ecological effects of marine protected areas empafish project ...

EMPAFISH Booklet no. 1 Ecological effects of Atlanto-Mediterranean MPAs in the EU
Contacts
Francisca Miota - Biologist
reservasmarinas@mapya.es
Centro de Información de la Reserva Marina, Explanada del Muelle,
s/n
- 38915 La restinga (El Hierro), Canary Islands
Tel : +34 922 55 71 88 / Fax : + 34 922 55 71 87
www.mapa.es/rmarinas/
La Restinga: ecological studies
� General
o Fish assemblage
The first quantitative studies of the inshore fish community in the area were
conducted in 1989 and 1994 by the American foundation “Earthwatch” in
collaboration with the University of La Laguna. They used underwater visual
census (UVC) data to describe the basic structural parameters (species
richness, abundance, diversity, etc.) (Bortone et al. 1991). Subsequently,
Bortone et al. (1992) compared the number, size and biomass of parrotfish
(Sparisoma cretense) between the islands of El Hierro and Fuerteventura.
After the creation of the MPA in 1996, several monitoring studies were
performed with irregular periodicity (Brito et al. 1998, 2001b, 2005a).
Recently, other studies partially conducted in the MPA have been published
(Tuya et al. 2004, 2006). In addition, some studies have highlighted the
increase of the tropical fish fauna in the Canary archipelago (Brito et al. 1995,
2001a, 2005b), probably related to the changes of the environmental
conditions. In view of the fact that the RMCMR is located in the side with the
warmest waters of the archipelago, most of these tropical species have
appeared in this area, many of them sporadically, but some of them
(Gnatholepis thompsoni, Canthidermis sufflamen, Caranx crysos and,
probably, Mulloides martinicus) have stable populations at the moment.
o Benthic communities
A preliminary mapping of the benthic bionomy was made by Barquín et al.
(1997). A more complete mapping and characterization of benthic biocoenosis
off El Hierro, including the marine reserve, is presently being updated. Also,
within some of the projects financed by the Regional Government in order to
study the reserve effect since the implementation of the MPA (Brito et al.
1998, 2001b, 2005a), density and size structure of the main commercial
invertebrates, such as limpets (Patella spp.) and marine snails (Osilinus
atratus), have been studied. Some ecological studies of the long-spined sea
urchin Diadema antillarum have been recently initiated, but just a few
preliminary results have been published for the moment (Hernández et al.
2005a, 2005b). Finally, some studies have been partially conducted in the
GINLMR (Tuya et al. 2004; Navarro et al. 2005; Tuya & Haroun, 2006).
89