Poster Presentation Australian Marine Sciences Association 2025 Conference

Pressures and Predation: Effects of Human Activity and Elasmobranch Presence on Teleost Fish Assemblages (#161)

Charlie Darcy 1 , Ty Matthews 1 , C. Samantha Sherman 1
  1. Deakin Marine Research and Innovation Centre, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, Australia

Marine ecosystems currently face a range of anthropogenic pressures including overfishing, which is a major threat to both elasmobranchs and teleosts. Fishing can directly affect these groups; however, depletion or removal of predatory species can also lead to top-down effects. These effects can result in mesopredator and/or prey release and may lead to trophic cascades which can potentially alter fish assemblages and diversity. As overfishing continues to impact coral reefs, it is vital to understand the full relationship between elasmobranch populations and teleost communities so we can monitor food web changes. Using baited remote underwater camera systems (BRUVS) deployed across two sites of low and high human impact on coral reefs in Malaysian Borneo, we assess elasmobranch presence and teleost fish assemblages.