Cooperative monitoring, assessment, and management of fish spawning aggregations and associated fisheries in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico

Heyman, William D.; Grüss, Arnaud; Biggs, Christopher; Kobara, Shinichi; Farmer, Nicholas A.; Karnauskas, Mandy; Lowerre-Barbieri, Sue; Erisman, Brad

doi:10.1016/j.marpol.2019.103689

Cited by 32 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…Photo or video documentation of courtship coloration or behaviors, swollen or distended abdomens, recent bite marks, or a species density three times the normal density at the site can also provide indirect evidence for the presence of spawning aggregations [ 8 , 45 , 46 ]. Most of these techniques were developed for use in relatively shallow (25–60 m) shelf-edge tropical waters [ 47 ], but can be adapted to the deeper, sometimes turbid waters of the SEUS [ 48 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Timing and locations of reef fish spawning off the southeastern United States

Farmer

Heyman²,

Karnauskas

et al. 2017

PLoS ONE

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Managed reef fish in the Atlantic Ocean of the southeastern United States (SEUS) support a multi-billion dollar industry. There is a broad interest in locating and protecting spawning fish from harvest, to enhance productivity and reduce the potential for overfishing. We assessed spatiotemporal cues for spawning for six species from four reef fish families, using data on individual spawning condition collected by over three decades of regional fishery-independent reef fish surveys, combined with a series of predictors derived from bathymetric features. We quantified the size of spawning areas used by reef fish across many years and identified several multispecies spawning locations. We quantitatively identified cues for peak spawning and generated predictive maps for Gray Triggerfish (Balistes capriscus), White Grunt (Haemulon plumierii), Red Snapper (Lutjanus campechanus), Vermilion Snapper (Rhomboplites aurorubens), Black Sea Bass (Centropristis striata), and Scamp (Mycteroperca phenax). For example, Red Snapper peak spawning was predicted in 24.7–29.0°C water prior to the new moon at locations with high curvature in the 24–30 m depth range off northeast Florida during June and July. External validation using scientific and fishery-dependent data collections strongly supported the predictive utility of our models. We identified locations where reconfiguration or expansion of existing marine protected areas would protect spawning reef fish. We recommend increased sampling off southern Florida (south of 27° N), during winter months, and in high-relief, high current habitats to improve our understanding of timing and location of reef fish spawning off the southeastern United States.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Timing and locations of reef fish spawning off the southeastern United States

Farmer

Heyman²,

Karnauskas

et al. 2017

PLoS ONE

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“…Increasing evidence suggests that collaborative community‐centered partnerships supported by effective knowledge exchange and learning through social networks best supports societal transformations toward sustainability for small‐scale coastal fisheries (Armitage et al., 2009; Gutierrez, Hilborn, & Defeo, 2011). This shift to community‐led conservation and the challenges of implementing adaptive co‐management usually requires diverse stakeholder participation including scientists (Armitage et al., 2009; Hamilton, Potuku, & Montambault, 2011; Heyman et al., 2019) and aligns with global sustainable development and biodiversity conservation policy recommendations for strengthening partnerships, capacity building including science/technology, and integrating local knowledge.In the case of FSAs, we recognize that fisher’ knowledge of FSA locations and the timing of aggregations is unparalleled and is the primary mode of discovery for nearly all FSAs (Johannes, 1998).…”

Section: Linking Scientists Fishers and Managersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We propose a co‐conservation partnership defined here as a community‐centered, ecosystem‐informed conservation strategy, involving close dialogue and working relationship between fishers, managers, and scientists (Heyman, 2011; Heyman et al., 2019; Kobara, Heyman, Pittman, & Nemeth, 2013). Such a co‐conservation approach includes participatory monitoring and surveillance that integrates local knowledge with emerging scientific understanding and approaches, empowers fishers within the management process, and fosters voluntary compliance and sustainable fishing practices (Armitage et al., 2009; Gutierrez et al., 2011).…”

Section: Linking Scientists Fishers and Managersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life below water: Fish spawning aggregations as bright spots for a sustainable ocean

Pittman

Heyman

2020

CONSERVATION LETTERS

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Transient fish spawning aggregations (FSAs) are critical life-cycle events for many commercially important species, in which fish congregate in huge numbers to spawn at predictable times and places. This behavior makes them exceptionally vulnerable to fishing. The "illusion of plenty" and poor access to monitoring tools and techniques has resulted in some FSAs being overfished or unwittingly eliminated. We present a co-conservation network, formally linking site-focused partners who cooperatively monitor and actively manage multispecies FSAs. FSA sites and networks offer great potential as conservation bright spots to replenish fished populations, rehabilitate marine ecosystems, and ensure the flow of ecosystem services to the millions of people that rely upon them for their wellbeing. We call for urgent global recognition of FSAs as effective spatial nexus for addressing multiple interconnected global policy targets for a sustainable ocean. K E Y W O R D S adaptive management, ecological monitoring, fish habitat, fish spawning aggregations, fisheries management, protected areas, sustainable ocean

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“…Platforms provide essential fish habitat (e.g., breeding, feeding, recruitment, shelter) for diverse assemblages of large pelagic and demersal fish (Love et al, 2012;Krone et al, 2017). In the Gulf of Mexico, platforms furnish local and regional benefits to highly migratory species (Snodgrass et al, 2020) and serve as spawning habitats for other types of fish (Heyman et al, 2019). In some instances, platforms expanded particular fish populations in an otherwise habitat-limited bottleneck (i.e., red snapper Lutjanus campachanus; Gallaway trophic shifts.…”

Section: Reef Effects Of Us Oil and Gas Platformsmentioning

confidence: 99%