11th ICRS Abstract book - Nova Southeastern University
11th ICRS Abstract book - Nova Southeastern University
11th ICRS Abstract book - Nova Southeastern University
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22-29<br />
Alternance Of Opening And Closing Times To Fishing Of A No-Take Zone in<br />
Martinique (Lesser Antilles)<br />
Géraldine CRIQUET* 1<br />
1 EPHE, Perpignan, France<br />
Due to littoral ecosystems degradation and overfishing, a decrease of stocks of coastal<br />
species occurred in Martinique in the last decades. In order to block this process, several<br />
No-Take Zones (NTZs), managed by the Regional Council of Fishery, have been<br />
implemented. The particularity of these NTZs is the possibility of opening for a period<br />
goes from four to six months. The objective of the study is to assess the impact of this<br />
alternance of opening and closing periods on the reef fish community of a Caribbean cost<br />
area, Ilet à Ramier. Experimental fishing with Antillean traps were done simultaneously<br />
in the NTZ and in the adjacent non protected area (NPA) during a closing then an<br />
opening period. Total catches in the NTZ decrease of an half while those of surrounding<br />
area stay equal. But both in opening and closing period, total catches in NTZ are higher<br />
than in NPA. During the closing period, biomass of Acanthuridae, Scaridae and<br />
Lutjanidae are higher in the NTZ, biomass of Serranidae are equal both in NTZ and in<br />
NTA; and Haemulidae are more present in NTA. During the opening period, patterns are<br />
the same except for Serranidae witch biomass is higher outside the NTZ. But, while the<br />
families’ biomass in the NPA stays equal we observe a decrease of Acanthuridae and<br />
overall Scaridae biomass in the NTZ. So what will be the long-term impacts of several<br />
opening periods on the reef fish community and the artisanal fishery operating on the<br />
area?<br />
22-30<br />
Are No-Take Marine Reserves Helping To Sustain Fish Stocks? Tracking Larval<br />
Dispersal And Connectivity Of Fish Populations Within The Great Barrier Reef<br />
Marine Park.<br />
David WILLIAMSON* 1,2 , Richard EVANS 1,2 , Geoff JONES 1,2 , Garry RUSS 1,2 , Simon<br />
THORROLD 3<br />
1 School of Marine & Tropical Biology, James Cook <strong>University</strong>, Townsville, Australia,<br />
2 Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook <strong>University</strong>, Townsville,<br />
Australia, 3 Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole,<br />
MA<br />
No-take marine reserves have generally been established with the primary goal of<br />
protecting or restoring natural states of biodiversity and ecosystem productivity. It has<br />
been widely demonstrated that given time and adequate protection, no-take reserves can<br />
produce clear benefits for exploited species within reserve boundaries. Higher<br />
abundances of target fish species, with larger average sizes, ages and higher potential<br />
reproductive output are commonly demonstrated effects of reserve protection. In recent<br />
years there has been increasing interest in the potential contribution of no-take reserve<br />
networks to the sustainability of fisheries resources. Increased egg production per unit<br />
area of reef, means that reserves may potentially operate as sources of fish larvae. Larvae<br />
which are dispersed to surrounding open reefs may provide a recruitment subsidy to<br />
exploited fish stocks. Limited empirical data on larval dispersal distances, scales of<br />
population connectivity and export effects of no-take marine reserves remains an<br />
impediment to expansion of marine reserve networks. Furthermore, the optimal location,<br />
size and spacing of no-take reserves within networks cannot be accurately defined in the<br />
absence of such data.<br />
Here we outline experimental trials of a new technique which utilises enriched stable<br />
isotopes to provide maternally transmitted markers from female fish to their offspring.<br />
These trials have demonstrated that the technique is effective and safe for use on large<br />
commercially important reef fishes and that treated fish present no consumption risk for<br />
humans. We also provide an overview of a research project utilising these transgenerational<br />
markers to track the dispersal of larvae of two recreationally and<br />
commercially important fish species from no-take marine reserves in the Great Barrier<br />
Reef Marine Park.<br />
