Dissertation Defense Seminar - Kelsey Martin

MARINE BIOLOGY DOCTORAL PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF LIFE SCIENCES
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-CORPUS CHRISTI

SUBJECT: The Role of Artificial Reefs and Natural Banks in the Distribution and Abundance of Economically Important Fishes

MAJOR ADVISOR: Dr. Greg Stunz

ABSTRACT

Artificial reef construction in the northern Gulf of Mexico have become an important resource enhancement tool. These structures, along with natural banks, act as fish aggregation sites on a relatively barren continental shelf region that contains little to no vertical structure for fish habitat. Generally, a lack of fishery-independent studies comparing artificial reefs to their natural counterparts has led to uncertainty surrounding the role of artificial reefs. Furthermore, with increasing legislative regulations on the type of materials permitted for artificial reefs, it is important to examine which materials provide the most benefit. I used a combination of remotely operated vehicle, stereo-remote underwater video systems, and hydroacoustics to characterize fish communities among artificial reefs and natural banks. This study also provides abundance estimates of economically important fish species at natural and artificial reefs along the Texas continental shelf. I found that large, highly dense artificial reefs had significantly higher cost-benefit ratios than smaller reefs with fewer structures. I also developed an individual-based model to assess the population dynamics of Red Snapper and Greater Amberjack over differing artificial reef density and configuration and discovered the importance of habitat connectivity in population health. Collectively, my findings suggest that artificial reefs in the western Gulf of Mexico play an important role in shaping fish communities and in the population dynamics of economically important species. Furthermore, I developed a unique approach to quantifying the efficacy of artificial reefs and revealed two types of reefs that were significantly less cost-effective than the others explored in this study. Future artificial reefing projects should avoid large, highly dense reefs and should consider proximity to other artificial or natural habitats. This study improves the scientific understanding of the role of natural and artificial habitat in fish communities and provides fisheries managers with key abundance estimates needed for stock assessments for several economically important species on the Texas coast.

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ZOOM DETAILS

https://tamucc.zoom.us/j/91844742328?pwd=NHpkaUxXZ3VncVdoUHNCVVdQN1VNdz09