TITLE:
Restoration of a Temperate Reef: Effects on the Fish Community
AUTHORS:
Josianne Gatt Støttrup, Claus Stenberg, Karsten Dahl, Louise Dahl Kristensen, Katherine Richardson
KEYWORDS:
Reef Restoration, Impact Analysis, Labridae, Gadidae
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Ecology,
Vol.4 No.16,
December
29,
2014
ABSTRACT: The extraction of
large boulders from coastal reefs for construction of harbours and coastal protection
has led to habitat degradation for local fish populations through the
destruction of cavernous reefs and changes in macroalgal cover resulting from a
loss of substrate. The temperate reef at L?s? Trindel in Kattegat, Denmark, has
now been re-established with the aim of restoring the reef’s historical
structure and function. The effects of the restoration on the local fish community
are reported here. Fishing surveys using gillnets and fyke nets were conducted
before the restoration (2007) and four years after the restoration of the reef
(2012). Species of the family Labridae, which have a high affinity for rocky
reefs, dominated both before and after the restoration. Commercially important
species such as cod Gadus morhua, and
saithe Pollachius virens, occurred
infrequently in the catches in 2007 but were significantly more abundant in the
catches in 2012. Cods were especially attracted to the shallow part of the reef
that was restored by adding stones. For some species, such as ballan wrasse Labrus bergylta, and cod, the proportion
of larger individuals increased after the restoration. The findings highlight
the importance of reef habitats for fish communities and the need for their
protection.