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Marraffini ML, Hamilton SL, Marin Jarrin JR, Ladd M, Koval G, Madden JR, Mangino I, Parker LM, Emery KA, Terhaar K, Hubbard DM, Miller RJ, Dugan JE. Evaluating the influence of marine protected areas on surf zone fish. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024:e14296. [PMID: 38770838 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Marine protected areas (MPAs) globally serve conservation and fisheries management goals, generating positive effects in some marine ecosystems. Surf zones and sandy beaches, critical ecotones bridging land and sea, play a pivotal role in the life cycles of numerous fish species and serve as prime areas for subsistence and recreational fishing. Despite their significance, these areas remain understudied when evaluating the effects of MPAs. We compared surf zone fish assemblages inside and outside MPAs across 3 bioregions in California (USA). Using seines and baited remote underwater videos (BRUVs), we found differences in surf zone fish inside and outside MPAs in one region. Inside south region MPAs, we observed higher abundance (Tukey's honest significant difference [HSD] = 0.83, p = 0.0001) and richness (HSD = 0.22, p = 0.0001) in BRUVs and greater biomass (HSD = 0.32, p = 0.0002) in seine surveys compared with reference sites. Selected live-bearing, fished taxa were positively affected by MPAs. Elasmobranchs displayed greater abundance in BRUV surveys and higher biomass in seine surveys inside south region MPAs (HSD = 0.35, p = 0.0003 and HSD = 0.23, p = 0.008, respectively). Although we observed no overall MPA signal for Embiotocidae, abundances of juvenile and large adult barred surfperch (Amphistichus argenteus), the most abundant fished species, were higher inside MPAs (K-S test D = 0.19, p < 0.0001). Influence of habitat characteristics on MPA performance indicated surf zone width was positively associated with fish abundance and biomass but negatively associated with richness. The south region had the largest positive effect size on all MPA performance metrics. Our findings underscored the variability in species richness and composition across regions and survey methods that significantly affected differences observed inside and outside MPAs. A comprehensive assessment of MPA performance should consider specific taxa, their distribution, and the effects of habitat factors and geography.
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Affiliation(s)
- M L Marraffini
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - S L Hamilton
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, San Jose State University, Moss Landing, California, USA
| | - J R Marin Jarrin
- Department of Fisheries Biology, California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, Arcata, California, USA
| | - M Ladd
- Southeast Fisheries Science Center, NOAA-National Marine Fisheries Service, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - G Koval
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, San Jose State University, Moss Landing, California, USA
| | - J R Madden
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - I Mangino
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - L M Parker
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, San Jose State University, Moss Landing, California, USA
| | - K A Emery
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
- Department of Geography, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - K Terhaar
- Department of Fisheries Biology, California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, Arcata, California, USA
| | - D M Hubbard
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - R J Miller
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - J E Dugan
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
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2
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Ziegler SL, Johnson JM, Brooks RO, Johnston EM, Mohay JL, Ruttenberg BI, Starr RM, Waltz GT, Wendt DE, Hamilton SL. Marine protected areas, marine heatwaves, and the resilience of nearshore fish communities. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1405. [PMID: 36697490 PMCID: PMC9876911 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28507-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic stressors from climate change can affect individual species, community structure, and ecosystem function. Marine heatwaves (MHWs) are intense thermal anomalies where water temperature is significantly elevated for five or more days. Climate projections suggest an increase in the frequency and severity of MHWs in the coming decades. While there is evidence that marine protected areas (MPAs) may be able to buffer individual species from climate impacts, there is not sufficient evidence to support the idea that MPAs can mitigate large-scale changes in marine communities in response to MHWs. California experienced an intense MHW and subsequent El Niño Southern Oscillation event from 2014 to 2016. We sought to examine changes in rocky reef fish communities at four MPAs and associated reference sites in relation to the MHW. We observed a decline in taxonomic diversity and a profound shift in trophic diversity inside and outside MPAs following the MHW. However, MPAs seemed to dampen the loss of trophic diversity and in the four years following the MHW, taxonomic diversity recovered 75% faster in the MPAs compared to reference sites. Our results suggest that MPAs may contribute to long-term resilience of nearshore fish communities through both resistance to change and recovery from warming events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelby L Ziegler
