Seascape ecology

The sea exhibits complex spatial patterning that can be mapped and quantified, such as gradients in plant communities across tidal saltmarshes or the intricate mosaics of patches typical of coral reefs.

[24] In the open ocean too, dynamic spatial structure in the form of water currents, eddies, temperature fronts and plankton patches can be measured readily.

[25][26] Physical processes such as storms dramatically influence spatial patterning in the environment and human activity can also directly create patch structure, modify mosaic composition and even completely remove elements of the seascape.

[30] Historically, marine scientists have played a significant role in communicating the importance of scale in ecology[31] In 1963, a physical oceanographer, Henry Stommel, published a conceptual diagram that was to have a profound effect on all of the environmental sciences.

[34] The oceanographer John Steele (1978) adapted the Stommel diagram to depict the spatial and temporal scales of patchiness in phytoplankton, zooplankton and fish.

[41][42][43] This is of concern due to the frequent oncogenic shifts[clarification needed] observed in many juvenile species, which causes them to use multiple habitats throughout their developmental phases.

Various habitats, including mangrove roots, macroalgae, seagrasses, and others, offer distinct services and resources crucial for the development of juvenile fish.

The failure to consider the entirety of habitats occupied during development may impede ecologists and resource managers in effectively evaluating the conservation value and priority of estuarine regions.