Article
Environmental Sciences
Pedro Afonso, Miguel Gandra, Goncalo Graca, Bruno Macena, Frederic Vandeperre, Jorge Fontes
Summary: This study used acoustic and satellite telemetry to investigate the population of juvenile smooth hammerhead sharks in the Azores archipelago and confirmed the existence of nurseries in this area. The sharks showed a preference for using coastal nurseries during the day and venturing further offshore at night, possibly to feed. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the ecological behaviors and implementing conservation measures for the smooth hammerhead shark.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Daniel S. Swadling, Nathan A. Knott, Matthew D. Taylor, Melinda A. Coleman, Andrew R. Dayis, Matthew J. Rees
Summary: This study investigated the fish assemblages on 629 rocky reefs along a 417 km coastline in southeastern Australia. The results showed that Chrysophrys auratus preferred to inhabit reefs near estuaries, with smaller size and higher abundance. The length and abundance of Nemadactylus douglasii and Pseudocaranx georgianus were not influenced by the proximity or size of estuaries. Regardless of the distance to estuaries, marine reserves had higher abundances and larger Chrysophrys auratus. The study highlights the importance of estuaries for sustaining coastal fisheries recruitment.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kaitlin M. Glover, Matthew E. Kimball, Bruce W. Pfirrmann, Mary Margaret Pelton, Robert P. Dunn
Summary: Designation of essential fish habitat requires understanding species-specific vital rates across habitats and regions. Brown shrimp is an economically important species occurring in various habitats across the southeastern US, exhibiting variation in vital rates. This study estimated growth rates of juvenile brown shrimp in intertidal creek habitat and found that they are similar to those in salt marsh habitats in northern GoM estuaries.
ESTUARIES AND COASTS
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
Nina Larissa Arroyo, Amalia Cuadros, Gotzon Basterretxea, Joan Moranta
Summary: This study investigated the diet of white seabream settlers in six nursery areas in Minorca Island. The results showed that the juveniles mainly fed on crustaceans, particularly harpacticoid copepods, regardless of their location. The diet composition varied among different coves, but there were no significant differences between the north and south of the island. The study also found that the fish primarily relied on algae-based food sources rather than preying on sediment communities.
MEDITERRANEAN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Garrett M. Herigan, Derek P. Crane, Kevin L. Kapuscinski
Summary: Understanding habitat use and reproductive biology of invasive species is crucial for predicting invasions and developing management plans. The study on rudd in the upper Niagara River revealed that emergent vegetation is the most important habitat factor associated with the presence of age-0 rudd, and their presence decreases as distance to the nearest wetland increases. The findings can be utilized to create predictive models of rudd invasion and guide early detection programs.
Editorial Material
Ecology
Alan Whitfield
Summary: Baker & Sheaves criticize the Whitfield review for suggesting high predation pressure on juvenile fish in shallow estuarine nursery habitats, while research in South Africa supports the idea that shallow littoral areas provide refuge for small juveniles. More targeted research is needed to confirm the role of littoral estuarine waters as a universal keystone attribute.
MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Melanie J. Davis, Isa Woo, Christopher S. Ellings, Sayre Hodgson, David A. Beauchamp, Glynnis Nakai, Susan E. W. De La Cruz
Summary: Climate change will have significant impacts on the estuarine habitat mosaic, affecting the growth and survival of fish species, particularly juvenile salmon. The study's bioenergetics model demonstrated that sea-level rise and increasing water temperatures will decrease fish growth rates, potentially resulting in smaller sizes and limited foraging capacity.
ESTUARIES AND COASTS
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Karlos R. R. de Moraes, Allan T. T. Souza, Milan Muska, Milan Hladik, Martina Ctvrtlikova, Vladislav Drastik, Tomas Kolarik, Andrea Kucerova, Monika Krolova, Zuzana Sajdlova, Marek Smejkal, Jan Kubecka
Summary: Habitat complexity in freshwater ecosystems has declined due to human impacts, leading to intensified conservation and environmental management efforts. Artificial floating islands (AFIs) are being used as a management action to enhance aquatic organism populations. This study found that AFIs installed in the littoral area of Lipno Reservoir, Czech Republic, with local wetland vegetation, significantly increased the densities of juvenile roach and perch, and even hosted apex predators exclusively. AFIs can serve as nursery ground for age 0+ fish in lentic systems and support fish populations in degraded habitat conditions.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Cynthia Yeung, Louise A. Copeman, Mary E. Matta, Mei-Sun Yang
Summary: Climate change has significantly altered the dynamics of the Bering Sea ecosystem, leading to increased biomass of certain marine species in the northern region. Juvenile flatfish grow faster and are in better condition in the southern Bering Sea, but potential negative effects from current high temperatures on their growth and condition cannot be ruled out. Despite anomalous warm bottom temperatures in 2016 and 2018, prey availability does not seem to be a limiting factor for juvenile flatfish habitat across the Bering Sea.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
D. M. Bilkovic, R. E. Isdell, D. Stanhope, K. T. Angstadt, K. J. Havens, R. M. Chambers
Summary: The intensification of climate change and coastal development pressures has increased the demand for shoreline protection. Nature-based approaches using natural habitats as alternatives to grey infrastructure are being promoted globally. Research shows that both created living shorelines and natural marshes serve as nursery habitats for blue crabs, suggesting the potential of living shorelines to act as nursery habitats for economically important species.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Erin P. Voigt, David B. Eggleston
Summary: This study highlights how regional postlarval dispersal patterns and local-scale factors affect nursery habitat use by blue crabs when multiple habitats are present in a seascape.
ESTUARIES AND COASTS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Lorenzo Ciannelli, Ericka Smith, Kelly Kearney, Mary Hunsicker, Carey McGilliard
Summary: Predicting the impact of warming ocean conditions on fish populations with complex life cycles requires specific age and habitat analyses. Inner shelf species are more vulnerable to seasonal variability, while species with high temperature sensitivity and limited mobility are particularly susceptible to climate change.
MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Twan Stoffers, Antonie D. Buijse, Johan A. J. Verreth, Leopold A. J. Nagelkerke
Summary: The large-scale degradation of riparian ecotones and connectivity between rivers and floodplains in European temperate lowland rivers has led to a decline in rheophilic fish populations. Recent river restoration projects have had varying degrees of success in restoring these populations. Understanding nursery habitat requirements is crucial for effective restoration, but the role of habitat heterogeneity in young-of-the-year fish population development is still limited.
FISH AND FISHERIES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
A. Challen Hyman, Grace S. Chiu, Mary C. Fabrizio, Romuald N. Lipcius
Summary: This study used 21 years of survey data and GIS information to evaluate the nursery habitat value of blue crabs in three tributaries of lower Chesapeake Bay. The results showed that salt marsh surface area and turbidity were the main factors affecting crab abundance, while relative seagrass area had no association. Therefore, the identification of nurseries should consider multiple potential habitats and incorporate spatial and temporal statistical dependence.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Milene Alexandra Guerreiro, Filipe Martinho, Joana Baptista, Filipe Costa, Miguel Angelo Pardal, Ana Ligia Primo
Summary: The study found seasonal variations in larval and juvenile fish communities in the Mondego estuary and its adjacent coastal area, influenced by environmental factors like temperature. Juvenile recruitment patterns for different species suggest a different nursery function between the estuary and coastal area for early life stages.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)