WIOMSA-CORDIO spawning book Full Doc 10 oct 13.pdf

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Fig. 2. Mean (± standard error, SE)densities of E. polyphekadion (Poly)and E. fuscoguttatus (Fusco) onlunar days sampled in January 2010(N=10) and January 2004 ( N=5).Fig. 3. Mean (± standard error, SE) relative frequency of occurrence (RFOO) ofindirect and direct signs/behaviour associated with spawning in (a) E. polyphekadionand (b) E. fuscoguttatus on lunar days sampled in January 2010 (n=10). RFOO a= aggression; RFOO c= courtship; RFOO g= gravid females; RFOO s= spawning(gamete release).90
with the arrival of gravid females, whereas E. fuscoguttatus aggression remained relatively stable overthe few days this species was surveyed. Courtship was rarely observed but occurrences increased onthe last day of the surveys. Spawning rushes and gamete release were not observed.DiscussionThe most likely cause of the large-scale loss and degradation of spawning site habitat was CycloneBondo, which struck the atoll on 22 December 2006 (Chang-Seng 2007). Cyclones are infrequent(decadal-scale) and generally of low intensity in Seychelles’ southern atoll groups (Chang-Seng2007). While reef degradation from sand inundation might be explained by changes in current orwave patterns, or increased rates of carbonate erosion, such processes typically operate on muchlonger time scales (Woodroffe 2003). Further visual evidence for a massive cyclone impact alongthe northern edge of the atoll included recent deposits of coral boulders on the reef crest and loss oraccumulation of emergent sand banks. Moreover, fishers at the atoll report larger waves and moredifficult navigation in the pass since the cyclone, possibly a result of sand accumulation.Four years after the cyclone, large spawning aggregations of both species continue to form at thesite. Based on known seasonality and lunar periodicity of aggregations at the study site (Robinsonet al. 2008), spawning and dispersal of the December 2006 aggregations are likely to have occurreda few days prior to the impact of the storm. Fish departing the aggregation site were also unlikelyto have suffered direct mortality as a result of the cyclone since large and mobile reef fishes aretypically able to avoid such impacts (Lassig 1983). If immediate lethal effects of the cyclone onspawning and migrating adults are considered negligible, the potential for longer-term impactsmay depend on the importance of habitat quality for aggregation formation and spawning success.Aggregating E. polyphekadion and E. fuscoguttatus compensated for the considerable habitatdisturbance through a redistribution of spawning areas, whereby the core of the aggregationsshifted to the nearest available hard substrate habitat that bordered the reef pass. This suggests thatspecific features (e.g. individual coral heads) may not be critical for aggregation persistence in thesespecies. Nonetheless, both species clearly require reef and a degree of coral structure for spawningaggregation formation, since fish redistributed themselves to coral areas rather than returningto the sand-inundated half of the core site. Consequently, spawning aggregation persistence isunlikely to be threatened by disturbances as long as reef areas remain available. However, we wereunable to formally compare densities or abundances and it is possible that aggregation sizes mayhave changed following the disturbance. Moreover, the observed habitat changes may have affectedreproductive output if, for example, female selection of male territories is based on specific hardsubstrate attributes, such as level of rugosity.The mechanisms that enable persistence of aggregations at a site are of immediate concern formanagement of aggregation fisheries (Sadovy and Domeier 2005). Although they are not wellunderstood, Warner (1988) identifies the potential role of tradition and social behaviour in spawningaggregation persistence, whereby young adult fish learn from older fish to identify establishedspawning sites. Since the aggregating populations at our study site appeared unperturbed by thecyclone, at least in the medium-term, any social behaviour enabling traditional use of the site seemsto have remained intact. Also illustrated by the manipulative experiment of Warner (1988) is thefact that traditional use of a site appears to override specific habitat attributes, which is a patternsupported by our results. While traditional site use was maintained, many individuals arriving atthe site after the cyclone compensated for a reduction in the traditional core (spawning) reef area byadopting different parts of the reef for spawning. Therefore, the exact location and distribution ofaggregations within a spawning site may be dictated by the requirements for suitable habitat ratherthan specific features for territorial, courtship or predator avoidance behaviour, and will depend onhabitat configuration. Location and distribution of aggregations also change with aggregation sizesince they develop from small regions of the core spawning area and then occupy increasing area ofhabitat as more fish arrive (JR, pers. observation).91
