Diversity and structure of parrotfish assemblages across the Northern Great Barrier Reef

Johnson, GB; Taylor, BM; Robbins, WD; Franklin, EC; Toonen, R; Bowen, B; Choat, JH

Diversity and structure of parrotfish assemblages across the Northern Great Barrier Reef

Johnson, GB Taylor, BM Robbins, WD

Franklin, EC Toonen, R Bowen, B Choat, JH

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Diversity, 2019, 11 (1)
Issue Date:: 2019-01-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Johnson, GB	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Taylor, BM	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Robbins, WD https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1106-1733	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Franklin, EC	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Toonen, R	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Bowen, B	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Choat, JH	en_US
dc.date.issued	2019-01-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Diversity, 2019, 11 (1)	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/135115
dc.description.abstract	© 2019 by the authors. The structure and dynamics of coral reef environments vary across a range of spatial scales, with patterns of associated faunal assemblages often reflecting this variability. However, delineating drivers of biological variability in such complex environments has proved challenging. Here, we investigated the assemblage structure and diversity of parrotfishes-a common and ecologically important group-across 6° of latitude on the Northern Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia. Parrotfish abundance and biomass were determined from stereo-video surveys across 82 sites spanning 31 reefs and assessed against geographic, biophysical, and management-related factors in a multivariate framework to determine major drivers and associated scales of assemblage structure. Large cross-shelf variation in parrotfish assemblages pervaded along the entire Northern GBR, with distinct assemblages associated with sheltered and exposed reefs. Species abundances and diversity generally decreased with decreasing latitude. The gradient of explicit predator biomass associated with management zoning had no effect on parrotfish assemblage structure, but was positively correlated with parrotfish diversity. Our results highlight the ubiquitous presence of cross-shelf variation, where the greatest differences in parrotfish community composition existed between sheltered (inner and mid shelf) and exposed (outer shelf) reef systems. Prior attempts to explain linkages between parrotfishes and fine-scale biophysical factors have demonstrated parrotfishes as habitat generalists, but recent developments in nutritional ecology suggest that their cross-shelf variation on the GBR is likely reflective of benthic resource distribution and species-specific feeding modes.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Diversity	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.3390/d11010014	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Analytical Chemistry	en_US
dc.title	Diversity and structure of parrotfish assemblages across the Northern Great Barrier Reef	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	1	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	11	en_US
utslib.for	0602 Ecology	en_US
utslib.for	0502 Environmental Science and Management	en_US
utslib.for	0301 Analytical Chemistry	en_US
utslib.for	0805 Distributed Computing	en_US
utslib.for	0906 Electrical and Electronic Engineering	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Life Sciences
utslib.copyright.status	open_access
pubs.issue	1	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	11	en_US

Abstract:

© 2019 by the authors. The structure and dynamics of coral reef environments vary across a range of spatial scales, with patterns of associated faunal assemblages often reflecting this variability. However, delineating drivers of biological variability in such complex environments has proved challenging. Here, we investigated the assemblage structure and diversity of parrotfishes-a common and ecologically important group-across 6° of latitude on the Northern Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia. Parrotfish abundance and biomass were determined from stereo-video surveys across 82 sites spanning 31 reefs and assessed against geographic, biophysical, and management-related factors in a multivariate framework to determine major drivers and associated scales of assemblage structure. Large cross-shelf variation in parrotfish assemblages pervaded along the entire Northern GBR, with distinct assemblages associated with sheltered and exposed reefs. Species abundances and diversity generally decreased with decreasing latitude. The gradient of explicit predator biomass associated with management zoning had no effect on parrotfish assemblage structure, but was positively correlated with parrotfish diversity. Our results highlight the ubiquitous presence of cross-shelf variation, where the greatest differences in parrotfish community composition existed between sheltered (inner and mid shelf) and exposed (outer shelf) reef systems. Prior attempts to explain linkages between parrotfishes and fine-scale biophysical factors have demonstrated parrotfishes as habitat generalists, but recent developments in nutritional ecology suggest that their cross-shelf variation on the GBR is likely reflective of benthic resource distribution and species-specific feeding modes.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/135115