2006 Final Report of the Sarasota and Tampa Bay Artificial Reef Evaluation of the Influence of Reef Number and Artificial Habitat on Fish Colonization By: Brett Ramey Blackburn, Ken Leber, and Sara Peatrowsky Mote Marine Laboratory 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway Sarasota, FL 34234 To: Sarasota Bay Estuary Program Date: October 18, 2008 Mote Marine Laboratory Technical Report # 1300 i Table of Contents Project Summary............................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction..................................................................................................................................... 3 Project Description.......................................................................................................................... 5 Goals and Objectives .................................................................................................................. 5 Methodology................................................................................................................................... 5 Site Selection .............................................................................................................................. 5 Site Descriptions ......................................................................................................................... 5 Data collection ............................................................................................................................ 7 Sampling Schedule...................................................................................................................... 7 Dive Surveys............................................................................................................................... 8 Water Quality.............................................................................................................................. 9 Data Analysis.............................................................................................................................. 9 Results............................................................................................................................................. 9 Spring 2006................................................................................................................................. 9 Site Abundance ....................................................................................................................... 9 Species Richness................................................................................................................... 11 Community Similarity .......................................................................................................... 11 4 Reef Sites ....................................................................................................................... 12 8 Reef Sites ....................................................................................................................... 12 16 Reef Sites ..................................................................................................................... 12 32 Reef Sites ..................................................................................................................... 13 Community composition by size class summer 2006........................................................... 13 Density by Reef Site and System.......................................................................................... 17 Spring 2006 Discussion ........................................................................................................ 18 Summer 2006............................................................................................................................ 19 Site Abundance ..................................................................................................................... 19 Species Richness................................................................................................................... 21 Community Similarity .......................................................................................................... 22 4 Reef Sites ....................................................................................................................... 22 8 Reef Sites ....................................................................................................................... 22 16 Reef Sites ..................................................................................................................... 23 32 Reef Sites ..................................................................................................................... 23 Community composition by size class summer 2006........................................................... 25 Density by Reef Site and System.......................................................................................... 26 Summer 2006 Discussion ..................................................................................................... 28 Fall 2006 ................................................................................................................................... 29 Site Abundance ..................................................................................................................... 29 Species Richness................................................................................................................... 31 Community Similarity .......................................................................................................... 32 4 Reef Sites ....................................................................................................................... 32 8 Reef Sites ....................................................................................................................... 32 16 Reef Sites ..................................................................................................................... 32 32 Reef Sites ..................................................................................................................... 33 ii Community composition by size class fall 2006 .................................................................. 33 Density by Reef Site and System.......................................................................................... 33 Fall 2006 Discussion................................................................................................................. 37 Winter 2007 .............................................................................................................................. 39 Site Abundance ..................................................................................................................... 39 Species Richness................................................................................................................... 39 Community Similarity .......................................................................................................... 42 4 Reef Sites ....................................................................................................................... 42 8 Reef Sites ....................................................................................................................... 42 16 Reef Sites ..................................................................................................................... 42 32 Reef Sites ..................................................................................................................... 43 Community composition by size class winter 2007 ............................................................. 43 Density by Reef Site and System.......................................................................................... 46 Winter 2007 Discussion........................................................................................................ 47 2006-2007 Summary................................................................................................................. 49 References..................................................................................................................................... 52 iii List of Figures Figure 1. Map containing the Sarasota Bay Study area including nearby outlets to the Gulf of Mexico...................................................................................................... 6 Figure 2. Mean number finfish and invertebrate observations at the Bayshore North (BSN), Bayshore South (BSS), Whale Key (WK), Bulkheads (BH), and Southeast Tampa Bay reef systems for spring 2006................................................... 10 Figure 3 Species richness by reef site for Bayshore North (BSN), Bayshore South (BSS), Whale Key (WK), Bulkheads (BH), and Southeast Tampa Bay reef systems for spring 2006 .............................................................................................. 11 Figure 4. Mean density of macro invertebrate and finfish (org/m3) observed at Bayshore North (BSN), Bayshore South (BSS), Whale Key (WK), Bulkheads (BH), and Southeast Tampa Bay (SETB) reef systems for spring 2006.................................................................................................................. 17 Figure 5. Mean density of organisms/m3 by reef site across all reef system for spring 2006............................................................................................................................