Enhancing artificial reef fish populations by providing invertebrate prey refugia

Authors

Karen L. Neely, Nova Southeastern University, Duke University Marine LabFollow
Tracy A. Ziegler, National Park Service - CO, Duke University Marine Lab
Margaret Peloso, Vinson & Elkins, Duke University Marine Lab
Mark Hooper, Hooper Family Seafood, Duke University Marine Lab
Chesson O’Briant, CXC Fishing, Duke University Marine Lab
Maria Wise, University of Maryland Global Campus, Duke University Marine Lab
Daniel Rittschof, Duke University Marine Lab

ORCID

0000-0003-0934-3256

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Fisheries Research

ISSN

0165-7836

Publication Date

9-2021

Keywords

Fisheries, Prey refugia, Predator exclusion, Artificial reefs, North Carolina

Abstract

Government and private organizations in many regions invest heavily in artificial reefs as a method of enhancing fish populations for recreational fishermen. Though these reefs are known to aggregate fish in the short-term, the long-term maintenance of elevated fish abundance may be impaired as a result of succession to an unpalatable benthic community. We tested the hypothesis that providing a spatial refuge for benthic fauna would result in elevated fish abundances on artificial reefs. Sturdy mesh bags that excluded fish predators and created a growth and reproductive refuge for fouling organisms were placed into artificial reef materials at four replicate sites off the North Carolina coast. Reef sites were subsequently surveyed using two methods: diver fish counts and professional angler success. Anglers consistently demonstrated greater catch rates on reefs with refuge bags. Diver surveys after one year also showed that total abundance of fish as well as abundance of several species was greater on experimental sites. These results indicate that including prey refuges in artificial reefs can increase fish populations and angler success. Such experimental manipulation of epibenthic prey also supports the role of productivity in controlling artificial reef fish assemblages.

DOI

10.1016/j.fishres.2021.106003

Volume

241

First Page

106003

Comments

This work was supported by the North Carolina Department of Marine Fisheries Sea Grant #06-EP-10.

Additional Comments

The authors are grateful to J Francesconi at NCDMF and to L Craytor and L Moore of Discovery Diving for their assistance and support. We also thank the many additional Duke Marine Lab divers for their assistance in underwater fish counts. We also acknowledge the two anonymous reviewers who substantially improved this manuscript.

NSUWorks Citation

Karen L. Neely, Tracy A. Ziegler, Margaret Peloso, Mark Hooper, Chesson O’Briant, Maria Wise, and Daniel Rittschof. 2021. Enhancing artificial reef fish populations by providing invertebrate prey refugia .Fisheries Research : 106003 . https://nsuworks.nova.edu/occ_facarticles/1171.