The Importance of Benthic Habitats for Coastal Fisheries

Kritzer, Jacob P.; DeLucia, Mari-Beth; Greene, Emily; Shumway, Caroly A.; Topolski, Marek F.; Thomas-Blate, Jessie; Chiarella, Louis A.; Davy, Kay B.; Smith, Kent

doi:10.1093/biosci/biw014

Cited by 80 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…; Kritzer et al . ). These effects are likely to be more important in North America than Europe, where marshes are larger and play a greater role as nursery habitat for commercially important fish and crustaceans (reviewed by Cattrijsse & Hampel ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…2) reduces food resources for juvenile fish and crustaceans, while decreased cover (Fig. 2) reduces the shelter value of salt marshes (Levin et al 2002;Colclough et al 2005;Kritzer et al 2016). These effects are likely to be more important in North America than Europe, where marshes are larger and play a greater role as nursery habitat for commercially important fish and crustaceans (reviewed by Cattrijsse & Hampel 2006).…”

Section: Species Abundance and Provisioning Servicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Livestock grazing alters multiple ecosystem properties and services in salt marshes: a meta‐analysis

Davidson

Fowler

Skov

et al. 2017

Journal of Applied Ecology

115

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Summary The far‐reaching impacts of livestock grazing in terrestrial grasslands are widely appreciated, but how livestock affect the structure and functions of sensitive coastal ecosystems has hitherto lacked synthesis. Grazing‐induced changes in salt marshes have the potential to alter the provision of valuable ecosystem services, such as coastal protection, blue carbon and biodiversity conservation. To investigate how livestock alter soil, vegetation and faunal properties in salt marshes, we conducted a global meta‐analysis of ungulate grazer impacts on commonly measured ecosystem properties (498 individual responses from 89 studies). We also tested stocking density, grazing duration, grazer identity, continent and vegetation type as potential modifiers of the grazing effect. The majority of studies were conducted in Europe (75) or the Americas (12), and investigated cattle (43) or sheep (22) grazing. All measures of above‐ground plant material (height, cover, above‐ground biomass, litter) were decreased by grazing, potentially impairing coastal protection through diminished wave attenuation. Soil carbon was reduced by grazing in American, but not European marshes, indicating a trade‐off with climate regulation that varies geographically. Additionally, grazing increased soil bulk density, salinity and daytime temperature, and reduced redox potential. Biodiversity responses depended on focal group, with positive effects of grazing on vegetation species richness, but negative effects on invertebrate richness. Grazing reduced the abundance of herbivorous invertebrates, which may affect fish and crustaceans that feed in the marsh. Overall vertebrate abundance was not affected, but there was provisional evidence for increases over a longer duration of grazing, potentially increasing birdwatching and wildfowling opportunities. Synthesis and applications. Our results reveal that the use of salt marshes for livestock production affects multiple ecosystem properties, creating trade‐offs and synergies with other ecosystem services. Grazing leads to reductions in blue carbon in the Americas but not in Europe. Grazing may compromise coastal protection and the provision of a nursery habitat for fish while creating provisioning and cultural benefits through increased wildfowl abundance. These findings can inform salt marsh grazing management, based on local context and desired ecosystem services.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Species Abundance and Provisioning Servicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Livestock grazing alters multiple ecosystem properties and services in salt marshes: a meta‐analysis

Davidson

Fowler

Skov

et al. 2017

Journal of Applied Ecology

115

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“…The distribution of seagrass, from the intertidal to about 60 m depth in clear waters, makes seagrass meadows an easily exploitable fishing habitat. Seagrass associated fishery productivity arises directly from the provision of nursery and foraging grounds for invertebrates and fish of subsistence and commercial value (Nordlund et al, 2016;Unsworth & Cullen, 2010) such as tiger prawns, conch, Atlantic cod, and white spotted spinefoot (Kritzer et al, 2016;Lilley & Unsworth, 2014;McDevitt-Irwin, Iacarella, & Baum, 2016). Seagrasses also support contiguous habitats (Saunders et al, 2014) by providing trophic subsidy to adjacent fisheries (Heck et al, 2008) that in turn support fishery productivity (Figure 1).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seagrass meadows support global fisheries production

Unsworth

Nordlund

Cullen-Unsworth

2018

CONSERVATION LETTERS

247

142

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The significant role seagrass meadows play in supporting fisheries productivity and food security across the globe is not adequately reflected in the decisions made by authorities with statutory responsibility for their management. We provide a unique global analysis of three data sources to present the case for why seagrass meadows need targeted policy to recognize and protect their role in supporting fisheries production and food security. (1) Seagrass meadows provide valuable nursery habitat to over 1/5th of the world's largest 25 fisheries, including Walleye Pollock, the most landed species on the planet. (2) In complex small-scale fisheries from around the world (poorly represented in fisheries statistics), we present evidence that many of those in proximity to seagrass are supported to a large degree by these habitats. (3) We reveal how intertidal fishing activity in seagrass is a global phenomenon, often directly supporting human livelihoods. Our study demonstrates that seagrasses should be recognized and managed to maintain and maximize their role in global fisheries production. The chasm that exists between coastal habitat conservation and fisheries management needs to be filled to maximize the chances of seagrass meadows supporting fisheries, so that they can continue to support human wellbeing.

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“…The importance of benthic habitat for many exploited species is widely recognized, as are the challenges with quantifying linkages between habitat metrics and stock productivity (Armstrong & Falk‐Petersen, ; Kritzer et al., ). This knowledge gap means that habitat parameters are generally absent in the stock assessment models that inform catch limits (Caddy, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The use of spatial management tools in rights‐based groundfish fisheries

et al. 2018

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The role of spatial management, including marine protected areas, in achieving fisheries outcomes alongside conservation goals is debated. In fisheries that fail to meet fishing mortality targets, closed areas are sometimes implemented to reduce fishing mortality. However, fisheries with stronger management, including rights‐based approaches that can address overcapacity and overfishing problems, often employ spatial management as well. Here, we compare the objectives, design, and performance of spatial management in nine temperate demersal fisheries in North America, Oceania, Europe, and Africa that employ rights‐based systems. Common objectives of spatial management included protecting habitat, juveniles, and spawners and reducing discards. Recovering age structure and creating scientific reference sites were less common objectives, despite being widely cited benefits of spatial management. Some fisheries adopted single closures to achieve single objectives, whereas others adopted diverse networks to achieve multiple objectives. Importantly, many spatial protections are implemented primarily through industry initiatives. Environmental change compromised the efficacy of spatial management in some cases, suggesting the need to design spatial management systems that are robust to changing ocean conditions. Fisheries with diverse and extensive spatial management systems have generally healthier fish stocks. Whether this implies that spatial management contributed substantially to fishery performance is unclear due to an absence of large‐scale, long‐term studies aimed at discerning different drivers of success. Although these targeted monitoring studies of closed areas are limited, such studies are necessary to help resolve the ongoing debate and to enable more purposeful design of spatial management for fisheries and conservation.

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The Importance of Benthic Habitats for Coastal Fisheries

Cited by 80 publications

References 57 publications

Livestock grazing alters multiple ecosystem properties and services in salt marshes: a meta‐analysis

Livestock grazing alters multiple ecosystem properties and services in salt marshes: a meta‐analysis

Seagrass meadows support global fisheries production

The use of spatial management tools in rights‐based groundfish fisheries

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