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, San Jose State University, Moss Landing, CA, 95039, USA. .,Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
| | - Jasmin M Johnson
- Department of Marine Science, California State University Monterey Bay, Seaside, CA, 93955, USA
| | - Rachel O Brooks
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, San Jose State University, Moss Landing, CA, 95039, USA
| | - Erin M Johnston
- Center for Coastal Marine Sciences, Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93407, USA
| | - Jacklyn L Mohay
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, San Jose State University, Moss Landing, CA, 95039, USA
| | - Benjamin I Ruttenberg
- Center for Coastal Marine Sciences, Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93407, USA
| | - Richard M Starr
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, San Jose State University, Moss Landing, CA, 95039, USA
| | - Grant T Waltz
- Center for Coastal Marine Sciences, Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93407, USA
| | - Dean E Wendt
- Center for Coastal Marine Sciences, Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93407, USA
| | - Scott L Hamilton
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, San Jose State University, Moss Landing, CA, 95039, USA
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3
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Reid M, Collins ML, Hall SRJ, Mason E, McGee G, Frid A. Protecting our coast for everyone's future: Indigenous and scientific knowledge support marine spatial protections proposed by Central Coast First Nations in Pacific Canada. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mike Reid
- Heiltsuk Integrated Resource Management Department Haíłzaqv Nation Wágḷísḷa British Columbia Canada
| | | | | | - Ernest Mason
- Kitasoo Xai'xais Fisheries Kitasoo Xai'xais Nation Klemtu British Columbia Canada
| | - Gord McGee
- Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance Campbell River British Columbia Canada
| | - Alejandro Frid
- Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance Campbell River British Columbia Canada
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4
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Bonney R, Byrd J, Carmichael JT, Cunningham L, Oremland L, Shirk J, Von Harten A. Sea Change: Using Citizen Science to Inform Fisheries Management. Bioscience 2021; 71:519-530. [PMID: 33986634 PMCID: PMC8106995 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biab016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing costs are challenging the capacity for resource management agencies to keep up with mounting needs for robust data about fish populations and their habitats. Furthermore, trust among scientists, government agencies, and the public is fundamental to effective fisheries management, and relations among these three groups are increasingly strained when decisions about fishing limits are made (or are perceived to be made) on the basis of limited information or analysis. In the South Atlantic region of the United States, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council has begun building a citizen science program to increase the quantity and quality of data used for fisheries management decisions throughout the region and to build trust and foster mutual understanding among those involved in the process. The goal is to build on existing management infrastructure to address key challenges to managing fisheries for long-term sustainability. In the present article, we examine the collaborative process used to establish the program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rick Bonney
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York, United States
| | - Julia Byrd
- South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, North Charleston, South Carolina, United States
| | - John T Carmichael
- South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, North Charleston, South Carolina, United States
| | - Leda Cunningham
- US program, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Laura Oremland
- Science education program manager, NOAA Fisheries, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
| | - Jennifer Shirk
- Citizen Science Association, Brooklyn, New York, United States
| | - Amber Von Harten
- Supply Chain Roundtable Director, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, Honolulu, HI, United States
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5
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Lenihan HS, Gallagher JP, Peters JR, Stier AC, Hofmeister JKK, Reed DC. Evidence that spillover from Marine Protected Areas benefits the spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus) fishery in southern California. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2663. [PMID: 33514853 PMCID: PMC7846765 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82371-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are designed to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services. Some MPAs are also established to benefit fisheries through increased egg and larval production, or the spillover of mobile juveniles and adults. Whether spillover influences fishery landings depend on the population status and movement patterns of target species both inside and outside of MPAs, as well as the status of the fishery and behavior of the fleet. We tested whether an increase in the lobster population inside two newly established MPAs influenced local catch, fishing effort, and catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) within the sustainable California spiny lobster fishery. We found greater build-up of lobsters within MPAs relative to unprotected areas, and greater increases in fishing effort and total lobster catch, but not CPUE, in fishing zones containing MPAs vs. those without MPAs. Our results show that a 35% reduction in fishing area resulting from MPA designation was compensated for by a 225% increase in total catch after 6-years, thus indicating at a local scale that the trade-off of fishing ground for no-fishing zones benefitted the fishery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hunter S. Lenihan
