Site

Abstract. Nurruhwati I, Ardiansyah F, Yuniarti, Yuliadi LPS, Partasasmita R. 2020. Benthic foraminifera as ecological indicators in the Tunda Island Waters Serang District, Banten Province, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 21: 3142-3148. Coral reef communities all across Southeast Asia are experiencing intense pressures from extensive tourism and massive coastal development. A prediction regarding coral reefs’ capacity to recover is a necessity since it is constantly exposed to damaging events such as mass bleaching and increased erosion. Tunda Island (which is highly rich in biodiversity and include coral reefs, mangrove forests, seagrass, and algae meadows) was sampled at 10 different sites in August 2019. Coral reefs are highly influenced by ecological factors such as temperature variability, salinity, DO, and pH. The assessments were conducted using the FORAM Index (FI) to accurately predict the capacity of coral reefs to recover based on relative abundances of symbiont-bearing larger benthic foraminifera in reef sediments. The FI values ranged from 3.7 to 7.9 with a median of 4.7 and the average of 5 indicates that the water quality should support the recovery of reefs by reef-building corals and symbiont-bearing larger benthic foraminifers. The lowest FI value sampled was recorded from a site with extensive human activities (FI=3.4), while the highest one was recorded from a site with minimal to none human activities (FI=7.9), which indicates that the deterioration of water quality is caused by wastes from tourism activities near the coastal area.

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