Presenter Information

Kilia Brawand, Utah State University

Class

Article

College

S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources

Department

Watershed Sciences Department

Faculty Mentor

Edd Hammill

Presentation Type

Poster Presentation

Abstract

Introduction

Coral reefs support high levels of marine biodiversity

  • Patch reefs serve as vital refuges for small fish.
  • Predation risk shapes how far fish stray from their reef, creating a “foraging radius”— the maximum distance traveled before retreating.

Absolute swimming speed in fish increases with body size (1).

  • Therefore, larger fish may travel farther away from their refuge to forage over greater areas

This study tested the following question: Does a reef fish’s length influence how far it travels from its patch reef refuge?

Location

Logan, UT

Start Date

4-9-2025 3:30 PM

End Date

4-9-2025 4:20 PM

Included in

Life Sciences Commons

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Apr 9th, 3:30 PM Apr 9th, 4:20 PM

Impacts of Reef Fish Length on Foraging Radius: Exploring Behavioral Patterns Within a Patch Reef Ecosystem

Logan, UT

Introduction

Coral reefs support high levels of marine biodiversity

  • Patch reefs serve as vital refuges for small fish.
  • Predation risk shapes how far fish stray from their reef, creating a “foraging radius”— the maximum distance traveled before retreating.

Absolute swimming speed in fish increases with body size (1).

  • Therefore, larger fish may travel farther away from their refuge to forage over greater areas

This study tested the following question: Does a reef fish’s length influence how far it travels from its patch reef refuge?