- grid.133342.40000 0004 1936 9676Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93116 USA
| | - Jordan P. Gallagher
- grid.133342.40000 0004 1936 9676Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93116 USA
| | - Joseph R. Peters
- grid.133342.40000 0004 1936 9676Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93116 USA
| | - Adrian C. Stier
- grid.133342.40000 0004 1936 9676Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93116 USA ,grid.133342.40000 0004 1936 9676Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93116 USA
| | | | - Daniel C. Reed
- grid.133342.40000 0004 1936 9676Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93116 USA
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6
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Perkins NR, Prall M, Chakraborty A, White JW, Baskett ML, Morgan SG. Quantifying the statistical power of monitoring programs for marine protected areas. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e2215. [PMID: 32767487 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Revised: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are increasingly established globally as a spatial management tool to aid in conservation and fisheries management objectives. Assessing whether MPAs are having the desired effects on populations requires effective monitoring programs. A cornerstone of an effective monitoring program is an assessment of the statistical power of sampling designs to detect changes when they occur. We present a novel approach to power assessment that combines spatial point process models, integral projection models (IPMs) and sampling simulations to assess the power of different sample designs across a network of MPAs. We focus on the use of remotely operated vehicle (ROV) video cameras as the sampling method, though the results could be extended to other sampling methods. We use empirical data from baseline surveys of an example indicator fish species across three MPAs in California, USA as a case study. Spatial models simulated time series of spatial distributions across sites that accounted for the effects of environmental covariates, while IPMs simulated expected trends over time in abundances and sizes of fish. We tested the power of different levels of sampling effort (i.e., the number of 500-m ROV transects) and temporal replication (every 1-3 yr) to detect expected post-MPA changes in fish abundance and biomass. We found that changes in biomass are detectable earlier than changes in abundance. We also found that detectability of MPA effects was higher in sites with higher initial densities. Increasing the sampling effort had a greater effect than increasing sampling frequency on the time taken to achieve high power. High power was best achieved by combining data from multiple sites. Our approach provides a powerful tool to explore the interaction between sampling effort, spatial distributions, population dynamics, and metrics for detecting change in previously fished populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas R Perkins
- Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute, University of California, Davis, California, 95616, USA
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Marine Region, Eureka, California, 95501, USA
- Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Taroona, Tasmania, 7053, Australia
| | - Michael Prall
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Marine Region, Eureka, California, 95501, USA
| | - Avishek Chakraborty
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72701, USA
| | - J Wilson White
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station, Oregon State University, Newport, Oregon, 97365, USA
| | - Marissa L Baskett
- Department of Environmental Science & Policy, University of California, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Steven G Morgan
- Department of Environmental Science & Policy, University of California, Davis, California, 95616, USA
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7
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Mason ET, Kellum AN, Chiu JA, Waltz GT, Murray S, Wendt DE, Starr RM, Semmens BX. Long-term participation in collaborative fisheries research improves angler opinions on marine protected areas. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10146. [PMID: 33194393 PMCID: PMC7602691 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent marine spatial planning efforts, including the management and monitoring of marine protected areas (MPAs), increasingly focus on the importance of stakeholder engagement. For nearly 15 years, the California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program (CCFRP) has partnered volunteer anglers with researchers, the fishing industry, and resource managers to monitor groundfishes in California's network of MPAs. While the program has succeeded in generating sustained biological observations, we know little about volunteer angler demography or the impact of participation on their perceptions and opinions on fisheries data or MPAs. In this study we surveyed CCFRP volunteers to learn about (a) volunteer angler demographics and attitudes toward groundfish management and stock health, (b) volunteer angler motivations for joining and staying in the program, and (c) whether participation in the program influenced