Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)
Document Type
Poster
Publication Date
5-1-2025
Disciplines
Environmental Studies
Advisor
Trevor Kyler
Abstract
Mangrove trees exhibit many adaptations to living in salt water and tend to be found along marine shores. Some of these features include the ability to have their roots constantly submerged in water and stilt roots. Stilt roots are not true roots, instead they grow from the stem to the ground and provide both height and mechanical support in a somewhat fluid soil that the plants grow in. These stilt roots are thought to provide sanctuary for many juvenile fish. During our time on San Salvador Island, Bahamas (March 2025), we hypothesized that there was a relationship between distribution of adult and juvenile and the prevalence of mangrove stilt roots. Based on this hypothesis, we predicted that more juvenile fish would be observed within the roots than adults. Data was collected on Pigeon Tidal Creek. Both red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) and black mangroves (Avicennia germinans) border the creek, with numerous marine fish species residing in these waters. Using 24 randomly appointed sites on the creek shores, we conducted visual surveys of the mangrove trees. We counted and identified both tree and fish species. We did three replicates at each site. Results showed a significantly higher abundance of juvenile (n=827) and larval (n=1239) fish compared to adults (n=30). A chi-square goodness-of-fit test (X^2= 1081.41, p= 1.50 x10^-235) confirmed that these distributions were not due to chance. Size distribution analysis also showed a dominance of smaller fish (0-2 inches), further supported by another chi-square result (X^2= 4583.08, p < 0.0001). A t-test comparing adult and juvenile counts also revealed a significant difference (t= 2.4523, p= 0.0164). Our data results support our hypothesis, and we conclude that mangrove root stilts are important sites that offer structural complexity, food resources, and protection from predators which are key factors for juvenile and larval fish survival.
Recommended Citation
Morrissey, Karyn, "Fish need shelter too! The importance of Mangroves in an aquatic ecosystem" (2025). Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-). 282.
https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/ur_cscday/282
