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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Are Coastal Habitats Important Nurseries? A Meta-Analysis, Jonathan S. Lefcheck, Brent B. Hughes, Andrew J. Johnson, Bruce W. Pfirrman, Douglas B. Rasher, Ashley R. Smyth, Bethany L. Williams, Michael W. Beck, R J. Orth
Are Coastal Habitats Important Nurseries? A Meta-Analysis, Jonathan S. Lefcheck, Brent B. Hughes, Andrew J. Johnson, Bruce W. Pfirrman, Douglas B. Rasher, Ashley R. Smyth, Bethany L. Williams, Michael W. Beck, R J. Orth
VIMS Articles
Nearshore‐structured habitats—including underwater grasses, mangroves, coral, and other biogenic reefs, marshes, and complex abiotic substrates—have long been postulated to function as important nurseries for juvenile fishes and invertebrates. Here, we review the evolution of the “nursery habitat hypothesis” and use >11,000 comparisons from 160 peer‐reviewed studies to test whether and which structured habitats increase juvenile density, growth, and survival. In general, almost all structured habitats significantly enhanced juvenile density—and in some cases growth and survival—relative to unstructured habitats. Underwater grasses and mangroves also promoted juvenile density and growth beyond what was observed in other structured habitats. These conclusions were robust …