volunteer angler opinions on the quality of fisheries data used in resource management and the establishment of MPAs in California. CCFRP volunteers were older and had higher fishing avidity than average within the California recreational angling community. Many self-identified as more conservation-minded than their peers in the recreational fishing community and had positive views of California groundfish management and stock health. Participation in science and giving back to fisheries resources were major motivating factors in their decision to become and remain CCFRP volunteers. Angler opinions toward MPAs were more positive after volunteering with CCFRP. Those who had volunteered for seven or more years with CCFRP were more likely than not to gain a positive opinion of MPAs. Our survey results provide evidence that long-term engagement of stakeholders in collaborative research positively influences stakeholder opinions regarding marine resource management, and highlights CCFRP's success in engaging citizen science stakeholders in collaborative fisheries research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica T Mason
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Allison N Kellum
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jennifer A Chiu
- Fisheries and Conservation Biology, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Moss Landing, CA, USA
| | - Grant T Waltz
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA
| | - Samantha Murray
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Dean E Wendt
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA
| | - Richard M Starr
- Fisheries and Conservation Biology, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Moss Landing, CA, USA
| | - Brice X Semmens
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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8
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McGreer M, Frid A, Blaine T, Hankewich S, Mason E, Reid M, Kobluk H. Growth parameter k and location affect body size responses to spatial protection by exploited rockfishes. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9825. [PMID: 32913682 PMCID: PMC7456528 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
For many fish taxa, trophic position and relative fecundity increase with body size, yet fisheries remove the largest individuals, altering food webs and reducing population productivity. Marine reserves and other forms of spatial protection can help mitigate this problem, but the effectiveness of these management tools may vary interspecifically and spatially. Using visual survey data collected on the Central Coast of British Columbia, for 12 species of exploited rockfish we found that body size responses to spatial fishery closures depended on interspecific variation in growth parameter k (the rate at which the asymptotic body size is approached) and on location. For two closures, relative body sizes were larger at protected than at adjacent fished sites, and these differences were greater for species with lower k values. Reduced fishery mortality likely drove these results, as an unfished species did not respond to spatial protection. For three closures, however, body sizes did not differ between protected and adjacent fished sites, and for another closure species with higher k values were larger at fished than at protected sites while species with lower k values had similar sizes in both treatments. Variation in the age of closures is unlikely to have influenced results, as most data were collected when closures were 13 to 15-years-old. Rather, the lack of larger fish inside four of six spatial fishery closures potentially reflects a combination of smaller size of the area protected, poor fisher compliance, and lower oceanographic productivity. Interspecific differences in movement behavior did not affect body size responses to spatial protection. To improve understanding, additional research should be conducted at deeper depths encompassing the distribution of older, larger fish. Our study—which was conceptualized and executed by an alliance of Indigenous peoples seeking to restore rockfishes—illustrates how life history and behavioral theory provide a useful lens for framing and interpreting species differences in responses to spatial protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine McGreer
- Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance, Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Alejandro Frid
- Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance, Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada.,School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Tristan Blaine
- Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance, Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Ernest Mason
- Kitasoo/Xai'xais Fisheries, Klemtu, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Mike Reid
- Heiltsuk Integrated Resource Management Department, Bella Bella, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Hannah Kobluk
- Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance, Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada
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9
