Influence of Hurricane Activity on Acoustic Array Efficiency: A Case Study of Red Snapper within an Artificial Reef Complex

Abstract

Meteorological disturbances, such as hurricanes, can cause wide distributional changes to fish populations, but studies documenting fish movement in response to these disturbances are rare and serendipitous. We opportunistically examined how a hurricane influenced behavior of Red Snapper Lutjanus campechanus at an artificial reef complex in the western Gulf of Mexico. Red Snapper had a variety of responses, with some fish emigrating and some remaining on site during Hurricane Harvey—a category 4 storm. Hurricane-induced destruction or alteration of habitat may alter space use behavior of fish. However, caution should be used when interpreting behavior without the inclusion of array performance, which may change due to environmental conditions. Importantly, when acoustic array efficiency was not accounted for in space use analyses, mean kernel utilization distribution (m³) was marginally different among the periods before, during, and after Hurricane Harvey. However, when mean daily array efficiency was included as a covariate, space use among the three periods was not significantly different. Hurricanes can affect the movement and residency of marine species and can be an important driver in the displacement of populations and degradation of habitats, but array efficiency should be incorporated to prevent misinterpreting the behaviors of tagged fish.