Recent region-wide declines in Caribbean reef fish abundance

Paddack, Michelle J., Reynolds, John D., Aguilar, Consuelo, Appeldoorn, Richard S., Beets, Jim, Burkett, Edward W., Chittaro, Paul M., Clarke, Kristen, Esteves, Rene, Fonseca, Ana C., Forrester, Graham E., Friedlander, Alan M., Garci­a-Sais, Jorge, Gonzalez-Sanson, Gaspar, Jordan, Lance K. B., McClellan, David B., Miller, Margaret W., Molloy, Philip P., Mumby, Peter J., Nagelkerken, Ivan, Nemeth, Michael, Navas-Camacho, Raúl, Pitt, Joanna, Polunin, Nicholas V. C., Reyes-Nivia, Maria Catalina, Robertson, D. Ross, Rodriguez-Ramirez, Alberto, Salas, Eva, Smith, Struan R., Spieler, Richard E., Steele, Mark A., Williams, Ivor D., Wormald, Clare L., Watkinson, Andrew R. and Côté, Isabelle M. (2009) Recent region-wide declines in Caribbean reef fish abundance. Current Biology, 19 (7). pp. 590-595. ISSN 1879-0445

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Abstract

Profound ecological changes are occurring on coral reefs throughout the tropics [1-3], with marked coral cover losses and concomitant algal increases, particularly in the Caribbean region [4]. Historical declines in the abundance of large Caribbean reef fishes likely reflect centuries of overexploitation [5-7]. However, effects of drastic recent degradation of reef habitats on reef fish assemblages have yet to be established. By using meta-analysis, we analyzed time series of reef fish density obtained from 48 studies that include 318 reefs across the Caribbean and span the time period 1955-2007. Our analyses show that overall reef fish density has been declining significantly for more than a decade, at rates that are consistent across all subregions of the Caribbean basin (2.7% to 6.0% loss per year) and in three of six trophic groups. Changes in fish density over the past half-century are modest relative to concurrent changes in benthic cover on Caribbean reefs. However, the recent significant decline in overall fish abundance and its consistency across several trophic groups and among both fished and nonfished species indicate that Caribbean fishes have begun to respond negatively to habitat degradation.

Item Type:	Article
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Biological Sciences Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Science > Research Centres > Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Collaborative Centre for Sustainable Use of the Seas
Depositing User:	Rosie Cullington
Date Deposited:	23 Feb 2011 10:56
Last Modified:	23 Oct 2022 05:36
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/24439
DOI:	10.1016/j.cub.2009.02.041

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