ecological effects of marine protected areas empafish project ...

Monte da Guia-Faial: ecological studies
� General
o Fish assemblage
Fish assemblages have been studied in the area since the 1980’s, after efforts
from a variety of naturalists, but it was in 1989, with an international effort
lead by the University of the Azores, the ‘Azores Expedition’, that the
systematic description of the assemblages was undertaken. This boosted
numerous studies on the rocky and sandy intertidal community in and around
the area (Santos et al. 1994; Nash et al. 1994a, 1994b, 1998; Santos & Nash
1995) and underwater visual census (UVC) surveys of the subtidal
assemblage (Patzner & Santos 1993). A UVC monitoring program has been in
place since 1997, covering most of the habitats in the whole Faial-Pico
Channel area, including the Marine Reserve (Afonso 2002; Morato et al.
2004). Other related works are the official landings database and some
descriptive and assessment studies of local fisheries. The biology (Santos et
al. 1995; 1998; Nash et al. 1998b; Morato et al. 2000; 2001; 2003a; 2003b,
Figueiredo et al. 2005) and behavioural ecology (e.g. Santos 1995; Oliveira et
al. 2002; Carvalho et al. 2003; Ros et al. 2004; Afonso et al. 2005) of key
shore reef fishes are two other fields that have seen major increase since that
date, and some work on coastal fish larvae has also been carried out
(Sobrinho-Gonçalves & Isidro 1999). Phylogenetic studies have also been
undertaken in the area on several reef fishes (Guillemot et al. 2000a, 2000b;
Carvalho et al. 2000; Aurelle et al. 2003). More recently, the pre-settlement
dispersal and post-recruit movements and patterns of habitat use of several
key species are also being studied (Fontes et al. 2005).
o Benthic communities
The ‘Azores ’89 Expedition’ also started the descriptive knowledge of the
benthic communities around the area (e.g. Tittley and Neto 1994; Moss et al.
1992), although some previous work had been done on commercial species
(Martins 1985). Ever since, a large effort has been in place to map and
characterise the seafloor and associated biotopes, including the use of UVC,
ROV, drop-down video and multibeam sonars (e.g. Tempera et al. 2001c). A
monitoring program on invasive algae and invertebrate species is also in place
given the location of the MPA near Horta marina - a reported entrance point
for non-native species.
o Seabirds
Although the coasts of Monte da Guia are not an Important Bird Area or a
Special Protection Area, they do contain seabird features. A small colony of
common tern (Sterna hirundo) breeds annually on the SW cliffs of Monte da
Guia. The numbers of this colony varied between a maximum of 163 and a
minimum of 30 breeding pairs. The terrestrial part of the reserve is also used
as a nesting site by a small number of Cory’s shearwaters (Calonectris
diomedea borealis). Caldeirinhas coast is used all year round by a small group
of non-breeding grey herons (Ardea cinerea), mostly as a resting place.