The Impacts of Habitat Complexity on Reef Fish Assemblages

Project PI: Bryant Grady

Project Advisor: Dr. John Burns

This study looks at different characteristics of the morphological and physical parameters of reef structure to assess its influence on fish abundance, biomass, and species richness. Structure-From-Motion and fish transect surveys were conducted at ten sites on Hawaii Island. The 3D characteristics used in this study are 3D/2D surface area, slope, benthic terrain roughness, planiform curvature, profile curvature, and viewshed distance. Fish data were collected through the Division of Aquatic Resources West Hawaiʻi Aquarium Project using standard belt transect surveys recording fish abundance, size, and species. The results of this study show that fish in West Hawaiʻi target specific 3D morphological and physical characteristics of reef structure in high complexity reef habitats.

Completed project