Oral Mini-Symposium 22: Coral Reef Associated Fisheries<br />
22-31<br />
Temporal Effects Of Marine Reserves On Target Fishery Species On Near-Shore Reefs Of<br />
The Great Barrier Reef, Australia<br />
Richard EVANS* 1 , David WILLIAMSON 1 , Garry RUSS 1<br />
1 School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook <strong>University</strong>, Townsville, Australia<br />
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park was established in 1975 to enable the management of the<br />
world’s largest network of coral reefs. Access to the reef is limited by boat size and weather<br />
conditions. The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is routinely referred to as one of the best managed<br />
coral reef systems. However, the GBR still faces similar issues to the rest of the world, i.e.<br />
nutrient run-off, coral bleaching, tourism, and exploitation. To manage these impacts in a large<br />
area, a multiple-use zoning plan was fully implemented in 1988. In 2004, the new<br />
Representative Areas Program was implemented to protect biodiversity, which increased the<br />
protected areas from 4.5% to 33.4% of the entire Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Since 1998,<br />
underwater visual surveys were conducted around three near-shore continental island groups<br />
over 600km apart. These easily accessible reefs are heavily used by recreational fishers and not<br />
commercial fishers. This study demonstrates greater density and biomass in no-take marine<br />
reserves consistently over at least 5 years for two target species, Plectropomus spp. (coral trout)<br />
and Lutjanus carpnotatus (Snapper). Thus showing that recreational fisheries can impact on fish<br />
stocks as much as commercial and/or subsistence fisheries. Furthermore, with the<br />
implementation of the Representative Area Program, our research group designed a BACI<br />
sampling experiment to test the effect of the new zoning plan on the target fishery species.<br />
Recent results from this study demonstrate rapid increases in density and biomass for both<br />
species (Plectropomus spp. and L. carponotatus) by at least 50% within two years. This<br />
presentation also investigates temporal trends of the broader fish community and the benthos in<br />
relation to no-take marine reserve protection.<br />
22-32<br />
Science to Support Coral Reef Fisheries Management: Lessons from the U.S. Coral Reef<br />
Conservation Program<br />
Thomas HOURIGAN* 1 , James BOHNSACK 2 , Robert SCHROEDER 3<br />
1 Office of Habitat Conservation, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, Silver Spring, MD,<br />
2 Southeast Fisheries Science Center, NOAA/National Marine Fisheries Service, Miami, FL,<br />
3 Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, NOAA/National Marine Fisheries Service, Honolulu,<br />
HI<br />
The United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coral Reef<br />
Conservation Program supports effective management and sound science to preserve, sustain,<br />
and restore valuable coral reef ecosystems. Fisheries on U.S. reefs face many of the same<br />
challenges as those elsewhere, and addressing the adverse impacts of fishing on reef ecosystems<br />
has been a major area of focus over the program’s first seven years. Integrated habitat mapping,<br />
monitoring, and targeted ecological research in both the Atlantic and Pacific are providing new<br />
insights and improved fishery management tools.<br />
1) Habitat-stratified monitoring of reef fishes has enhanced survey precision, provided insights<br />
in how fishes use different habitats, and allowed fishery independent stock assessments of both<br />
targeted and non-targeted species.<br />
2) New techniques allow researchers to identify nursery grounds of fish and track ontogenetic<br />
movements to the reef.<br />
3) Broad-scale geographic surveys across gradients of fishing effort indicate that even low<br />
levels of exploitation can fundamentally alter biomass of exploited species and trophic<br />
relationships in ecosystems.<br />
4) Hydroacoustic surveys are revealing spawning aggregation sites that can be linked with<br />
protection.<br />
5) Monitoring of marine reserves has confirmed their efficacy in increasing the size and number<br />
of previously exploited species within reserve boundaries.<br />
Examples of where these research results are being applied to U.S. reef fisheries management<br />
and challenges for future research will be presented.<br />
190