Marine invasive species have become a widespread phenomenon, with devastating ecological and economic consequences. Current research focuses mainly on monitoring the ecological impacts of invasive species, rather than aiming to understand the mechanisms facilitate or drive them. Landscape characteristics such as seascape configuration, predation risk, and resource availability, are known determinants of the behavior and distribution of marine species. Such components often change substantially between species’ indigenous and introduced environments. This research focuses on an invasive rabbitfish species Siganus rivulatus, previously endemic in the Indo-Pacific. Along the Mediterranean coast, S. rivulatus is shown to have devastating impacts on biodiversity, ecosystems’ resilience, and community structures. My MSc research aimed at understanding if the species’ behavior has altered in the Mediterranean due to the environmental changes compared to the native environment, and if it’s ecological impact might be facilitated or restricted by such behavioral adaptations. By employing state-of-the-art technology, previously unused in Israel, fish movements were tracked and recorded using underwater acoustic telemetry. Data of such high resolution enabled us to quantify fundamental parameters such as home range size, patterns of habitat utilization, and site fidelity. By conducting a similar study at the native region (Red Sea; Gulf of Aqaba) and the invaded region (Eastern Mediterranean Sea) obtained better understanding into the behavioral landscape ecology of S. rivulatus, and the behavioral shifts that may have occurred as a result of invading a novel ecosystem. Finally, movement patterns of S. rivulatus can be used to better predict their further expansion, and the consequential impact on the community structure.

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This project was my MSc thesis, and was conducted under the supervision of Dr. Jonathan Belmaker, and in collaboration with Dr. Moshe Kiflawi.

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[poster on the study design - presented at Israel Zoological Society's 50th Annual Conference, 2013]