Affiliation:
1. Department of Marine Science and Fisheries, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 34, Al-Khoud 123, Oman
2. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, P.O. Box 427, Muscat 100, Oman
Abstract
This study aimed to understand the structure and function of the artificial reef ecosystem of the Sea of Oman and its stability and maturity. For this study, the trophic model of the Sea of Oman’s artificial reef ecosystem was described using the Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) ecosystem modeling software (Version 6.6.7). The essential characteristics of the aquatic system were identified using a total of 38 fish species/functional groups, spread across an area of 140 km2 of artificial reef farm. The mean trophic level of the artificial reef ecosystem of the Sea of Oman was 3.039. Sharks were the keystone species of the studied ecosystem. Heniochus acuminatus and Chaetodon gardneri were the species with the highest niche overlap, whereas Acanthurus sohal and other crustaceans, and Terapon puta and Saurida undosquamis were the species with the lowest niche overlap. It was found that the ratio of total primary production to total respiration of the ecosystem studied was more than one, indicating that the system produces more energy than it uses to respire, and the ecosystem of the Sea of Oman can be regarded as a developing system because of its low degree of stability and maturity. The omnivory index was 0.260, the connectance index was 0.159, the total biomass to total throughput ratio was 0.006, Finn’s cycling index was 5.41, the total primary production to total biomass ratio was 64.895, and the total primary production to total respiration ratio was 4.424. The results indicate that the artificial reef ecosystem in the Sea of Oman can be categorized as immature (in the early developmental stage). Further study is needed to improve the input data and track ecosystem health, as well as exploring other management strategies. Based on the outcomes of the study, it is suggested that environmental management of the reef ecosystem, along with the fish catch data, should be taken into consideration for future research.
Subject
Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law,Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment,Geography, Planning and Development,Building and Construction
Reference78 articles.
1. Artificial reefs for ecosystem restoration and coastal erosion protection with aquaculture and recreational amenities;Harris;Reef J.,2009
2. Artificial reefs as a tool to aid rehabilitation of coastal ecosystems: Investigating the potential;Pickering;Mar. Pollut. Bull.,1999
3. Broughton, K. (2012). Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Science Review of Artificial Reefs.
4. Transition of artificial reefs (ARs) research and its prospects;Lee;Ocean Coast. Manag.,2018
5. Higgins, E., Metaxas, A., and Scheibling, R.E. (2022). A systematic review of artificial reefs as platforms for coral reef research and conservation. PLoS ONE, 17.