The Importance of Regional, System-Wide and Local Spatial Scales in Structuring Temperate Estuarine Fish Communities

Valesini, FJ, Tweedley, JR, Clarke, KR and Potter, IC 2014 The Importance of Regional, System-Wide and Local Spatial Scales in Structuring Temperate Estuarine Fish Communities. Estuaries and Coasts, 37 (3). 525-547. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-013-9720-2

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Abstract/Summary

An extensive literature base worldwide demonstrates how spatial differences in estuarine fish assemblages are related to those in the environment at (bio)regional, estuary-wide or local (within-estuary) scales. Few studies, however, have examined all three scales, and those including more than one have often focused at the level of individual environmental variables rather than scales as a whole. This study has identified those spatial scales of environmental differences, across regional, estuary-wide and local levels, that are most important in structuring ichthyofaunal composition throughout south-western Australian estuaries. It is the first to adopt this approach for temperate microtidal waters. To achieve this, we have employed a novel approach to the BIOENV routine in PRIMER v6 and a modified global BEST test in an alpha version of PRIMER v7. A combination of all three scales best matched the pattern of ichthyofaunal differences across the study area (rho = 0.59; P = 0.001), with estuary-wide and regional scales accounting for about twice the variability of local scales. A shade plot analysis showed these broader-scale ichthyofaunal differences were driven by a greater diversity of marine and estuarine species in the permanently-open west coast estuaries and higher numbers of several small estuarine species in the periodically-open south coast estuaries. When interaction effects were explored, strong but contrasting influences of local environmental scales were revealed within each region and estuary type. A quantitative decision tree for predicting the fish fauna at any nearshore estuarine site in south-western Australia has also been produced. The estuarine management implications of the above findings are highlighted.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Additional Keywords:	SOUTH-AFRICAN ESTUARIES; WESTERN-AUSTRALIA; LEEUWIN CURRENT; ASSEMBLAGES; ICHTHYOFAUNAS; BIOGEOGRAPHY; SALINITY; ECOLOGY; HABITATS; HOTSPOT
Subjects:	Ecology and Environment Marine Sciences
Divisions:	Plymouth Marine Laboratory > Science Areas > Marine Life Support Systems (expired)
Depositing User:	Mrs Julia Crocker
Date made live:	14 Oct 2014 15:03
Last Modified:	06 Jun 2017 16:12
URI:	https://plymsea.ac.uk/id/eprint/6263

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