Recent region-wide declines in Caribbean reef fish abundance.
Profound ecological changes are occurring on coral reefs throughout the tropics, with marked coral cover losses and concomitant algal increases, particularly in the Caribbean region. Historical declines in the abundance of large Caribbean reef fishes likely reflect centuries of overexploitation. However, effects of drastic recent degradation of reef habitats on reef fish assemblages have yet to be established. By using meta-analysis, we analyzed time series of reef fish density obtained from 48 studies that include 318 reefs across the Caribbean and span the time period 1955-2007. Our analyses show that overall reef fish density has been declining significantly for more than a decade, at rates that are consistent across all subregions of the Caribbean basin (2.7% to 6.0% loss per year) and in three of six trophic groups. Changes in fish density over the past half-century are modest relative to concurrent changes in benthic cover on Caribbean reefs. However, the recent significant decline in overall fish abundance and its consistency across several trophic groups and among both fished and nonfished species indicate that Caribbean fishes have begun to respond negatively to habitat degradation.
Paddack
Michelle J
MJ
Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada. michelle.paddack@gmail.com
Reynolds
John D
JD
Aguilar
Consuelo
C
Appeldoorn
Richard S
RS
Beets
Jim
J
Burkett
Edward W
EW
Chittaro
Paul M
PM
Clarke
Kristen
K
Esteves
Rene
R
Fonseca
Ana C
AC
Forrester
Graham E
GE
Friedlander
Alan M
AM
García-Sais
Jorge
J
González-Sansón
Gaspar
G
Jordan
Lance K B
LK
McClellan
David B
DB
Miller
Margaret W
MW
Molloy
Philip P
PP
Mumby
Peter J
PJ
Nagelkerken
Ivan
I
Nemeth
Michael
M
Navas-Camacho
Raúl
R
Pitt
Joanna
J
Polunin
Nicholas V C
NV
Reyes-Nivia
Maria Catalina
MC
Robertson
D Ross
DR
Rodríguez-Ramírez
Alberto
A
Salas
Eva
E
Smith
Struan R
SR
Spieler
Richard E
RE
Steele
Mark A
MA
Williams
Ivor D
ID
Wormald
Clare L
CL
Watkinson
Andrew R
AR
Côté
Isabelle M
IM
D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa; D017691:Caribbean Region; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004463:Ecology; D017753:Ecosystem; D005399:Fishes; D011156:Population Density