Fish habitat characterization and assessment: approach to integrate seafloor features and juvenile organisms data

Abstract

This study described seafloor features and juvenile fish community structure to provide a qualitative fish habitat assessment. Ocean-related uses and management strategies, ranging from coastal development and dredged material disposal to fishery activities and marine conservation measures, often influence marine and estuarine habitat and life. A major component of ocean resources management entails the conservation and protection of marine and estuarine habitats, such as nursery habitat. The development of effective fish habitat monitoring and assessment is essential to achieving a balance between conservation, sustainable development and ocean-use management strategies. Ontogenetic development of marine and estuarine organisms depends on specific environmental attributes, and seafloor conditions often dictate the distribution, abundance and composition of bottom-dwelling macrofauna. Demersal juvenile stages of fishes and decapods, newly settled and early benthic phase life history-in particular, require abiotic and biotic benthic resources for survivorship and growth. Marine and estuarine habitats that present productive environmental conditions for early life history fishes and invertebrates are characterized as nursery habitats. Demersal juveniles, such as American lobster, Atlantic cod and rock gunnel, exhibit ecological requirements typically characterized by microhabitat attributes and complex benthos. The benthic environment presents diverse resources and interactions that influence the biology of an area. Mobile and sedentary macrofauna have evolved an obligatory and facultative dependence on benthos with particular attributes. Describing complexity of the seafloor is a method of examining benthos-organism relationships. Seafloor complexity shapes topographic structure and vertical relief and is based on sediment type, bed forms and biological structure.