Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Mangrove and Marsh Fish Community Structure in Relation to Local and Regional Hydrology

Robblee, Michael; DeAngelis, Donald; Smith, Thomas; Smith, Dewitt

A report outlining the species composition and relative abundance of fish and their importance to mangrove ecology, fisheries, and estuaries. Mangrove forests dominate the coastal landscape of south Florida. Landward of these mangroves, extensive brackish to freshwater marshes can be found. The fish communities of the freshwater Everglades have been extensively studied (Loftus & Eklund 1994) and their importance to higher trophic levels recognized (Ogden 1994). The paradigm of the importance of mangroves to coastal fisheries production rests on a limited number of studies conducted in mangrove estuaries and fringing mangrove habitats. Most researchers have captured fish in the larger open water bays which are surrounded by mangroves, rather than in the flooded forests themselves (e.g. Clark 1970, Odum & Heald 1972, Carter et al. 1973, Tabb et al. 1974, Yokel 1975, Colby et al. 1985, Browder et al. 1986). While these surveys provide information on the species composition and relative abundance of fishes in open water and tidal creek habitat, they say nothing of the direct use of vegetated intertidal habitats. Several authors have examined fish use of fringing red mangrove prop root habitat. Thayer et al. (1987)documented the fish fauna present in this habitat in Florida Bay. They found greater densities and biomass as well as consistent differences in species composition when compared to adjacent seagrass areas. Ley (1992) examined fish in mangrove prop root habitats in northeastern Florida Bay in relation to freshwater flow. Sheridan (1992) compared mangrove prop root, seagrass and open water habitats in Rookery Bay. He observed consistently lower fish diversity in prop root habitats compared with seagrass and open water areas of the bay.