Browsing by Subject "Fish community"

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    Eutrophication-induced shifts in fish assemblages from a Mediterranean coastal lagoon
    (Elsevier, 2025-10-24) Zamora López, Antonio; Guerrero Gómez, Adrián; Torralva Forero, María del Mar; Zamora Marín, José Manuel; Oliva Paterna, Francisco José; Zoología y Antropología Física; Facultad de Biología
    Eutrophication remains a critical threat affecting estuarine and coastal lagoon ecosystems, largely driven by intensified anthropogenic pressures and exacerbated by climate change. Understanding the impacts of eutrophic processes on biological communities is essential to ensure effective conservation and management of these vulnerable environments. This study investigates the ecological consequences of eutrophication-induced algal blooms and hypoxia-mediated mass mortality events on fish communities in the Mar Menor coastal lagoon (Western Mediterranean Sea). We assessed temporal changes in fish assemblage structure and composition across three different periods: a baseline reference period (2002–2004), an algal bloom period (2018–2019), and a mass mortalities period (2020–2021). For that purpose, multiple community metrics were assessed, including species richness, abundance, biomass, β-diversity, functional guilds, and species dominance. Significant disturbances in fish abundance and biomass in response to critical eutrophic events were found, though species richness remained stable. Community similarity decreased during warmer seasons of eutrophic periods, but β-diversity values remained constant. Species-specific responses highlighted a marked decline of benthic taxa closely associated with bottom habitats, while zooplanktivores and planktivores became dominant, suggesting the emergence of top-down trophic control mechanisms. Additionally, during hypoxic events, large macrobenthivorous species appeared to seek refuge in shallow and more oxygenated areas, thus leading to evident shifts in fish assemblage composition. These findings provide robust evidence of structural and functional disruption in fish assemblages under eutrophic stress conditions. Our study underscores the relevance of long-term biological monitoring and adaptive management strategies in transitional systems, particularly under future climate and nutrient enrichment scenarios.
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    Fish functional responses to eutrophication and mass mortality events in a Mediterranean coastal lagoon
    (Elsevier, 2026-03-23) Zamora López, Antonio; Guerrero Gómez, Adrián; Torralva Forero, María del Mar; Zamora Marín, José Manuel; Herrero-Reyes, Antonio Andres; Guerreiro, Pedro Miguel; Oliva Paterna, Francisco José; Zoología y Antropología Física; Facultad de Biología
    Coastal lagoons are increasingly vulnerable to anthropogenic pressures, with eutrophication emerging as a key driver of ecological degradation. In systems with restricted marine connectivity, understanding how biological communities respond to critical eutrophic events is essential for preserving ecological functions and guiding effective management strategies. This study applies a fish trait-based approach to assess the functional consequences of mass mortality events caused by eutrophication in the Mar Menor coastal lagoon (Western Mediterranean Sea). Based on 588 surveys, we evaluated long-term functional shifts in fish assemblages across three critical eutrophic phases —Pre-Mortality (2018–2019), Mortality (2020−2021) and Post-Mortality (2022−2023)— compared with a reference period (2002–2004). Four functional diversity indices were assessed —functional richness (FRic), specialization (FSpe), originality (FOri), and divergence (FDiv)— and compared their sensitivity with taxonomic metrics and a multi-metric fish index. FSpe and FOri were the most sensitive indices to critical eutrophic events, indicating declines in the uniqueness of traits and ecological functions. Functional homogenization and the loss of specialist taxa were widespread across the lagoon, with minimal influence from site-specific anthropogenic pressure or spatial confinement. These findings suggest limited recovery of ecological functions under and after persistent critical eutrophic conditions. Our study demonstrates the usefulness of incorporating functional diversity metrics to detect and characterize the ecological responses of fish assemblages to eutrophication and mass mortality events in transitional coastal systems.