Fine-scale movement, activity patterns and home-ranges of European lobster Homarus gammarus

Skerritt, Daniel J.; Robertson, Peter A.; Mill, Aileen C.; Polunin, Nicholas V. C.; Fitzsimmons, Clare

doi:10.3354/meps11374

Cited by 42 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 93 publications

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“…The relatively high density of recoveries in proximity to the island group supports that preferable habitat is extending beyond MPA and control area borders at this study site. Also, the size of the MPA may be too small to include the lobsters' full home ranges, as home range measured over a period of several years may be larger than the short-term home ranges estimated by Moland et al (2011b) for a period of 318 d (< 0.04 km 2 ), by Wiig et al (2013) for a period of less than 2 mo (< 0.64 km 2 ) and by Skerritt et al (2015) for a period spanning several months including spring and autumn study periods (< 0.01 km 2 ). By contrast, in Flødevigen, few MPA lobsters were recovered by fishers around the control area, and few control lobsters were recovered near MPA borders.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Replicated marine protected areas (MPAs) support movement of larger, but not more, European lobsters to neighbouring fished areas

Thorbjørnsen¹,

Moland²,

Huserbråten³

et al. 2018

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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The European lobster Homarus gammarus is heavily exploited in the Norwegian fishery, and several management actions have been implemented to protect the species. Three marine protected areas (MPAs) excluding all but hook and line type fishing gear were established along the Skagerrak coast in 2006, effectively banning the trap-based fishery for European lobster. Lobster populations within MPAs and adjacent control areas were studied by capture-markrecapture and recovery methods every year from prior to MPA establishment to the present. During 2006−2014, a total of 4682 and 3317 lobsters were captured (including recaptures) in the MPAs and control areas, respectively. In all MPAs, protection led to a shift in demography, with an increase in mean total length of 15% during 2006−2014, thereby opposing the effects of a sizeselective fishery. No difference was found in rates of movement out from MPAs and control areas, but lobsters moving from MPAs and caught in fished areas were significantly larger than lobsters moving out of control areas. In instances where lobsters tagged in a control area moved into an MPA, the immigrating lobsters had a larger body size than the mean in their area of origin. The range of movement undertaken by recovered lobsters extended beyond the home range sizes suggested by previous shorter-term studies, and well beyond the sizes of the small coastal MPAs studied herein. In summary, demographic changes should be accounted for when interpreting the value of spillover from MPAs, and also potential 'spill in' from fished areas to MPAs.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Replicated marine protected areas (MPAs) support movement of larger, but not more, European lobsters to neighbouring fished areas

Thorbjørnsen¹,

Moland²,

Huserbråten³

et al. 2018

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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show abstract

“…This reflected lobster movement during the pre-trap period of this study, and lobster movement from an adjacent study area of similar substrate composition [42]. However, it is possible that lobster movements were constrained by other factors that were not accounted for in the models such as, the direction of the current [22] or the distance from a known defensible shelter [23].…”

Section: Null Modelsmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…These data were subsequently classified as, 'Soft' , such as mud < 60, 'Mixed' , such as mud and rock > 60 and < 80, and 'Hard' , such as continuous rock > 80. It is not possible to infer habitat type using this method as substrate roughness is not measured [41]; however, these data are a broad indicator of substrate type and have been previously validated using drop-down cameras in the vicinity of the study site [42]. Trap locations within each substrate were chosen randomly, although an effort was made to avoid areas close to hydrophone moorings and ground lines to avoid entanglement and displacement of hydrophones.…”

Section: Experimental Trapsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Movement patterns of a commercially important, free-ranging marine invertebrate in the vicinity of a bait source

