FISHSCAPE Project

• Title: FISHSCAPE Project (Fish In Seagrass Habitats: Seascape Connectivity Across Protected Ecosystems)
• Principal Investigators: Alastair Harborne (Project lead), James Fourqurean, Justin Campbell, Yannis Papastamatiou, Rolando Santos
• Funding Amount: $1,916,914
• Funding Source: NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
• Timeline: 09/01/21–08/31/25

Marine protected areas often aim for habitat representation to fulfil the needs of species that forage widely, such as from reefs into seagrass beds. In the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Sanctuary Preservation Areas (SPAs) contain only a small area of seagrass, but if this was to be expanded there is little data on how much seagrass is required to support foraging reef fishes. This project will collect field and laboratory data to provide clear guidance to managers on these seagrass requirements. Project components will include data on seascape characteristics and their potential to change because of environmental stressors, invertebrate and fish prey abundances, risk of predation, fish foraging patterns (using acoustic telemetry), fish physiology, and stable isotopes. These data will be integrated into bioenergetic models that will allow us to estimate the seagrass area needed within a SPA to support foraging reef fishes under current and future habitat states and consequently aid management decisions.