Species and Functional Dynamics of the Demersal Fish Community and Responses to Disturbances in the Pearl River Estuary

• DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2022.921595
• Publication Date: 2022-07-13T08:50:08Z
• Authors: Zeyu Zeng; William W. L. Cheung; Han Lai; Huadong Yi; Sheng Bi; Haiyang Li; Xiaoli Chen; Yuqin Su; Xuange Liu; Qiuxian Chen; Zhilun Zhang; Xuchong Wei; Jiahui Chen; Guifeng Li
• Keywords: Demersal fish; Demersal zone; Coastal fish

Fishery resources are threatened by environmental changes and anthropogenic pressures, particularly in coastal ecosystems. It is crucial to understand the of fish communities their responses human disturbances formulate rational fisheries ecosystem-based management. The Pearl River Estuary (PRE) a typical sub-tropic ecosystem located center Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area northern South China Sea. demersal PRE traditionally targeted as commercial fishing severely impacted overexploitation hypoxia last few decades. In this study, we analyze survey data during period 2020~2021 using multivariate statistics investigate impacts on species functional dynamics community PRE. results reveal that dissolved oxygen temperature have significant correlations with traits community. vary locations. We found mean redundancy was high across three surveys, but diversity low region. abundance richness increased summer moratorium Sea 2021, did not increase significantly. conclude might be sufficient buffer against because its diversity. Our study highlights complicated interactions between Understanding structure can help elucidate factors determining dynamic disturbances.