4.1. Conclusions and recommendations
Our results suggest that, due to high spatial and temporal
variability, indicators of habitat quality that are based on estimates
of the abundance of mangrove fishes may be insensitivesubtle habitat degradation. Pre-adaptation by mangrove fishes to
the highly variable conditions of the mangrove intertidal zone adds
to the difficulty. Unless methodological improvements are made
that compensate for this variability, or unless measures other than
fish abundance (and abundance-based community descriptors) are
employed, we will likely fail to recognize environmental impacts
until severe damage has been done.
The performance of fish as indicators of habitat