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Browsing by Author "Coxey, Mariana Sofia Gameiro Silva"

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  • Biological diversity and community structure of the lchthyofauna on vessel reefs in the Coast of Recife (PE) - Brazil
    Publication . Coxey, Mariana Sofia Gameiro Silva; Erzini, Karim; Hazin, Fábio; Araújo, Maria Elisabeth de
    As a consequence of the degradation of coastal areas, the use of artificial reefs has become an important tool for the enhancement of habitats and biological resources. In the northeastern coast of Brazil, artificial reefs in the form of vessels have been deployed for recreational diving, with fishing activities being prohibited. The present study aimed at reporting the structure and changes in the fish community present in three recently deployed vessel reefs (Mercurius, Saveiros and Taurus) as well as the colonization process on the first two, including a comparison of these three reefs with other artificial and natural reefs, at shallow, intermediate and deeper areas, in the northeastern coast. For this purpose, monthly dives using visual census were made in all the three vessels, from July 2006 to July 2007. Species were categorized according to their trophic and spatial category and analyses were made regarding their frequency, abundance, diversity and similarity. A total of 87 species were identified in this study. The two structurally identical and deeper vessels, Mercurius and Saveiros, showed a greater resemblance in their community structures, regarding family composition, diversity indices and number of species and individuals, in each trophic guild, than with the shallower and smaller vessel, Taurus. Both the trophic and species composition of Mercurius and Saveiros became more similar over time through the colonization process. Although the three vessel reefs point to a possible stability of the fish community, Taurus presents more evidence of regulating interactions amongst species. A high similarity, >50%, was found amongst all reefs compared in this study. The results obtained showed that the vessel reefs have complete and complex fish communities. Because these artificial reefs are creating new habitats and communities, with local economic benefits, their use should be encouraged, with the employment of some reefs only for diving and others, in a future context, for artisanal fisheries management.
    2008Master thesis Open access Show more