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Human activity causes fish diversity to drop in seagrass meadows

UVic study examined 89 seagrass meadows across Canada’s Pacific Coast
11165220_web1_copy_Juvenile-rockfish-in-Barkley-Sound_photo-Emily-Adamczyk-

A recent study out of the University of Victoria confirms that human activity around seagrass meadows reduces the diversity of the fish in the area.

Coastal seagrass meadows are important nursery grounds for commercial and ecologically significant fish species, however they have been in steep decline globally – seven per cent a year –since 1990.

UVic post-doctoral fellow Josie Iacarella and biology professor Julia Baum led the effort to examine 89 seagrass meadows across Canada’s Pacific Coast, including meadows in Saanich Inlet, Victoria Harbour and Sooke Harbour. The study found that while hardy species like the threespine stickleback dominated in high-disturbance areas, sensitive rockfish species and slow-swimming egg-guarders, such as pipefish and gunnel fish, were more likely to be found in areas with less human disturbance.

“We discovered that the number of different fish species that thrive across disturbed areas is reduced,” says Iacarella. “Understanding how human disturbance affects fish communities will inform our conservation efforts of seagrass meadows.”

The paper, “Anthropogenic disturbance homogenizes seagrass fish communities,” has been published in the peer-reviewed journal Global Change Biology.


 
keri.coles@oakbaynews.com

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11165220_web1_Seagrass-Fish-Iacarella-et-al
Influence of human disturbance on surveyed fish at 89 seagrass sites in British Columbia. (Photo courtesy of Hakai Institute)