Using Various Visual Census Techniques to Assess Fish Assemblages on Nearshore Habitats off Lantana Beach, Florida

Using Various Visual Census Techniques to Assess Fish Assemblages on Nearshore Habitats off Lantana Beach, Florida

The nearshore environment off southern Palm Beach County is characterized by extensive areas of hardbottom, primarily composed of limestone beachrock andSabellarid worm reefs. These substrates are located very close to shore in the surf zone, an area of high wave action, and provide habitat to a wide variety of fish species. These habitats are ephemeral and cycle through burial and exposure events over time due to shifting sand from nearby beach renourishment projects. One goal of this study is to determine the species composition and abundance of this fish assemblage using various visual census techniques. We will be trained by Dr. Arena to identify fish species which typically inhabit these areas, as well as estimate their size. We will be utilizing and comparing three census methodologies: transects, point-counts, and rover. We will also compare censuses completed by SCUBA divers versus snorkelers. Another goal of the study is to determine if there are tidal and seasonal changes in the fish assemblages at these sites. The nearshore environment off Lantana Beach, Florida will be the study site for this research project. The hardbottom habitats will be assessed before the project begins to determine areas of worm reef versus limestone beachrock. Random sites within each of these substrates will be chosen to complete the visual techniques and the fish assemblages residing on each of these two substrates will also be compared. Previous studies have indicated these nearshore habitats are important nursery grounds and this study will provide additional data on these habitats.