Title of Document: INFLUENCE OF MAP RESOLUTION ON SEASCAPE ECOLOGY OF REEF FISH

Characteristics of benthic maps are controlled by the spatial and thematic resolutions used in map production. The implications of these production decisions on the inferences that can be drawn from the maps are poorly understood. I addressed this need by quantifying the differences among common map types, considering how map type affects inferences of fish and benthic communities at the patch level, and then evaluating the influence of map type on ecological neighborhood analysis of reef fish. Results indicated that hard bottom types, especially patch reefs and colonized pavement, were among the most sensitive to changes in spatial resolution of maps. In contrast, linear reef and continuous seagrass features were characterized quite consistently regardless of spatial resolution. Multivariate analyses indicated that both the fish assemblages and benthic characteristics of reef types overlapped considerably. In contrast, shelf position (inside versus outside of lagoons) showed clear differences in both environmental variables and fish assemblage composition. In general, the results of multivariate analyses suggest that knowledge of the overall fish assemblage or fine-scale environmental characteristics could not be used to predic