Critical science gaps impede use of no-take fishery reserves

Sale, Peter F.; Cowen, Robert K.; Danilowicz, Bret S.; Jones, Geoffrey P.; Kritzer, Jacob P.; Lindeman, Kenyon C.; Planes, Serge; Polunin, Nicholas V. C.; Russ, Garry R.; Sadovy, Yvonne; Steneck, Robert S.

doi:10.1016/j.tree.2004.11.007

Cited by 709 publications

(590 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…Marine protected areas (MPAs) have been advocated as one measure to facilitate continued ecosystem viability (Sale et al 2005). However, the efficacy of MPAs as well as the persistence and resilience of marine populations in the face of disturbances in general are fundamentally linked to the scale of dispersal and the degree of connectivity among populations (Eckert 2003;Botsford et al 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…temporal changes in larval migration patterns have been implicated as a source of spatial and temporal patchiness in the genetic structure of marine populations (Selkoe et al 2006;Hogan et al 2010). Therefore, not only must we improve our understanding of larval dispersal pathways, local recruitment rates and population connectivity, we also need empirical estimates of the temporal component of variation in those variables for the effective management and conservation of marine populations (Sale et al 2005;Levin 2006;Jones et al 2007). It is logistically difficult to track the dispersal of small pelagic larvae in the marine environment, although technologies have improved in recent years such that connectivity studies are more feasible (Thorrold et al 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Local retention, dispersal and fluctuating connectivity among populations of a coral reef fish

et al. 2011

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The persistence and resilience of marine populations in the face of disturbances is directly affected by connectivity among populations. Thus, understanding the magnitude and pattern of connections among populations and the temporal variation in these patterns is critical for the effective management and conservation of marine species. Despite recent advances in our understanding of marine connectivity, few empirical studies have directly measured the magnitude or pattern of connections among populations of marine fishes, and none have explicitly investigated temporal variation in demographic connectivity. We use genetic assignment tests to track the dispersal of 456 individual larval fishes to quantify the extent of connectivity, dispersal, self-recruitment and local retention within and among seven populations of a coral reef fish (Stegastes partitus) over a three-year period. We found that some larvae do disperse long distances (*200 km); however, self-recruitment was a regular phenomenon. Importantly, we found that dispersal distances, self-recruitment, local retention and the pattern of connectivity varied significantly among years. Our data highlight the unpredictable nature of connectivity, and underscore the need for more, temporally replicated, empirical measures of connectivity to inform management decisions.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local retention, dispersal and fluctuating connectivity among populations of a coral reef fish

et al. 2011

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“…Closing areas allows animals to live longer and grow to maturity, which is important for supporting fisheries because of the exponential relationship between fecundity and body size (Bohnsack 1990). MPAs are predicted to benefit adjacent fisheries through 2 mechanisms: (1) net emigration of adults and juveniles across borders, termed 'spillover'; and (2) increased production and export of pelagic eggs and larvae (Gell & Roberts 2003, Kaunda-Arara & Rose 2004, Abesamis & Russ 2005, Sale et al 2005. Spillover of juvenile and adult fish to surrounding non-protected areas could result from random movements of individuals from MPAs to outside their borders or by directed movements over a large home range (Rakitin & Kramer 1996, Kramer & Chapman 1999, Tremain et al 2004.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of habitat on spillover from marine protected areas to artisanal fisheries

