Nearshore hardbottom fishes of southeast Florida and effects of habitat burial caused by dredging

Fish assemblages of nearshore hardbottom habitats of southeast Florida were quantified at three sites from April 1994 to June 1996. Random 2 x 15 m tr ansects were visually censused within two replicate areas at each site. The hardbottom at one site was buried by a dredge project to widen a beach one year into the study. A total of 394 transects were sampled. Eighty-six tax a (77 identified to species) from 36 families were censused. Grunts (Haemul idae) were the most diverse family (11 species), followed by the wrasses (L abridae)and parrotfishes (Scaridae) with seven and six species, respectivel y. The most abundant species were sailors choice (Haemulon parra), silver p orgy (Diplodus argenteus), and cocoa damselfish (Stegastes variabilis) with mean abundances (individuals/transect) of 4.5, 3.8, and 3.7, respectively. Early life stages (newly settled, early juvenile, and juvenile) represente d over 80% of the individuals at all sites. Newly settled stages of over 20 species were observed in association with hardbottom reef structure. Outsi de of lagoons, nearshore hardbottom areas are the primary natural structure s in shallow waters of mainland Florida's east coast and were estimated to have nursery value for 34 species of fishes. After one year, burial of appr oximately five ha of hardbottom habitat at one site lowered the numbers of individuals and species by over 30x and 10x, respectively. Due to their ear ly ontogenetic stage, many of these species may not be adapted for high mob ility in response to habitat burial. Dredging effects may be amplified by b urial prior to and during spring and summer peri ods of peak larval recruit ment.