Population and growth of queen conch (Lobatus gigas Linnaeus, 1758) in the Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve of Belize

Chan, Isani; Tseng, Li‐Chun; Dahms‬, Hans-Uwe; Hwang, Jiang‐Shiou

doi:10.1186/1810-522x-52-46

Cited by 9 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Population information from such surveys is typically presented as mean density per area for each stratum sampled; however, these numbers are highly variable and fluctuate widely by locality, survey method, time of year, habitat type, and management strategy. Some of the highest overall densities reported from recent surveys were 247− 1767 conch ha −1 from a protected park in Cuba (Cala de la Hera et al 2012, Cala et al 2013, 677 conch ha −1 from both fished and protected areas in the Turks and Caicos (Tewfik & Béné 2000), and 963 conch ha −1 from both fished and protected areas in Belize (Chan et al 2013). Conversely, densities from other surveys were remarkably low.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Spatial distribution, density, and habitat associations of queen conch Strombus gigas in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands

Doerr¹,

Hill²

2018

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Conventional stock assessment methods have been ineffective for determining the status of queen conch throughout the Caribbean, mainly due to a lack of available fishery-independent data. We examined queen conch populations on the northeastern coast of St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, using a 10 m radial survey sampling technique with sample sites stratified by water depth, habitat type, and management regime, encompassing both open and closed fishing areas. We completed 503 radial surveys and located 4773 queen conch, representing an overall density of 302 conch ha −1. Densities of juvenile and adult queen conch were higher within Buck Island Reef National Monument (BIRNM) boundaries compared to open fishing areas. Densities of juvenile and adult queen conch were highest in habitats characterized as 50−90 and 10−50% patchy seagrass, respectively. Shell length data suggest that the seagrass beds south of Buck Island are functioning as valuable nursery habitat for juvenile conch, and the presence of multiple juvenile cohorts indicates that larval recruitment in the area has been successful in recent years. Comparisons of data from this and previous studies indicate that the queen conch population in St. Croix is potentially stable under the current management approach and that BIRNM is providing the spatial protection required for the population to continue to recover. Given the spatial and temporal patchiness of queen conch distributions, standardized fishery-independent monitoring surveys should be repeated regularly to provide data sufficient to assess stock conditions and the efficacy of management measures.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Spatial distribution, density, and habitat associations of queen conch Strombus gigas in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands

Doerr¹,

Hill²

2018

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…These areas are sheltered from major wave action by nearby land masses and are easily accessible to free-diving fishers and poachers. As such, we believe that these areas are more susceptible to heavy fishing pressure relative to elsewhere on the Cay Sal Bank and were chosen so that the survey reflects the abundance over the fishing ground, as in previous surveys in consultation with fishers (Stoner et al, 2018) (Berry, Hill, & Walker, 2016); (ii) the Pedro Bank south of Jamaica, surveyed in 2015 to construct a species distribution model (Morris, 2016); and (iii) within and surrounding a protected area in Belize in 2009 (Chan, Tseng, Dahms, & Hwang, 2013). The spatial scope of the Belize (Chan et al, 2013) and Florida (Berry et al, 2016) studies swept an order of magnitude less area (<2 ha), and both included adult aggregations yielding pockets of high abundance but with overall densities far less than those observed at Cay Sal Bank.…”

Section: Limitations and Caveats To Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

Queen ConchLobatus gigaspopulation estimates and age structure suggest a potential natural refuge on the Cay Sal Bank, The Bahamas

Souza

Kough

2020

Aquatic Conservation

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1. Cultural and economic demands for queen conch, Lobatus gigas (Linnaeus, 1758), have led to the overexploitation of this iconic species throughout its range in the wider Caribbean. Fisheries managers have responded in many ways, from remaining idle to placing moratoriums on conch harvest, yet heavily harvested conch populations have been slow to recover, and descriptions of natural baselines are missing.2. The study describes a population of conch surveyed on the isolated, partially submerged, carbonate platform known as the Cay Sal Bank, The Bahamas, using traditional and interpolation techniques. Counts and shell measurements of conch within six study areas were obtained using 118 timed dive surveys over shallow water habitat (<20 m).3. The density and standing stock of adult conch were calculated using raw estimates, estimates retroactively standardized by distance, and estimates from Geographic Information Systems (GIS) kriging interpolation. All methods result in similar abundance estimates and include one of the highest abundances of conch found for decades in legally fishable waters within the Caribbean. 4. Shell measurements revealed multiple-year cohorts within the nurseries encountered, suggesting consistent recruitment. Lip thickness, a proxy for age, significantly increased with distance to Nassau in unprotected areas within The Bahamas, and Cay Sal Bank contains the second oldest average population observed in legally fishable waters. 5. Media reports show that remote Bahamian banks are increasingly threatened by poaching as fishers deplete accessible stocks. Biophysical models demonstrate potential larval connectivity from Cay Sal Bank to both the Grand and Little Bahamas banks. We suggest protecting Cay Sal Bank as a modern baseline for conservation management and as a larval source located upstream of major Bahamian fishing grounds.

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“…Protect the coral reef community health and promote abundant fishery resources (including conch and lobster) associated with seagrass and mangrove habitats HolChan (1987) …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Artificial reefs through additive manufacturing: a review of their design, purposes and fabrication process for marine restoration and management

Matus,

Alves,

Góis

et al. 2024

RPJ

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review cases of artificial reefs built through additive manufacturing (AM) technologies and analyse their ecological goals, fabrication process, materials, structural design features and implementation location to determine predominant parameters, environmental impacts, advantages, and limitations. Design/methodology/approach The review analysed 16 cases of artificial reefs from both temperate and tropical regions. These were categorised based on the AM process used, the mortar material used (crucial for biological applications), the structural design features and the location of implementation. These parameters are assessed to determine how effectively the designs meet the stipulated ecological goals, how AM technologies demonstrate their potential in comparison to conventional methods and the preference locations of these implementations. Findings The overview revealed that the dominant artificial reef implementation occurs in the Mediterranean and Atlantic Seas, both accounting for 24%. The remaining cases were in the Australian Sea (20%), the South Asia Sea (12%), the Persian Gulf and the Pacific Ocean, both with 8%, and the Indian Sea with 4% of all the cases studied. It was concluded that fused filament fabrication, binder jetting and material extrusion represent the main AM processes used to build artificial reefs. Cementitious materials, ceramics, polymers and geopolymer formulations were used, incorporating aggregates from mineral residues, biological wastes and pozzolan materials, to reduce environmental impacts, promote the circular economy and be more beneficial for marine ecosystems. The evaluation ranking assessed how well their design and materials align with their ecological goals, demonstrating that five cases were ranked with high effectiveness, ten projects with moderate effectiveness and one case with low effectiveness. Originality/value AM represents an innovative method for marine restoration and management. It offers a rapid prototyping technique for design validation and enables the creation of highly complex shapes for habitat diversification while incorporating a diverse range of materials to benefit environmental and marine species’ habitats.

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Population and growth of queen conch (Lobatus gigas Linnaeus, 1758) in the Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve of Belize

Cited by 9 publications

References 22 publications

Spatial distribution, density, and habitat associations of queen conch Strombus gigas in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands

Spatial distribution, density, and habitat associations of queen conch Strombus gigas in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands

Queen ConchLobatus gigaspopulation estimates and age structure suggest a potential natural refuge on the Cay Sal Bank, The Bahamas

Artificial reefs through additive manufacturing: a review of their design, purposes and fabrication process for marine restoration and management

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