title: Recent region-wide declines in Caribbean reef fish abundance.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada. michelle.paddack@gmail.com
authors.forename: Michelle J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Paddack
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.forename: Consuelo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aguilar
authors.forename: Richard S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Appeldoorn
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beets
authors.forename: Edward W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Burkett
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Chittaro
authors.forename: Kristen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: Rene
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Esteves
authors.forename: Ana C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: Graham E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Forrester
authors.forename: Alan M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Friedlander
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: García-Sais
authors.forename: Gaspar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: González-Sansón
authors.forename: Lance K B
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: McClellan
authors.forename: Margaret W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Philip P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Molloy
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Mumby
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nagelkerken
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nemeth
authors.forename: Raúl
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Navas-Camacho
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pitt
authors.forename: Nicholas V C
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Polunin
authors.forename: Maria Catalina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Reyes-Nivia
authors.forename: D Ross
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Ramírez
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Salas
authors.forename: Struan R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Richard E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Spieler
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Steele
authors.forename: Ivor D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Clare L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Wormald
authors.forename: Andrew R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Watkinson
authors.forename: Isabelle M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Côté
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa; D017691:Caribbean Region; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004463:Ecology; D017753:Ecosystem; D005399:Fishes; D011156:Population Density