Title
Enhanced seagrass growth and fish aggregations around Bahamian patch reefs: The case for a functional connection
Author(s)
Alevizon W.
Published
2002
Publisher
Bulletin of Marine Science
Abstract
Isolated coral heads and patch reefs of the greater Caribbean region are often immediately surrounded by bare sand 'halos', conspicuous features variously attributed to the grazing activities of nearby fishes (Randall, 1965) and/or urchins (Ogden et al., 1973). On the Bahama Banks (and in other locations as well) such reefs also are often ringed by bands of enhanced seagrass growth that sharply abut, and extend outward from, the outer margin of the more centrally located sand halos (Fig. 1). The characteristics and likely causes of these localized, anomalous features have yet received scant attention. This paper describes the unexpected and surprising development, over a six-year period, of just such a 'halo' of enhanced seagrass growth around a small artificial reef deployed on the Little Bahama Bank, on what had (prior to reef deployment) been a relatively barren sand substrate. The observations reported strongly suggest that there is a functional connection between the co-occurrence of localized bands of enhanced seagrass growth and fish aggregations immediately surrounding Bahamian patch reefs.
Keywords
aggregation; artificial reef; coral reef; fish; growth; seagrass; Bahamas; Animalia; Anthozoa; Halophila; Pisces
Access Full Text
A full-text copy of this article may be available. Please email the WCS Library to request.
![]()
Back
PUB12578