Standard Presentation Australian Marine Sciences Association Annual Meeting 2023

Inferring relationships among fish corallivores, benthic habitats, and reef structure across the GBR and Torres Strait (#333)

Tsai-Hsuan Tony Hsu 1 , Eoghan A. Aston 2 3 4 , Tiny Remmers Remmers 2 3 4 , Sophie Gordon 2 , Renata Ferrari 2 , Will F. Figueira 1
  1. School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
  2. Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, Australia
  3. Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
  4. College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia

Reef fish suffered from the loss of habitats and reduced food availability under reef degradation. In this context, corallivorous fishes are perhaps the most impacted trophic group but gain less attention despite their tight interactions with coral. Therefore, this study endeavors to shed light on the interactions between corallivorous fish and scleractinian coral, using fish videos and reef resilience data from the ecological intelligence for reef restoration and adaptation program (EcoRRAP). Survey sites are across the GBR and Torres Strait. Corallivore assemblages and corallivory rates are firstly quantified using unbaited underwater remote videos. We then investigate how benthic habitats shape corallivore assemblages and influence corallivory rates. Specifically, we hypothesize that higher structural complexity and larger shelter areas driven by scleractinian corals may accommodate more predatory fishes. The behavior of corallivores and corallivory rates may be therefore influenced. Overall, the results of this study will be able to fill in the knowledge gaps on the relationships among fish corallivores, benthic habitats, and reef structure, which further aids in the understanding of reef resilience and future trajectories.