Poster Presentation 2024 Australian Marine Sciences Association Annual Meeting combined with NZMSS

A Young Fishes Guide to Picking a Home: Understanding the Role of the Estuarine Habitat Mosaic and Focal Patch Characteristics on Juvenile Fish Communities in Seagrass Meadows (#703)

Christopher CP Pine 1 2 3 , Daniel DS Swadling 4 , Leonie LL Lueck 1 , Ana AB Bugnot 3 , Paul PG Gribben 2 , Will WF Figueira 1
  1. School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  2. Biological, Earth and Environmental Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  3. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Brisbane, QLD
  4. NSW Department of Primary Industries, Port Stephens, NSW

Seagrass meadows globally are in decline, yet they remain vital habitats for fish in estuarine environments and a key nursery habitat for juvenile fishes, often facilitating ontogenetic shifts from estuarine environments to marine systems. As efforts to restore and manage seagrass meadows escalate, understanding how the seascape mosaic in synergy with individual patch characteristics influence seagrass fish communities is crucial for optimizing restoration and management strategies. This study examined the impact of the surrounding estuarine habitat mosaic and key focal patch characteristics on fish community structure within seagrass meadows, with a focus on juvenile fish. Using deployed in a spatially balanced design, fish communities in Zostera meadows were surveyed across the Port Stephens Estuary (NSW) during Summer 2024. Our results indicate that the seascape context of seagrass patches, alongside individual patch characteristics, significantly influence juvenile fish communities within estuarine mosaics. These findings may provide valuable insights for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of restoration and management programs worldwide, particularly in New South Wales (NSW) estuaries, by providing a framework to aid in the selection of priority sites to protect and conserve juvenile fish communities.