Hydrodynamic decoupling of recruitment, habitat quality and adult abundance in the Caribbean spiny lobster: source - sink dynamics?

Abstract

Marine species possess dispersive stages that interconnect subpopulations, which may inhabit ‘source’ and ‘sink’ habitats, where reproduction and emigration either exceed or fall short of mortality and immigration, respectively. Postlarval supply, juvenile density and adult abundance of the Caribbean spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, were measured at four widely separated sites spanning >100 km in Exuma Sound, Bahamas. Adult abundance was lowest at a site with the highest postlarval supply and little nursery habitat; hence, it was tentatively classified as a sink. Circulation in Exuma Sound is dominated by large-scale gyres which apparently concentrate and advect postlarvae toward the nominal sink. The remaining three sites, including one marine reserve, had higher adult abundances despite lower postlarval supply, and are therefore tentatively classified as sources. Postlarval supply is probably decoupled from adult abundance by physical transport. Adult abundance is likely decoupled from postlarval supply by the effects of varying habitat quality upon postlarval and juvenile survival, as indicated by non-significant differences among sites in juvenile density. It appears that some sites with suitable settlement and nursery habitat are sources of spawning stock for Panulirus argus, whereas others with poor habitat are sinks despite sufficient postlarval influx.

Postlarval settlement of the spiny lobster Panulirus argus along the Caribbean coast of Mexico: Patterns, influence of physical factors, and possible sources of origin

“…Spiny lobsters (Palinuridae) are important fishing resources throughout the tropical and temperate regions of the world, but the Caribbean spiny lobster, Panulirus argus (Latreille, 1804), sustains, on average, 50% of the total world catch of spiny lobsters (Lipcius and Eggleston 2000). The latitudinal range of P. argus spans the tropical and subtropical western Atlantic Ocean from North Carolina (U.S.A.) to northeastern Brazil and throughout the West Indies, the Bahamas, and Bermuda.…”

Simulation of lobster larvae drift in oceanic waters adjacent to the southwest Cuba shelf: Application of LADIM biophysical model

“…Estos mismos autores concluyeron, por bioensayo, que el puerulus puede permanecer en ese estadio durante 7 a 28 días en dependencia de la temperatura del agua y de la presencia de un sustrato adecuado para su asentamiento y metamorfosis en organismo bentónico. Un periodo similar (7 a 21 días) ha sido estimado en condiciones naturales (Acosta et al 1997, Lipcius et al 1997, Cruz 1999, Jeffs et al 2005. Esto permite aseverar que su arribo y asentamiento en las áreas poco profundas de la plataforma, aunque depende en gran medida de la hidrodinámica, no culmina con éxito si no encuentra el sustrato adecuado que garantice su vida post-larval.…”

The non-extractive economic value of spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, in the Turks and Caicos Islands

“…Local stocks of lobster are likely to be dependent on 'upstream' sources of larval production (Lyons 1981) due to diverse and variable surface current patterns within the Caribbean (Roberts 1997a). Even after settlement, variability in habitat quality, ontogenetic migration, and differential postlarval and juvenile mortality (Lipcius et al 1997) make it difficult to predict the number of adults that will recruit to the fishery three to four years in the future.…”

“…Lobster size and abundance increase within MPAs for some spiny lobster stocks (Davis 1977;Childress 1997;Lipcius et al 1997). Evidence for spillover of adult lobster to adjacent commercial fishing grounds is, however, limited (MacDiarmid & Breen 1993;Childress 1997;Kelly et al 2000).…”

“…The management of lobster stocks in the region is complicated for a number of reasons. Given the complex life history of the animal (Lipcius & Cobb 1994), it is difficult to link spatial and temporal patterns of adult abundance to settlement, and post-settlement abundance to the production of adults (Lipcius et al 1997). Local stocks of lobster are likely to be dependent on 'upstream' sources of larval production (Lyons 1981) due to diverse and variable surface current patterns within the Caribbean (Roberts 1997a).…”