Forcada

Valle²,

Bonhomme³

et al. 2009

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Marine protected areas (MPAs) potentially enhance the long-term sustainability of coastal fish resources that have been overexploited. The types and quality of habitats, both inside and outside the MPAs, may determine the likelihood of migration by fish to surrounding unprotected areas where spillover to fisheries occurs. We assessed whether MPAs enhanced catches of artisanal fisheries, using an experimental fishing study with the same fishing gear as that used by local fishers. This approach allowed us to test the hypothesis of increased catches along the borders of MPAs in comparison with those in other fishing grounds located at medium and far distances from 3 Mediterranean MPAs: Tabarca Marine Reserve, Carry-le-Rouet Marine Reserve and Cerbère-Banyuls Marine Reserve. Surveys were done over 2 homogeneous habitats (Posidonia oceanica meadow and sand), in 3 different seasons. Catches were significantly higher for some species near the borders of the MPAs when fishing on P. oceanica meadows, but not when fishing on sandy bottoms. The spillover effect appears to be limited by a lack of continuous suitable habitat through the boundaries of the MPA. Some of the species that showed a significant response to protection and concurrent higher catches near the MPA borders, such as Dentex dentex, Mullus surmuletus, Phycis phycis, Sciaena umbra and Scorpaena porcus, are target species of artisanal fisheries. Although we found that the spatial scale of the spillover-induced density gradient was localized, it was sufficient to provide local benefits to artisanal fisheries. We conclude that spillover effects are not a universal consequence of siting MPAs in temperate waters and that they are related to the distribution of habitats inside and around MPAs.

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“…R obust descriptions of larval dispersal are fundamental to studies of fish population dynamics 1,2 , fisheries management 3,4 and the design of reserve networks tasked with conserving ocean biodiversity 5,6 . Yet descriptions of larval dispersal patterns in ocean environments remain scarce.…”

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confidence: 99%

Larval fish dispersal in a coral-reef seascape

et al. 2017

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Larval dispersal is a critical yet enigmatic process in the persistence and productivity of marine metapopulations. Empirical data on larval dispersal remain scarce, hindering the use of spatial management tools in efforts to sustain ocean biodiversity and fisheries. Here we document dispersal among subpopulations of clownfish (Amphiprion percula) and butterflyfish (Chaetodon vagabundus) from eight sites across a large seascape (10,000 km 2 ) in Papua New Guinea across 2 years. Dispersal of clownfish was consistent between years, with mean observed dispersal distances of 15 km and 10 km in 2009 and 2011, respectively. A Laplacian statistical distribution (the dispersal kernel) predicted a mean dispersal distance of 13-19 km, with 90% of settlement occurring within 31-43 km. Mean dispersal distances were considerably greater (43-64 km) for butterflyfish, with kernels declining only gradually from spawning locations. We demonstrate that dispersal can be measured on spatial scales sufficient to inform the design of and test the performance of marine reserve networks. R obust descriptions of larval dispersal are fundamental to studies of fish population dynamics 1,2 , fisheries management 3,4 and the design of reserve networks tasked with conserving ocean biodiversity 5,6 . Yet descriptions of larval dispersal patterns in ocean environments remain scarce. The combination of a pelagic larval phase that may last several days to many months and an ocean environment characterized by energetic diffusive and advective flows may allow passive larvae to disperse hundreds to thousands of kilometres from natal locations 7,8 . It has proved difficult, however, to verify directly how far fish larvae travel, because it is almost impossible to follow them as they disperse rapidly from spawning sites and are subject to high rates of natural mortality throughout the larval phase 9 . Our inability to describe the spatial extent of larval dispersal is problematic because our understanding of metapopulation dynamics relies on largely untested models that quantify where larvae arriving at a subpopulation originate from and where larvae spawned at each subpopulation eventually settle [10][11][12] . Moreover, to be of practical use, these data must be assembled on large enough scales for evaluating and optimizing spatial management strategies for fisheries or conservation 1,13 .Patches of reef habitat are frequently isolated from each other by deeper water that forms a barrier to adult movement, and so larval dispersal is likely to be a critical process in the persistence of many reef fish populations over demographic and evolutionary timescales 10,14 . Effective management of coral-reef seascapes is therefore particularly reliant on spatial tools to achieve conservation objectives. Although reef fish larvae clearly have the potential for long-distance movements 14 , there is increasing evidence that dispersal may be more limited than previously assumed 15,16 . The most compelling evidence of larvae returning to natal or nearby reefs has...

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Critical science gaps impede use of no-take fishery reserves

Cited by 709 publications

References 57 publications

Local retention, dispersal and fluctuating connectivity among populations of a coral reef fish

Local retention, dispersal and fluctuating connectivity among populations of a coral reef fish

Effects of habitat on spillover from marine protected areas to artisanal fisheries

Larval fish dispersal in a coral-reef seascape

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