Marine biologists at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography have released a new database of size parameters for 1,308 species of Pacific coral reef fishes, advancing scientists’ understanding of fish health and population dynamics in the region.
Marine biologists at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography have released a new database of size parameters for 1,308 species of Pacific coral reef fishes, advancing scientists’ understanding of fish health and population dynamics in the region.
By linking length to weight, scientists can use these parameters to create a non-invasive way to estimate fish biomass during underwater surveys, eliminating the need to capture fish. Fisheries managers rely on insights provided by length-weight relationships to guide sustainable fishing practices, set regulations and monitor the health of ecosystems.
While common or commercially important species often have many sets of published length-weight parameters, a large number of other species remain undersampled. In the tropical Pacific, wrasses and damselfishes in particular lack empirical data, though they are among the most frequently observed species. The new database aims to close that gap by providing parameters from closely related species in a reproducible way.
The team said the new database — now publicly accessible and citable — was designed to support a wide range of scientific and management needs. It was compiled over the past five years and will continue to evolve as more data are collected.
Read More: University of California – San Diego
Image: Scripps Institution of Oceanography scientists observed this humphead wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) in waters off the Republic of Palau. (Photo: Brian Zgliczynski)
