Hajisamae, S.; Ruangchuay, R., and Kwanthong, N., 2013. Can wave breaking walls in shallow coastal areas serve as habitat for aquatic organisms?

This study aimed to assess the impact of a small-sized wave breaking wall constructed from concrete poles settled close to the shoreline on the community structure of aquatic fauna. Macroepifauna was collected directly from pole surfaces. Fish, shrimps, macrobenthos, and zooplankton were collected in October 2009, February 2010, and June 2010 at three different sites: inside the wall, outside the wall, and a control site. It was found that this hard structure played a large role in the recruitment and settlement of macroepifauna. Balanus spp. was the most dominant taxa attached on surface of the pole (48.6%), followed by Perna viridis (44.2%) and Brachiodonthes sp. (5.2%). For other organisms, a significant difference was found only in the abundance of macrobenthos at different sites (p < 0.05) with greater abundance at the control site. There was no significant impact by the wall on abundance of fish, shrimp, and zooplankton (p > 0.05) on the species richness of all organisms (p > 0.05). It is also evident that the season has a significant impact on the abundance of fish (p < 0.005) and shrimp (p < 0.005) and the species richness of fish (p < 0.05). This seasonal impact was clearly detected by cluster dendrogram and quantified by analysis of similarity. It is therefore crucial to acknowledge further the role of this structure, not only as coastal protection, but also in recruitment, succession, assemblages, and community structure of stocks in the vicinity of this habitat.