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Abstract:
Coastal ecosystems, despite recent degradation, are home to many fish species, some of which are juveniles of economically important fish in recreational fisheries. Bonefish (Albula vulpes) are one such example of a recreationally important sport fish throughout the Caribbean; to date, most research has focused on adult bonefish, leaving the juvenile life stage poorly understood. Bonefish are currently listed as ‘near-threatened’ by the IUCN, calling for a shift in research priorities to consider more than adults. In Chapter 2, I experimentally assessed juvenile bonefish shoaling preference when given the opportunity to shoal with conspecifics and other nearshore juvenile fish. In Chapter 3, I analyzed the consequences of light pollution on the behaviour and physiology of juvenile bonefish. This research generated novel understanding on the basic ecology of juvenile bonefish, and information on potential impacts caused by a prevalent nearshore anthropogenic disturbance, thus providing a foundational basis for future work.