Abstract

Estuarine mangrove systems are essential fish habitats that provide important ecosystem services for a wide range of inhabitants as nurseries and foraging grounds. As climate change is projected to increase global temperature by 3°C over the next 50 years, and coastal development is expected exacerbate the issue, increasing stress on these environments will result in the degradation of habitat quality and ecosystem function. In this study we captured five of the most common fish species found in the northern extent of Biscayne Bay, FL, and placed them in a 15,000 gallon mesocosm tank, with high/low density artificial mangroves units. A factorial design consisting of two temperature levels (31°C and 34°C) and two turbidity levels (high and low) was used to document changes in fish schooling behavior and predator-prey interactions using an acoustic imaging sonar (DIDSON). Preliminary observations indicate that there was an increase in predation due to prey fish exhibiting risky behavior to meet metabolic demands in the elevated temperature. Currently, additional trials are being conducted to quantify predation rate during high thermal stress and high turbidity periods to determine if prey fish mortality changes. Recent studies have focused on a single stressor at the species level, but by investigating the relationship between multiple stressors and their effect on behavior at the community level, we will gain a better understanding of how fish communities will respond to increases in temperature and turbidity related to climate change and coastal development.

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