What is a nursery habitat?
A nursery habitat is an ecosystem that supports juveniles of marine species. They are often coastal ecosystems such as seagrass meadows, mangroves, and saltmarshes that offer three-dimensional structures compared to flat areas of mud or sand.
Different species may need different things from their nursery habitats – this includes a range of factors such as protection, food, proximity to other habitat types, and levels of competition or predation.
After growing up in a nursery habitat, many adults will migrate to other types of habitats – this is called ontogenetic movement. A habitat is not considered a nursery for a particular species if that species exclusively uses that habitat throughout its life.
Why are nursery habitats important?
Nursery habitats support juvenile abundance, growth, and survival – this is critical to maintain healthy adult populations. These populations include many species of commercial, recreational, and cultural importance. Nursery habitats are part of interconnected networks of habitats supporting species across all stages of life.
As nursery habitats are often found in coastal ecosystems, they can be at high risk of damage or loss due to coastal development and natural disturbances. Identification and monitoring of nursery habitats can inform development planning to conserve these valuable ecosystems.
How are we studying nursery habitats?
Our researchers are identifying the types of fish present in different coastal habitats – as well as their size and abundance – to understand how different fish and invertebrate populations use nursery habitats across the Great Barrier Reef region. This includes:
Surveying inshore habitats between Mourilyan and Magnetic Island with Traditional Owners and Rangers to identify nursery habitats.
Monitoring the long-term abundance, size, and diversity of fish species on coral reefs at inshore islands in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
Mapping habitats in reef lagoons in the Coral Sea Marine Park to identify the fish species present and which habitats they prefer.
Monitoring fish and invertebrates in disturbed and recovered seagrass meadows to compare nursery function.
Related projects:
