From emblematic to problematic: The case of Astrospartus mediterraneus (Risso, 1826) (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) in the artisanal fishing grounds of the Cap de Creus area (NW Mediterranean Sea)

Biel-Cabanelas, Marina; Santín, Andreu; Montasell, Mireia Casanovas; Salazar, Janire; Baena, Patricia; Viladrich, Núria; Montseny, María; Corbera, Guillem; Ambroso, Stefano; Grinyó, Jordi

doi:10.1016/j.csr.2023.104925

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 79 publications

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“…Particularly interesting is the high collection rate of the basket star, Astrospartus mediterraneus, reported by one fisher. This observation confirms the population growth reported for this species in the last ten years in some NW Mediterranean areas, including the deep shoal of Punta del Faro [59,108]. In addition, the interviewed fishers report extensive collections of substrate attributable to the scouring of nets over the seafloor.…”

Section: Fishing Pressure On and Environmental Status Of The Shoalsupporting

confidence: 85%

High Megabenthic Complexity and Vulnerability of a Mesophotic Rocky Shoal Support Its Inclusion in a Mediterranean MPA

Enrichetti,

Bavestrello,

Cappanera

et al. 2023

Diversity

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The deep shoal of Punta del Faro (Ligurian Sea, Mediterranean Sea) is a mesophotic rocky elevation hosting complex animal forests threatened by fishing activities. To identify appropriate conservation measures and set a reference example for similar cases, we present a detailed characterization of its megabenthic communities and a quantification of the fishing pressure. The results highlight the high natural value of the area, presenting high biodiversity (111 megabenthic and demersal species) and diverse types of animal forest, predominantly dominated by cnidarians. The tridimensional seascape is among the most complex in the eastern Ligurian Sea, but the long-term evaluation of its environmental status suggested consistent affects due to the high abundance of lost fishing gear (0.65 items m−2) directly entangled with structuring cnidarians. The artisanal and recreational fishing pressure are currently moderate. However, the use of bottom-contact fishing gear causes significant modifications to the seafloor’s integrity. This study emphasizes the high conservation value and vulnerability of the shoal, highlighting the importance of its protection through its inclusion in the Portofino MPA, whose external perimeter is 200 m from the study area. A critical discussion of the advantages and disadvantages is provided with a map of the possible extension of the MPA boundaries.

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Section: Fishing Pressure On and Environmental Status Of The Shoalsupporting

confidence: 85%

High Megabenthic Complexity and Vulnerability of a Mesophotic Rocky Shoal Support Its Inclusion in a Mediterranean MPA

Enrichetti,

Bavestrello,

Cappanera

et al. 2023

Diversity

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“…The approach followed also served to detect possible issues of high ecological importance, like spotting possible outbreaks of Astrospartus mediterraneus (Risso, 1826) in the Mediterranean Sea as reported in Biel-Cabanelas et al, 2023 highlighted the importance of considering and integrating under-utilized observations for decision-making in marine conservation. Perceptions of fishers who participated in this study.…”

Section: Figure 11mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our findings reinforce the idea that for MPA management purposes it is vital to consider the already existing TEK and LEK in the Cap de Creus area, too, which is revealed to be accumulated for at least 10-15 years of fishing experience by small-scale fishers in the area. This accumulated knowledge was very useful for marine science purposes such as characterizing a possible outbreak of A.mediterraneus (Biel-Cabanelas et al, 2023).…”

