Presentation Type
Poster
Full Name of Faculty Mentor
Ryan Rezek, Marine Science
Other Mentors
Paul Gayes, Marine Science
Major
Marine Science
Presentation Abstract
Artificial reef structures have been deployed across the coast of South Carolina in an effort to increase fish habitat and provide other ecosystem services. There are approximately 45 artificial reef systems established by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) over several decades. The hard structure—frequently composed of concrete, old boats, or other structures—forms unique high relief hard-bottom habitat in the otherwise largely low relief coastal shelf. Currently, there is little published on the species composition of the epifaunal communities in this region, how much biomass they support, and how they develop over time. We studied two established artificial reefs that vary in age, Ron McManus Reef (PA-04) and Jim Caudle Reef (PA-01). Scrapings from these structures were collected to identify the abundance, biomass, and species composition of these structures. Younger reef structures were dominated primarily by barnacles (Cirripedia), and older structures (10 years+) tended to support more diverse communities composed of sponges (Porifera), bivalves, and coral species. This study demonstrates the process of community succession on these habitats and serves as a baseline for understanding how potential services provided by these structures, such as habitat provision and potential prey resources that they provide for fish, may increase over time.
Location
Poster Session 1
Start Date
12-4-2022 12:30 PM
End Date
12-4-2022 2:30 PM
Disciplines
Oceanography
Recommended Citation
Madden, Sydney, "What lives on offshore artificial reefs in South Carolina? An analysis of epifaunal reef communities and how they vary with reef age" (2022). Undergraduate Research Competition. 48.
https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/ugrc/2022/fullconference/48
Included in
What lives on offshore artificial reefs in South Carolina? An analysis of epifaunal reef communities and how they vary with reef age
Poster Session 1
Artificial reef structures have been deployed across the coast of South Carolina in an effort to increase fish habitat and provide other ecosystem services. There are approximately 45 artificial reef systems established by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) over several decades. The hard structure—frequently composed of concrete, old boats, or other structures—forms unique high relief hard-bottom habitat in the otherwise largely low relief coastal shelf. Currently, there is little published on the species composition of the epifaunal communities in this region, how much biomass they support, and how they develop over time. We studied two established artificial reefs that vary in age, Ron McManus Reef (PA-04) and Jim Caudle Reef (PA-01). Scrapings from these structures were collected to identify the abundance, biomass, and species composition of these structures. Younger reef structures were dominated primarily by barnacles (Cirripedia), and older structures (10 years+) tended to support more diverse communities composed of sponges (Porifera), bivalves, and coral species. This study demonstrates the process of community succession on these habitats and serves as a baseline for understanding how potential services provided by these structures, such as habitat provision and potential prey resources that they provide for fish, may increase over time.