Reef Rugosity and Butterflyfish Community Structure in Punta Dumalag Marine Protected Area, Davao City

Abstract

This study investigated the rugosity and butterflyfish community structure in Punta Dumalag, Davao City in twelve transects distributed in three stations. The transects were laid parallel to the shore at a depth of five to six meters in three stations. Rugosity indices, percent hard coral cover, butterflyfish species richness, abundance, diversity, biomass and density across all sampling stations registered low values, which may be attributed to a combination of fishing pressure and a strong prolonged southeast monsoon. Correlation analysis between rugosity and butterflyfish abundance showed low correlation coefficients that were statistically not significant, which may be caused by the confounding effect of interactions among fish species, territorial activities by fish species affecting reef structural complexity and low sample size.

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