Section: Ocean Literacy Assessment and Cultural Consensus Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several gorgonian species may appear in dense assemblages, forming the so-called "animal forests" on the seabed (Rossi, 2013). These forests are commonly built up intricate and complex three-dimensional structures, offering plenty of spaces that serve as refuge, spawning and nursery habitats to many other marine species, including highly valuable commercial species (Roberts and Hirshfield, 2004;Rossi et al, 2017;Baena et al, 2023). At different latitudes and from shallow to great depths around the globe, gorgonians play a paramount ecological role and conform to communities that are commonly considered as hotspots of biodiversity (White et al, 2012;Henry and Roberts, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, along with marine conservation and ecosystem restoration several OLactions were also developed in the context of MITICAP and RESCAP to expand the dissemination of the scientific knowledge of the projects. Both projects highlighted the importance of collaborative studies between fishers and scientists for marine benthic studies, with contributions on the study of the economic viability of joint conservation activities, the implementation of mitigation measures for reducing the impacts of fishing in the study area or the detection of possible threats to marine biodiversity (Montseny et al, 2021;Santıń et al, 2022b;Biel-Cabanelas et al, 2023;Higueruelo et al, 2023). However, important dimensions related to social and educational aspects were not previously analyzed and reported.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An urgent call for more ambitious ocean literacy strategies in marine protected areas: a collaboration project with small-scale fishers as a case study

Salazar,

Gómez,

Vendrell-Simón

et al. 2024

Front. Mar. Sci.

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Cold-Water Corals play a paramount role in marine benthic ecosystems, increasing their complexity and providing spawning and nursery habitats to many species. However, due to their sessile lifestyle and ramified shape they are commonly entangled in nets and even by-caught during the practice of bottom-contact fishing, which includes impacts from both large-scale activities such as trawling and small-scale fishing (e.g., trammel nets or pots). In this context, passive and active restoration measures are crucial to avoid their damage and disappearance, which might cause the consequent loss of complexity and biodiversity of marine benthic communities. With the aim of modifying these fishing practices in the Marine Protected Area of Cap de Creus (North-Western Mediterranean), small-scale fishers and scientists (marine biologists) started a Participatory Process in which they agreed to develop a joint marine conservation program combining two distinct projects: a restoration project of the Cold-Water Corals incidentally captured on fishing nets for their subsequent reintroduction at sea (RESCAP project) and also a project on mitigation of fishing impacts on marine benthic communities (MITICAP project). Collaborative actions were carried out including interviews and exchanges of information with the purpose of collecting all the knowledge required for conducting the actions of the projects. This study shows the results of the assessment throughout five years (2017-2022) of cooperative work and highlights how crucial it is to develop long-term and revisable ocean literacy strategies for ensuring a sustainable ocean governance. An ocean literacy test evaluated the scientific knowledge of fishers at the end of the projects and revealed that despite all the efforts applied, still more work is needed, which reinforces the importance of improving the strategies of knowledge transfer for MPA management. Under the coordination of marine social anthropologists, a Cultural Consensus Analysis was conducted with the fishers. Results revealed a protoculture that should be characterized and considered when developing management strategies in the area. Additionally, the Personal Network Analysis showed that fishers have become agents of change and transmitted the learnings of the projects to their communities, fishers from nearby guilds, local educational centers and even the press. Furthermore, a list of recommendations is provided to optimize the multisector opportunities emerging from collaborative projects with marine scientists and fishers in MPAs.

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Coexistence of megabenthic assemblages and artisanal fishers: The case of Cap de Creus Marine Protected Area (North-Western Mediterranean Sea)

Higueruelo,

Santín,

Salazar

et al. 2023

Marine Environmental Research

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From emblematic to problematic: The case of Astrospartus mediterraneus (Risso, 1826) (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) in the artisanal fishing grounds of the Cap de Creus area (NW Mediterranean Sea)

Cited by 4 publications

References 79 publications

High Megabenthic Complexity and Vulnerability of a Mesophotic Rocky Shoal Support Its Inclusion in a Mediterranean MPA

High Megabenthic Complexity and Vulnerability of a Mesophotic Rocky Shoal Support Its Inclusion in a Mediterranean MPA

An urgent call for more ambitious ocean literacy strategies in marine protected areas: a collaboration project with small-scale fishers as a case study

Coexistence of megabenthic assemblages and artisanal fishers: The case of Cap de Creus Marine Protected Area (North-Western Mediterranean Sea)

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