Zonation and reef size significantly influence fish population structure in an established marine protected area, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa

Dames, Vivienne; Bernard, Anthony; Floros, Camilla; Mann, B.Q.; Speed, Conrad W.; Maggs, JQ; Laing, Stuart; Meekan, Mark G.; Olbers, Jennifer

doi:10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2019.105040

Cited by 7 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 66 publications

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“…h -1 ) than in other studies of protected areas in South Africa (0.6-0.9 ind. h -1 ) (Dames et al 2019). In fact, the common species in our study ranged between mean abundances of 1 and 4.5 ind.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 56%

“…to assess the abundance of targeted reef fish such as members of the families Lutjanidae, Lethrinidae, and Serranidae. The study by Dames et al (2019) found that the mean abundances of common targeted fish were all <2.5 ind. h -1 in protected zones of the iSimangaliso Wetland Marine Park in South Africa.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Higher numbers of fishes in reef habitats is likely a result of the numerous complex micro-habitats and the greater variety of food sources compared to those available in less-complex habitats (Gratwicke and Speight 2005). Reef size has also been shown to have a positive effect on the abundance and biomass of several species of predatory fish in protected areas of the WIO (Dames et al 2019). Unfortunately, there were no detailed benthic habitat maps available for both of our sites and so we were unable to model the potential effects of reef size on relative abundance.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Contrasting patterns in the abundance of fish communities targeted by fishers on two coral reefs in southern Mozambique

Sancelme

Goetze

Jaquemet

et al. 2020

African Journal of Marine Science

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Coastal populations of maritime countries in eastern Africa rely on fish as a primary source of protein, but baseline information on the abundance of fish communities on these coastlines is often lacking. We used baited remote underwater video stations to compare the abundance and diversity of reef fishes targeted by fishing at two sites in southern Mozambique, one at Lighthouse Reef within the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park and the other to the south at San Sebastian Reef on the San Sebastian Peninsula. Fish that are known targets of fisheries (mostly small-scale and artisanal) had an abundance that was almost three-times greater at San Sebastian Reef (80.22 ind. h-1 [SE 18.00]) than at Lighthouse Reef (29.70 ind. h-1 [SE 8.91]). Similarly, there was greater mean species richness at San Sebastian Reef (38.74 species h-1 [SE 2.79]) than at Lighthouse Reef (25.37 species h-1 [SE 3.66]). The main drivers of targeted fish abundance were habitat and depth, with shallow (<15 m) and mixed reef areas having the greatest abundance and richness. More sampling was done over sand habitat at Lighthouse Reef, which likely led to the lower abundance and species richness observed at this site; however, that finding could also be attributable to the fact that protection is provided to only a section of available coral reef habitat in a small area. Nevertheless, fish community structure was comparable between the sites, with similar proportions of carnivores (78-81%), herbivores (12-14%) and omnivores (7-8%). Our findings highlight the variation in species abundance and assemblages of coral-reef fish targeted by fishing in Mozambique and emphasise the importance of localised environmental variables as a driver of these patterns. To Please note that this is an author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version is available on the publisher Web site.ensure maximum protection of Lighthouse Reef fish communities, we recommend an extension of the notake zone to include the entire reef complex.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 56%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Contrasting patterns in the abundance of fish communities targeted by fishers on two coral reefs in southern Mozambique

Sancelme

Goetze

Jaquemet

et al. 2020

African Journal of Marine Science

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“…For example, Currie et al (2012) and Floros et al (2012) found that abundance or biomass of reef fish assemblages in the iSimangaliso area increases with increasing protection, from open-access reefs to partly protected areas (allowing for limited fishing and/or diving) to fully protected no-take sanctuary areas. Zones that were partially protected, in which limited fishing and/or diving were allowed, were found to be far less effective than the sanctuary areas, although to some extent this may be related to reef size and the availability of suitable reef fish habitat (Dames et al 2020). These studies have a bearing on the effectiveness of having only partial protection of reef-fish species.…”

