Comparison of Fish Assemblage in Mooring Scars and Adjacent Seagrass, Studland Bay, Dorset

Seagrass provides vital ecosystem services from carbon cycling to hosting an abundance of fish species.However, anthropogenic impacts like mooring scars are causing a decline in seagrass and this is influencing a change in the habitat's fish assemblage.The present study has set out to investigate the fish assemblage in mooring scars and the adjacent seagrass in Studland, Dorset, UK.Underwater video systems were set up for an hour at 14 sites (7 seagrass, 7 mooring scars).Overall, 13 marine fish species from 9 families were identified and the 2 main species present included Pomatoschistus minutus for mooring scar sites and Pollachius pollachius for seagrass sites.Non-parametric statistical analysis of the results showed a clear difference between the fish assemblage within seagrass and mooring scar sites.These results are essential for the conservation and management of seagrass in Studland Bay and the fish species that it hosts.