Evaluating Variations in the Mesophotic Coral Ecosystem Assemblages at Different Depths in the Maldives With Descriptions of Novel Species and New Records
Author: Ahmed Najeeb
Faculty Supervisor: Karen D. Crow
Department: Biology
Compared to shallow reef areas, MCEs (depth range of 30-150 meters) in the Maldives have never been studied to this extent before. The study evaluates variations in abundance and distribution of fish species across depth gradients using transect surveys with standardized Underwater Visual Census methods. Additionally, specimen collection efforts will be carried out to discover and describe new to science fish species as well as new records to the Maldives, contributing to the understanding of MCE biodiversity in the Maldives. Preliminary analysis shows a total of 58 species from 19 families at the MCE depths out of a total of 148 species from 29 families that are recorded from surveys carried out at a single site in Rasdhoo atoll, central Maldives. There are six potential new records to the Maldives and four confirmed new to science species discoveries (Grammatonotus sp., Psuedanthias sp., Odontanthias sp. and Chromis sp.) at the MCE depths. There are 40 fish species with depth extensions as opposed to what has been previously reported. Results show that species diversity decreases as depth increases and a high dissimilarity in species composition across MCE depth strata with a high degree of turnover at the deeper depths. It is also clear from the results that lower mesophotic depths (100-150m depth) has potentially more new to science species than what has been recorded from the upper mesophotic zone (30-100m depth).