Biology and Ecology of Coral Reef Fishes

A special issue of Fishes (ISSN 2410-3888). This special issue belongs to the section "Biology and Ecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2024 | Viewed by 1095

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Institute of Marine Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Ferry Road, Portsmouth PO4 9LY, UK
Interests: fish ecology; essential fish habitat; coral reef fishes; fisheries management; marine protected areas; environmental impact assessment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Coral reefs are among the most diverse and productive ecosystems on Earth, and the fishes that inhabit them play a critical role in maintaining their health and resilience, in addition to providing protein for hundreds of millions of people living in tropical coastal areas. Despite a large body of research from developed countries, major knowledge gaps remain that undermine the conservation of coral reef fishes and the management of reef fisheries, especially in developing tropical nations. For many species, there is a lack of basic biological information such as growth rates, size at maturity, habitat preferences, reproductive ecology, etc. The aim of this Special Issue is to deepen our understanding of the complex ecological processes that govern the dynamics of coral reef fish populations and assemblages.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: the effects of fishing and environmental factors on coral reef fish populations, the roles of abiotic and biotic interactions in shaping fish population and assemblage structures, and the implications of global change for the future of coral reef fishes. Studies involving modern sampling techniques, such as telemetry or eDNA, are particularly welcome, as are submissions from scientists in developing nations.

Dr. Mark H. Tupper
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fishes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • coral reefs
  • fish assemblages
  • fisheries management
  • biodiversity conservation
  • natural and anthropogenic impacts
  • essential fish habitat
  • marine protected areas
  • early life history
  • mark–recapture
  • telemetry

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

12 pages, 962 KiB  
Article
Assessing the Conservation Value of Artificial and Natural Reefs via Ichthyoplankton Spatio-Temporal Dynamics
by Carlos Adrián Sánchez-Caballero, José Manuel Borges-Souza, Ricardo Javier Saldierna-Martínez and Avigdor Abelson
Fishes 2024, 9(5), 166; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes9050166 - 4 May 2024
Viewed by 687
Abstract
The distribution of fish eggs and larvae (ichthyoplankton) reflects spawning and nursery areas as well as dispersal routes. This study’s goal is to demonstrate how the identification of ichthyoplankton species and stages and their spatial distribution among natural reefs (NRs) and artificial reefs [...] Read more.
The distribution of fish eggs and larvae (ichthyoplankton) reflects spawning and nursery areas as well as dispersal routes. This study’s goal is to demonstrate how the identification of ichthyoplankton species and stages and their spatial distribution among natural reefs (NRs) and artificial reefs (ARs) may serve as decision-making tools in conservation and fishery management. Natural reefs exhibited an eight-times higher abundance of eggs, as well as the highest abundance of larvae in the yolk-sac and preflexion phases. In contrast, ARs had the highest abundance of larvae in the flexion and postflexion phases. Natural reefs may serve as breeding grounds for Scaridae, Labridae, and Mugilidae; whereas, ARs may serve as breeding sites for Lutjanidae, Synodontidae, Carangidae, Fistularidae, and Haemulidae. Our study revealed differences between ARs and NRs, which demonstrate the potential of artificial reefs to expand the supply and settlement options of reef fishes and consequently can lead to increased fish production with potential benefits to adjacent fishing areas through connectivity. Thus, ARs as no-take sites can be effective tools for both fishery management and biodiversity conservation. The findings highlight the potential use of ichthyoplankton tools and the importance of considering both types of reefs in marine conservation and management efforts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biology and Ecology of Coral Reef Fishes)
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