Seasonal Fisheries Changes in Low-Rainfall Mangrove Ecosystems of Iran
File version
Author(s)
Fry, Brian
Griffith University Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Other Supervisors
Editor(s)
Date
Size
File type(s)
Location
License
Abstract
To determine the role of mangroves for fisheries in the arid region of the Persian Gulf, we investigated fish community structure and trophic diversity in intertidal creeks with and without mangroves. Fish community abundances and biomass were compared across habitats and seasons. To identify variations in overall community trophic niches among habitats and seasons, we measured niches with size-corrected standard ellipse areas (SEAc) calculated from C and N stable isotope values. Although there was a slightly greater species richness occurred in mangrove creeks, we found a general similarity in the diversity patterns in creeks with and without mangroves. Also, there were no consistent differences in fish abundance or biomass for mangrove vs. non-mangrove fish collections. Community trophic diversity measured as SEAc also showed no significant difference between mangrove and non-mangrove sites. Instead, strong seasonal patterns were observed in the fish assemblages. Winter samples had consistently higher fish abundance and biomass than summer samples. Winter SEAc values were significantly higher, indicating that the fish community had a larger isotopic niche in winter than summer. Overall, we found that seasonality was much stronger than habitat in determining fish community structure and trophic diversity in the mangrove and non-mangrove ecosystems of Qeshm Island, Iran.
Journal Title
Estuaries and Coasts
Conference Title
Book Title
Edition
Volume
Issue
Thesis Type
Degree Program
School
Publisher link
Patent number
Funder(s)
Grant identifier(s)
Rights Statement
Rights Statement
Item Access Status
Note
This publication has been entered into Griffith Research Online as an Advanced Online Version.
Access the data
Related item(s)
Subject
Earth sciences
Environmental sciences
Other environmental sciences not elsewhere classified
Biological sciences