Tropical coastal habitats as surrogates of fish community structure, grazing, and fisheries value

摘要: Habitat maps are frequently invoked as surrogates of biodiversity to aid the design networks marine reserves. Maps used maximize habitat heterogeneity in reserves because this is likely number species protected. However, technique's efficacy limited by intra-habitat variability present and their abundances. Although communities expected vary among patches same habitat, poorly documented rarely incorporated into reserve planning. To examine coral-reef fishes, we generated a data set from eight tropical coastal habitats six islands Bahamian archipelago using underwater visual censuses. Firstly, provide further support for surrogate each predefined type supported distinct assemblage fishes. Intra- fish community structure at scales hundreds kilometers (among islands) was significant least 75% studied, depending on whether presence/absence, density, or biomass were used. Intra-habitat positively correlated with mean that when density Such relationships proxy assessment detailed quantitative scarce. examined more detail one (forereefs visually dominated Montastraea corals). Variability driven small, demersal families (e.g., territorial pomacentrid labrid fishes). Finally, ecological economic significance assemblages reefs identifying how affects composition abundances fishes different functional groups, key ecosystem process parrotfish grazing, service value commercially important finfish. There differences range groups but not fisheries value. scale tens around an island) less than islands. Caribbean should be replicated kilometers, particularly species-rich habitats, capture structure, function, process.