Realm: Marine
Climate: Tropical
Biome: Tropical Coral
Central latitude: -5.660180
Central longitude: 71.777690
Duration: 3 years, from 2015 to 2019

1401 records

137 distinct species

Across the time series Ctenochaetus striatus is the most frequently occurring species

Methods

This study was conducted in the Chagos Archipelago, Indian Ocean (5° 50? S, 72° 00? E). We surveyed coral reef fish communities around 12 islands, 6 of which have invasive rats and 6 of which are rat-free and home to dense populations of seabirds. Initial surveys were conducted in March 2015. The location of the site was marked by GPS and we revisited 11 of the same islands (5 rat-free and 6 rat-infested) 2-4 years after a major climate extreme. The reefs of the Chagos Archipelago were severely bleached as a result of warm-water anomalies during 20152016, which caused mass coral bleaching throughout the Indian and Pacific oceans. Ten of the islands in the Chagos Archipelago were revisited in May 2018, and one island was revisited in March 2019, due to weather and logistical constraints. We censused all diurnal, non-cryptic fishes along four replicate 30 m transects, spaced 10?m apart, on the lagoonal side of each island (13?m depth, 110-325 m from shore). Large and mobile fishes were counted in a 5-m-wide belt during a first pass along the transect, and damselfishes (Pomacentridae) were counted in a 2-m-wide belt during a second pass along the same transect. For all individuals greater than 7?cm total length (TL), the species and size (TL, visually estimated to the nearest cm) were recorded. The same observer (NAJG) conducted all fish surveys. Fish counts were converted to biomass using published species-specific lengthweight relationships (from FishBase). Along the same transects, we quantified benthic cover using line and point-intercept methods and structural complexity using a standard visual scale ranging from 0 (no relief) to 5 (exceptionally complex relief). Curator's note: Abundance is 'number of individuals/hectare' and Biomass is 'kg/hectare' to account for different transect sizes

Citation(s)

@Article{BioTIME_cit355, Study_id = {591}, Citation_id = {355}, Author = {Benkwitt, Cassandra E. and Wilson, Shaun K. and Graham, Nicholas A. J.}, Journal = {Nature Ecology & Evolution}, Pages = {919-926}, Title = {Biodiversity increases ecosystem functions despite multiple stressors on coral reefs}, Volume = {4}, Year = {2020}, Doi = {10.1038/s41559-020-1203-9}, Language = {English} }