Page 4:
The designation of geographical ent
Page 9:
Chapter 1: IntroductionJan Robinson
Page 12 and 13:
limited, subsistence levels of expl
Page 14:
NTRs for spawning aggregations usin
Page 17 and 18:
al. 2003). Verification may include
Page 19 and 20:
a fraction of spawning sites are pr
Page 21 and 22:
Chapter 3: Targeted fishing of the
Page 23 and 24:
verifying spawning aggregations, we
Page 25 and 26:
ecorded from inshore close to the c
Page 27 and 28:
(a)(b)Fig. 3. Spatial patterns ofca
Page 30 and 31:
pooled sizes of the three spawning
Page 32 and 33:
found S. sutor contributed up to 44
Page 34 and 35:
2011b). However, observations of fi
Page 36 and 37:
MethodsTo identify seasonal and lun
Page 38 and 39:
n=199Females GSI (mean ± SE)2.521.
Page 40 and 41:
The estimate of size at maturity in
Page 42 and 43:
This study was designed to verify S
Page 44 and 45:
were selected. Fish selected for ta
Page 46 and 47:
The number of traps increased on th
Page 48 and 49: Of the 9 tagged fish detected by re
Page 50 and 51: Fig. 7. Diel patterns ofdetection f
Page 52 and 53: Spawning aggregation site fidelity
Page 54 and 55: Chapter 6: Shoemaker spinefoot rabb
Page 56 and 57: anterior of the anus and below the
Page 58 and 59: A high percentage (80.8%) of depart
Page 60 and 61: arrivals and departures at these tw
Page 62 and 63: are typically applied for reef fish
Page 64 and 65: (a)(b)(c)Chapter 3, Figure 3. Spati
Page 66 and 67: (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)Chapter 7, Table
Page 68 and 69: Chapter 12, Fig. 1 Fraction of fema
Page 70 and 71: Plates 8. Selected photographs from
Page 72 and 73: MethodsStudy sitesThe study area wa
Page 74 and 75: which shelved gently ( ca. 25 o ) t
Page 76 and 77: Fig. 4. Lunar periodicity in number
Page 78 and 79: Behaviour and appearanceDescription
Page 80 and 81: eported aggregations forming betwee
Page 82 and 83: The sizes of E. fuscoguttatus aggre
Page 84 and 85: Materials and methodsStudy area and
Page 86 and 87: TL. All fish tagged were considered
Page 88 and 89: Lunar timing of arrivals and depart
Page 90 and 91: Fig. 8. The presence and absence of
Page 92 and 93: aggregation fishing. This critical
Page 94 and 95: Chapter 9: Persistence of grouper (
Page 96 and 97: ResultsBetween 2003 and 2006, the c
Page 100 and 101: A few species (e.g. Epinephelus gut
Page 102 and 103: (a)(b)Fig. 1. Map of (a) study site
Page 104 and 105: Fig. 2. Number of E. lanceolatus ob
Page 106 and 107: was having any impact on the popula
Page 108 and 109: A spawning aggregation is said to o
Page 110 and 111: Chapter 11: Evaluation of an indica
Page 112 and 113: Table 1 Aggregation fisheries asses
Page 114 and 115: the lists of Jennings et al. (1999)
Page 116 and 117: with the more vulnerable labrids an
Page 118 and 119: The remaining serranid populations
Page 120 and 121: Spawning aggregation behaviour is c
Page 122 and 123: tiger grouper, Mycteroperca tigris:
Page 124 and 125: of protecting the normal residence
Page 126 and 127: • Since grouper males are afforde
Page 128 and 129: Fig. 2 Yield-per-recruit normalized
Page 130 and 131: The approaches identified above are
Page 132 and 133: during full moon periods. Siganus s
Page 134 and 135: model, many parameter estimates are
Page 136 and 137: ReferencesAbunge C (2011) Managing
Page 138 and 139: Cox DR (1972) Regression models and
Page 140 and 141: Grüss A, Kaplan DM, Hart DR (2011b
Page 142 and 143: Kaunda-Arara B, Rose GA (2004a) Eff
Page 144: Newcomer RT, Taylor DH, Guttman SI
Page 147 and 148: Sancho G, Petersen CW, Lobel PS (20
Page 149 and 150:
Appendix 1. QuestionnaireMASMA SPAW
Page 151 and 152:
8. Spawning aggregation knowledgeUs
Page 153 and 154:
Example items KSh Furthest site Clo
Page 155 and 156:
Appendix II. Experimental testing o
Page 157 and 158:
Clove oil concentrationAt a concent
Page 159 and 160:
Appendix III. Application of acoust
Page 161 and 162:
153
show all

WIOMSA-CORDIO spawning book Full Doc 10 oct 13.pdf

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?