Trophic coupling and habitat connectivity among coral reef, mangrove, and seagrass fishes and benthic invertebrate communities of the Virgin Islands National Park (VIIS) and Coral Reef National Monument (VICR)

Publisher: USGS | Science Center: Florida Integrated Science Center (FISC, Gainesville) | Format: URL

fl.biology.usgs.gov — The connection between fish habitat utilization, prey use, and fish movement patterns is not known in relation to available invertebrate prey resources in off-reef sites. Developing a better understanding of the habitat use, diet, and resource needs of benthic communities and their interactions with mobile fish and invertebrates is an important More... The connection between fish habitat utilization, prey use, and fish movement patterns is not known in relation to available invertebrate prey resources in off-reef sites. Developing a better understanding of the habitat use, diet, and resource needs of benthic communities and their interactions with mobile fish and invertebrates is an important component of evaluating the effectiveness of marine reserves in preserving coral reef ecosystem biodiversity. The objective of this project is to determine the diet and important foraging areas of bluestriped grunt (Haemulon sciurus), schoolmaster snapper (Lutjanus apodus), and red hind (Epinephelus guttatus) based on analysis of fish stomach contents and ultrasonic telemetry to track the movement of individuals by estimating the spatial and temporal properties of coral reef, mangrove, sea grass, and other non-reef habitats. Less...