Section: Ecological Effectsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Evaluating the evidence for ecological effectiveness of South Africa’s marine protected areas

Kirkman

Mann

Sink

et al. 2021

African Journal of Marine Science

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The biodiversity and ecological integrity of many marine ecosystems are being threatened (Worm et al. 2006;O'Hara et al. 2019). For this reason, many marine habitats, species and ecosystem functions have been granted protection from human pressures in marine protected areas (MPAs), a tool that is increasingly favoured as a response to declines in marine biodiversity (Beaugrand et al. 2015;McCauley et al. 2015). The Convention on Biological Diversity's (CBD's) definition of a marine and coastal protected area is "any confined area within or adjacent to the marine environment, together with its overlying waters and associated flora, fauna, and historical and cultural features, which has been reserved by legislation or other effective means, including custom, with the effect that its marine and/or coastal biodiversity enjoys a higher level of protection than its surroundings" (CBD 2004, p 2). Many

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“…Both human population (Mora et al 2011) and proximity to markets (Cinner et al 2012) have been shown to negatively impact reef fish biomass and ecosystem functions. We also examined a variety of environmental metrics known to impact reef fish populations, including distance from the nearest 50-m bathymetric contour (e.g., Richards et al 2012), mean primary productivity (mg C m -2 d -1 ; e.g., Williams et al 2015), mean wave energy (kW m -1 ; e.g., Friedlander et al 2003), and total reef area within 10 km (e.g., Dames et al 2020).…”

Section: Biophysical Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The importance of biophysical context in understanding marine protected area outcomes for coral reef fish populations

Fidler

Andradi-Brown²,

Awaludinnoer³

et al. 2021

Coral Reefs

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Multiuse marine protected areas (MPAs) that utilize a mosaic of no-take and sustainable use zones are an increasingly common tool for promoting fish population recovery while minimizing socioeconomic conflict. However, significant gaps remain in our understanding of the effects of multiuse MPAs on reef-fish populations, and how protection from fishing may interact with biophysical gradients to drive ecological outcomes. Here, we examine changes in fish assemblages inside and outside of two multiuse MPAs in Raja Ampat, Indonesia, over the first four to five years after their implementation. We use linear models to assess the impact of protection status, anthropogenic pressure, and biophysical gradients on changes in four biological metrics: abundance, biomass, mean size, and size-spectra. In addition, we use multivariate analyses to assess whether fish assemblages in protected and unprotected reefs diverged after MPA establishment. We find that both fish abundance and biomass were driven equally or more by benthic characteristics than protection status and that these environmental impacts were decoupled from the effects of MPAs. Contrary to expectations, increases in abundance were more pronounced in unprotected reefs, where fish assemblages diverged from protected reefs through an increase of herbivorous parrotfishes (Subfamily Scarinae) likely driven by increased algal production on hard-bottom reef areas. However, mean size and size-spectra improved in sustainable use zones compared to unprotected reefs, demonstrating that non-exclusionary management can provide ecological benefits, especially when combined with nearby no-take areas. Increased mean size was also associated with lower human population sizes, suggesting a strong influence of fishing pressure, which is mediated by MPAs. Our findings suggest that multiuse MPAs can quickly achieve some fisheries management objectives and that these effects are likely to increase over longer timescales. However, biophysical context can have significant impacts on reef-fish assemblages that are distinct from the effects of overlying fisheries management. Keywords Marine protected areas Á Marine conservation Á Biophysical context Á Coral reef fisheries Á Indonesia Topic Editor Andrew Hoey

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Zonation and reef size significantly influence fish population structure in an established marine protected area, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa

Cited by 7 publications

References 66 publications

Contrasting patterns in the abundance of fish communities targeted by fishers on two coral reefs in southern Mozambique

Contrasting patterns in the abundance of fish communities targeted by fishers on two coral reefs in southern Mozambique

Evaluating the evidence for ecological effectiveness of South Africa’s marine protected areas

The importance of biophysical context in understanding marine protected area outcomes for coral reef fish populations

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