Life Sciences Commons^™

Influence Of Adjacent Seagrass On The Fish Assemblages Off Sandy Beaches, Matthew A. Vanderklift

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

As we attempt to maintain marine biodiversity mainly by focussing on habitats, we need to understand how marine biodiversity is affected by seagrass loss. Although managers and researchers widely acknowledge that habitat loss results in changes to marine biodiversity, quantitative knowledge of these changes is generally poor. In this study, fish assemblages (as one component of the biodiversity of sandy beaches) were examined in Cockburn Sound, Western Australia, to assess patterns that may be related to presence or absence of adjacent seagrass beds, If consistent patterns are evident, they may enable predictions regarding the effects of seagrass loss on the …