Thomas Minello and Ron Hill  

To fully understand the dynamics of coral reef fishes and to anticipate future fishery changes, it is important to examine the availability and use of nursery grounds and assess the linkages between these areas and the reefs. The recent literature has highlighted the importance of the synergistic relationships of nursery grounds and their influence on the abundance and distribution of reef fishes.  Previously identified nursery areas include seagrass beds, mangroves, and shallow reef zones, but studies characterizing their nursery function have been very limited.   

This project will examine the distributions of known habitats and investigate their functions as recruitment and nursery grounds, particularly focusing on shallow inshore and back-reef habitats that have been demonstrated to be important for grunts, lobsters, and snappers in other parts of Puerto Rico.  Evaluation of reef fish assemblages on adjacent reefs will examine relationships between proximity of nursery habitats and fishery resources.  This information will allow us to assess the contributions of these areas to reef fish and invertebrate assemblages and better define essential fish habitats for these important fishery resources.