Lees

Mill

Skerritt³

et al. 2018

Anim Biotelemetry

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Background: Catch per unit effort is a cost-effective index of abundance and fishing effort, and an integral part of many fisheries stock assessments. Trap fisheries data are often generated using non-standardised methodology and the information to improve the accuracy of estimates is not always available due to current ecological knowledge gaps. Despite its economic importance, the European lobster Homarus gammarus has been relatively understudied compared to the closely related H. americanus. Previous studies investigating behaviour of Homarus spp. in relation to bait sources have been undertaken in aquariums or mesocosms rather than on free-ranging lobsters in the field. This study uses fine-scale acoustic telemetry data, and a null model approach to investigate free-ranging H. gammarus behaviour and movement in relation to baited commercial traps. Results:The distribution of lobsters n = 11 was largely similar in the presence and absence of traps. The time spent within 20 m of a trap ranged from 3 min to 16 h 55 min ( n = 27 ), and the distance at which lobsters began approaching a trap varied considerably (5.40 m to 125 m, n = 22 ); the mean distances were larger than calculated by previous studies. A fifth of trap approaches resulted in movement against the current indicating a potential olfactory response to a bait plume. A pre-existing non-random association with a trap location may increase the time spent near the trap and reduce the minimum distance between the lobster and the trap.Conclusions: This is the first study to assess the movement patterns of free-ranging H. gammarus in relation to a bait source. The larger approach distances in this study were likely due to the unrestricted ranging behaviour of the tagged lobsters. Aquarium and mesocosm studies provide greater experimental control, but may restrict movement and underestimate the area of bait influence. The use of null models to infer movement patterns of free-ranging lobsters has many advantages over aquarium-based studies. These include better highlighting of individual variability in behaviour, and the potential to elucidate the effects of bait plumes on catchability. Wider application of this approach can be used to improve estimates of catch and stock assessments.

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“…For the majority of inshore fisheries, the existence of finescale spatial heterogeneity both in F and in fish demographics may be the rule rather than the exception. This is especially true for many coastal invertebrate fisheries, which often apply fine-scale patterns of fishing effort to a target organism with relatively sedentary behavior during the harvest period (Gendron and Brethes 2002;Wiig et al 2013;Skerritt et al 2015). More recently, there has been a growing appreciation for the importance of geographic variation in demography and life history traits of mobile fishes, as such variation can be present even at modest spatial scales and can interact with regional patterns of harvest to impact fishery yield (Andrews et al 2006;Hamilton et al 2011;Wilson et al 2012).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fine‐Scale Spatial and Temporal Variation in Fishing Mortality of Southern Flounder: Management Implications for a Dynamic Estuarine Fishery

Scharf

Craig

Smith

2017

N American J Fish Manag

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Fish demography and the behavior of fishing fleets can vary across fine spatial and temporal scales, generating dynamic patterns of harvest that can impact both fishery yield and the conservation of stock biomass. We conducted a paired tag return experiment in spatially distinct estuarine fisheries during two consecutive years to examine temporal and spatial variation in harvest of a commercially exploited flatfish, the Southern Flounder Paralichthys lethostigma, in North Carolina. Monthly rates of instantaneous fishing mortality (F) varied across the fishing season in different ways, thus generating differences in total F between the two systems despite the fact that the fishery was concentrated in the warmer months and was dominated by the same gear in both systems. Recent patterns in fishing effort among gears and water bodies throughout the state illustrated seasonal and spatial variation that was produced mainly by gear type. Although current regulations in the Southern Flounder fishery recognize the existence of spatial differences in fishery selectivity and seasonality across North Carolina, fleet behavior has shown rapid and dynamic changes over time. When combined with recently documented fine‐scale spatial variation in life history traits, these spatial patterns of effort and harvest that change in response to regulatory measures and socioeconomic drivers can potentially influence—in ways that are difficult to predict—the ability of managers to achieve harvest and conservation goals. Received March 17, 2017; accepted June 20, 2017 Published online August 22, 2017

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Fine-scale movement, activity patterns and home-ranges of European lobster Homarus gammarus

Cited by 42 publications

References 93 publications

Replicated marine protected areas (MPAs) support movement of larger, but not more, European lobsters to neighbouring fished areas

Replicated marine protected areas (MPAs) support movement of larger, but not more, European lobsters to neighbouring fished areas

Movement patterns of a commercially important, free-ranging marine invertebrate in the vicinity of a bait source

Fine‐Scale Spatial and Temporal Variation in Fishing Mortality of Southern Flounder: Management Implications for a Dynamic Estuarine Fishery

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