Habitat Structure and Recruitment of Temperate Reef Fishes at an Experimental Artificial Reef (funded by California Sea Grant)

What's happening at San Clemente Artificial Reef (SCAR)...

Todd Anderson, Dane Bowker, and Kelly Andrews investigated habitat-dependent recruitment of fishes at SCAR in collaboration with UCSB Research Biologists Dan Reed, Steve Schroeter, and David Huang. The density of kelp and other habitat attributes were examined in relation to recruitment. The study of SCAR was a unique opportunity to determine habitat-dependent patterns of abundance of near shore coastal fishes at larger spatial scales over multiple years.

Our objective was to determine whether recruitment success (the number of young fish that have survived to an arbitrary point in time after settling to SCAR) depended on habitat structure, namely the coverage of quarry rock (nominally 17%, 34%, and 67%) on 21 reef modules, each 0.16 ha in size. From Fall 2001 through 2005, surveys were conducted to record the number of young-of-year recruits of many species, including kelp bass, California sheephead, several species of surfperch, blacksmith, senorita and the blackeye goby. The densities recorded as a function of hard substratum coverage and other habitat features will help us understand how habitat, in combination with other processes, may result in higher recruitment success.

This page was last modified on June 11, 2010.

SDSU Fish Ecology Lab

For technical problems contact the webmaster: webmaster@rohan.sdsu.edu

The statements found on the Fish Ecology Lab home page are for informational purposes only. Although every effort is made to ensure that this information is up to date and accurate, official information can be found in the University publications http://www.sdsu.edu.