Population characteristics of a recovering US Virgin Islands red hind spawning aggregation following protection

Nemeth, Richard S.

doi:10.3354/meps286081

Cited by 146 publications

(142 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Appeldoorn et al (1992) showed that an apparent mean size increases in red hind Epinephelus guttatus in the US Virgin Islands occurred during a steady decline in catch per effort resulting from sustained low recruitment. The depleted state of the red hind population was subsequently confirmed by dramatic increases in abundance and mean size, following the closure of the aggregation site to fishing (Nemeth 2005). In light of this evidence, the patterns in Nassau grouper recruitment and mean size at Mahahual are consistent with expected responses to overexploitation.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 57%

Disappearance of a Nassau grouper spawning aggregation off the southern Mexican Caribbean coast

Aguilar‐Perera¹

2006

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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A Nassau grouper spawning aggregation formed in large numbers (e.g. 1000 to 15 000 ind.) for more than 50 yr at the traditional aggregation site off Mahahual, Quintana Roo, Mexico (eastern Yucatan Peninsula). However, in the early 1990s the aggregation ceased forming at the site, and only small aggregations were found south of the site (1 to 2 km) moving northward along the fore reef. The spawning aggregation progressively disappeared, and in 1996 no aggregation formed even in areas adjacent to the site. Changes in grouper mean total length, size-frequency distribution and sex ratios analyzed from the commercial catch (taken from the migrating aggregation), showed that mean body size fluctuated and that the sex ratio was female-biased. The grouper aggregation showed evidence of overexploitation in terms of disappearance, reduction in number and fluctuations in size; however, the latter may be a recruitment effect. Fishery management and conservation alternatives, through the implementation of a network of no-take marine reserves and a total fishing ban, are necessary for protecting the Nassau grouper and other aggregating reef fishes, not only in the Mexican Caribbean Sea but also along the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 57%

Disappearance of a Nassau grouper spawning aggregation off the southern Mexican Caribbean coast

Aguilar‐Perera¹

2006

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…obs. ), and this pressure is likely preventing the level of red hind stock recovery seen in the USVI (Nemeth 2005).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the USVI, protecting red hind spawning aggregations through seasonal and subsequently permanent no-take marine protected areas (MPAs) has reversed these trends and led to a substantial stock recovery (Beets & Friedlander 1999, Nemeth 2005. Similarly, in Bermuda, seasonal protections at red hind spawning aggregation sites have likely resulted in increases in mean and modal sizes (Luckhurst & Trott 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Traditional methods of monitoring and studying red hind aggregations include hook and line, trap fishing, spear fishing, fishermen surveys, gonad analyses, tagging studies, and diver surveys (Colin et al 1987, Shapiro et al 1993a, 1994, Nemeth 2005, Whiteman et al 2005, Nemeth et al 2007, Cushion et al 2008. These methods are often time consuming, expensive, and potentially destructive.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These methods are often time consuming, expensive, and potentially destructive. In addition, many red hind spawning aggregations are located along insular shelf break areas (Shapiro et al 1993a, Nemeth 2005, where conditions are often adverse, making data collection difficult and limited.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sound production as an indicator of red hind density at a spawning aggregation

Rowell¹,

Schärer²,

Appeldoorn³

et al. 2012

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Annual spawning aggregations of red hind Epinephelus guttatus form at predictable times and locations and have historically succumbed to overfishing. Monitoring the status and restoration of aggregations is essential for evaluating the effectiveness of fishery management measures. Passive acoustic and diver-based underwater visual census (UVC) techniques were used to develop an efficient method for estimating red hind density from sound production at spawning aggregations. Red hind sound production was recorded from November 2010 to April 2011 at Abrir la Sierra, Puerto Rico. UVC surveys were conducted during the spawning season to assess changes in red hind density over a fixed time and area. Sound recorded from 18:00 to 19:00 h Atlantic Standard Time (UTC − 4) was representative of total daily changes in red hind sound production and was selected for the development of an efficient density estimation model. Pronounced daily changes in sound production and density were observed after the December 2010 and January 2011 full moons. Two hourly sound level measurements were compared to densities estimated by UVC surveys, yielding significant linear regressions, which were used to predict changes in fish density as measured at the aggregation site. Passive acoustic methods allowed to predict changes in red hind density and habitat use at a higher temporal resolution than previously possible with traditional methods. Red hind sound production and inferred densities can be monitored and analyzed efficiently for multiple aggregation sites simultaneously, documenting short-term and long-term changes in red hind densities at spawning aggregation sites and providing important information for the support or development of management strategies.

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Sustainability of a tropical, multispecies, multigear, coral‐reef‐associated fishery system is efficiently inferred with the direct use of long‐term port biosampling length records and life‐history traits, US Virgin Islands

Dikou

Corneille

Carmody

2019

Aquatic Conservation

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The fisheries system of the US Virgin Islands (USVI) provided the opportunity to examine decision‐making and to advise comparable fisheries throughout the tropics; it is well studied, thoroughly managed, and small in economic impact. To assess (multilevel modelling), evaluate (historical baselines and comparison of size frequency distributions), and explain (regression) the fisheries status synoptically, indicators of life history, ecological, and fishery traits were applied to a 26 year long and 104 species large port biosampling database. The fishery consists of stable, truncated, and overfished populations of exclusively K‐selected fish species. In particular, 45 (46.9%) of 96 species show significant but not biologically meaningful trends in mean standardized length of fish caught during a period of 30 years. Yet, 93 (90.2%) of 103 species are subject to persistent growth and/or recruitment overfishing. Also, both biological and economic overfishing are positively, significantly, and largely related with the K‐selected nature of these species. The results are corroborated by available contextual studies that demonstrate in synthesis the buffering effect of fisheries management. This employs various monitoring, regulatory, and enhancement tools to face its major challenges of data collection and quality improvement, local and regional environmental degradation from multiple anthropogenic and natural stressors, and non‐compliance. Yet, there have been increasing trends in human population size, fishing effort, and total commercial landings, decreasing trends in the catch per unit of effort, changes in the relative composition of the catch during the last 40 years, and collapsed or on the verge of collapse fished species since the 1970s have not yet recovered. The USVI fisheries system would benefit from redesigning regulation of input and output controls and upgrading the environmental baseline using the ecosystem‐based management approach.

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Population characteristics of a recovering US Virgin Islands red hind spawning aggregation following protection

Cited by 146 publications

References 41 publications

Disappearance of a Nassau grouper spawning aggregation off the southern Mexican Caribbean coast

Disappearance of a Nassau grouper spawning aggregation off the southern Mexican Caribbean coast

Sound production as an indicator of red hind density at a spawning aggregation

Sustainability of a tropical, multispecies, multigear, coral‐reef‐associated fishery system is efficiently inferred with the direct use of long‐term port biosampling length records and life‐history traits, US Virgin Islands

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