@article {431,
	title = {Spatial variability of fish fauna in sheltered and exposed shallow rocky reefs from a recently established Mediterranean Marine Protected Area},
	journal = { Italian Journal Zoology},
	year = {2007},
	abstract = {<p>Coastal exposure may affect the structure of littoral fish assemblages.  To evaluate its effects, fish assemblages associated with shallow (0-3m  depth) rocky reefs were investigated by visual census at the Asinara  Island National Park (northwestern Sardinia, Italy, Mediterranean Sea)  during autumn 2003. Distribution patterns of ichthyofauna in sheltered  and exposed rocky reefs were assessed over the spatial scales of  locations (i.e. kilometres) and sites (i.e. hundreds of metres).  Overall, 38 fish taxa belonging to 17 families were recorded, with  Labridae, Sparidae and Serranidae being the families with the most  species. Univariate analyses showed that the average density of Labridae  and Serranidae was significantly greater at sheltered locations, while  particulate organic matter feeders (i.e. Mugilidae) were more abundant  at the exposed ones. Significant differences in species richness, total  fish abundance and densities of Labridae and planktivorous fish were  observed at the spatial scale of sites. Multivariate analyses revealed  that whole fish assemblages differed more at the scale of locations than  among sites. Planktivorous species contributed most to the  dissimilarity between fish assemblages associated with exposed and  sheltered stretches of coast. Direct and indirect effects of coastal  exposure were hypothesized to explain the potential role of wave action  in structuring fish assemblages associated with shallow rocky reefs. In  particular, direct effects could affect the distribution patterns of  fish, depending on their swimming ability, while indirect effects could  include changes in the benthic cover (especially macroalgae) caused by  wave action, which then had a repercussion on the fish.</p>},
	keywords = {Asinara, assemblage, census, comparison, density, depth, distribution, establishment, fauna, fish, fish abundance, fish assemblage, island, Italy, labridae, littoral, marine protected area, Mediterranean sea, national park, protected area, reefs, r{\^o}le, Sardinia, scale, serranidae, sparidae, spatial heterogeneity, species richness, visual census, western Mediterranean},
	author = {A. Pais and P. Guidetti and E. Azzuro}
}
