Healthy Reefs, Healthy Fish | Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Healthy Reefs, Healthy Fish

Healthy Coral Reefs and Healthy Fisheries Keep Each Other Productive

Red grouper, mutton snapper and other reef fish use a variety of habitats throughout their life cycle. Coral reefs provide food, nursery grounds and shelter. Large numbers of schooling fish create nutrient hotspots and sites for coral settlement, increasing coral growth rate. This symbiotic relationship increases species richness and abundance on the reef.

Image showing boater fishing and the reef under the water

Red grouper create coral habitats	Reef fish create nutrient hotspots for coral	Mutton snapper use coral reef as habitat
Image
Red grouper are habitat engineers, creating complex habitat that enhances biological diversity. Red grouper help expose hard substrate that creates settlement sites for sponges, corals, anemones and other species. The presence of more red grouper can increase both species richness and an abundance or reef fish. Other habitat engineers include goliath grouper and golden tilefish.	When coral growth rates were compared between reefs with high fish biomass (total quantity or weight of organisms in a given area) and low fish biomass, scientists found the following: Coral reef sites with high fish biomass have higher coral growth rates, likely due to nutrient availability created via fish excretions. Large numbers of schooling fish create nutrient hotspots and a site with less algae cover and more crustose coralline algae cover, a seaweed important for coral settlement. This research indicates that a coral reef restoration strategy should include planting nursery-raised corals on existing nutrient hotspots at high fidelity sites with a high biomass of fish.	Commercially and recreationally important reef fish, including mutton snapper, use a variety of habitats throughout their life cycle. Oyster reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves and coral reefs provide food, nursery grounds and shelter. Seagrass and mangrove habitat are particularly important for mutton snapper during the juvenile stage. As mutton snapper grow, coral reefs become the supporting habitat for food, nursing grounds and protection from predators.

Red grouper create coral habitats

Reef fish create nutrient hotspots for coral

Mutton snapper use coral reef as habitat

Red grouper are habitat engineers, creating complex habitat that enhances biological diversity.

Red grouper help expose hard substrate that creates settlement sites for sponges, corals, anemones and other species.
The presence of more red grouper can increase both species richness and an abundance or reef fish.

Other habitat engineers include goliath grouper and golden tilefish.

When coral growth rates were compared between reefs with high fish biomass (total quantity or weight of organisms in a given area) and low fish biomass, scientists found the following:

Coral reef sites with high fish biomass have higher coral growth rates, likely due to nutrient availability created via fish excretions.
Large numbers of schooling fish create nutrient hotspots and a site with less algae cover and more crustose coralline algae cover, a seaweed important for coral settlement.

This research indicates that a coral reef restoration strategy should include planting nursery-raised corals on existing nutrient hotspots at high fidelity sites with a high biomass of fish.

Commercially and recreationally important reef fish, including mutton snapper, use a variety of habitats throughout their life cycle. Oyster reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves and coral reefs provide food, nursery grounds and shelter.

Seagrass and mangrove habitat are particularly important for mutton snapper during the juvenile stage.
As mutton snapper grow, coral reefs become the supporting habitat for food, nursing grounds and protection from predators.

Learn more about coral reefs and the benefits they provide, reef restoration projects, and how boaters and anglers can protect Florida's Coral Reef.