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Fernández-Chacón A, Villegas-Ríos D, Moland E, Baskett ML, Olsen EM, Carlson SM. Protected areas buffer against harvest selection and rebuild phenotypic complexity. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2020; 30:e02108. [PMID: 32096584 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Harvest mortality typically truncates the harvested species' size structure, thereby reducing phenotypic complexity, which can lead to reduced population productivity, increased population variability, and selection on an array of life history traits that can further alter these demographic processes. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a potential tool to protect older, larger individuals and therefore mitigate such ecological and evolutionary effects of harvest, depending on the degree of connectivity among areas. Such MPA protection relies on a shift in size-dependent mortality, the measurement of which can therefore serve as an early indicator of whether MPAs might achieve the desired longer-term ecological and evolutionary responses. We directly measured MPA effects on size-selective mortality and associated size structure using mark-recapture data on European lobster (Homarus gammarus) collected at three MPA-control area pairs in southern Norway during one decade (n = 5,943). Mark-recapture modeling, accounting for variation in recapture probabilities, revealed (1) that annual mean survival was higher inside MPAs (0.592) vs. control areas (0.298) and (2) that significant negative relationships between survival and body size occurred at the control areas but not in the MPAs, where the effect of body size was predominantly positive. Additionally, we found (3) that mean and maximum body size increased over time inside MPAs but not in control areas. Overall, our results suggest that MPAs can rebuild phenotypic complexity (i.e., size structure) and provide protection from harvest selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Fernández-Chacón
- Joint Research Unit for Biodiversity (UO, CSIC, PA), University of Oviedo, 33600, Mieres, Spain
- Department of Natural Sciences, Centre for Coastal Research, University of Agder, P.O. Box 422, 4604, Kristiansand, Norway
| | - David Villegas-Ríos
- Department of Ecology and Marine Resources, Ichthyology Group, IMEDEA, Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados (CSIC-UIB), C/Miquel Marquès 21, 07190, Esporles, Balearic Islands, Spain
- Department of Ecology and Marine Resources, Fisheries Ecology Group, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas (IIM-CSIC), Eduardo Cabello 6, 36208, Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain
| | - Even Moland
- Department of Natural Sciences, Centre for Coastal Research, University of Agder, P.O. Box 422, 4604, Kristiansand, Norway
- Institute of Marine Research, Nye Flødevigveien 20, 4817, His, Norway
| | - Marissa L Baskett
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Esben M Olsen
- Department of Natural Sciences, Centre for Coastal Research, University of Agder, P.O. Box 422, 4604, Kristiansand, Norway
- Institute of Marine Research, Nye Flødevigveien 20, 4817, His, Norway
| | - Stephanie M Carlson
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA
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10
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Esgro MW, Lindholm J, Nickols KJ, Bredvik J. Early conservation benefits of a de facto marine protected area at San Clemente Island, California. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0224060. [PMID: 31945056 PMCID: PMC6964903 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 01/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
De facto marine protected areas (DFMPAs) are regions of the ocean where human activity is restricted for reasons other than conservation. Although DFMPAs are widespread globally, their potential role in the protection of marine habitats, species, and ecosystems has not been well studied. In 2012 and 2013, we conducted remotely operated vehicle (ROV) surveys of marine communities at a military DFMPA closed to all civilian access since 2010 and an adjacent fished reference site at San Clemente Island, the southernmost of California’s Channel Islands. We used data extracted from ROV imagery to compare density and biomass of focal species, as well as biodiversity and community composition, between the two sites. Generalized linear modeling indicated that both density and biomass of California sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher) were significantly higher inside the DFMPA. Biomass of ocean whitefish (Caulolatilus princeps) was also significantly higher inside the DFMPA. However, species richness and Shannon-Weaver diversity were not significantly higher inside the DFMPA, and overall fish community composition did not differ significantly between sites. Demonstrable differences between the DFMPA and fished site for two highly sought-after species hint at early potential benefits of protection, though the lack of differences in the broader community suggests that a longer trajectory of recovery may be required for other species. A more comprehensive understanding of the potential conservation benefits of DFMPAs is important in the context of marine spatial planning and global marine conservation objectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W. Esgro
- Institute for Applied Marine Ecology, California State University Monterey Bay, Seaside, CA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - James Lindholm
- Institute for Applied Marine Ecology, California State University Monterey Bay, Seaside, CA, United States of America
| | - Kerry J. Nickols
- California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA, United States of America
| | - Jessica Bredvik
- Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, San Diego, CA, United States of America
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11
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Davis KJ, Vianna GMS, Meeuwig JJ, Meekan MG, Pannell DJ. Estimating the economic benefits and costs of highly‐protected marine protected areas. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Katrina J. Davis
- Centre for Environmental Economics and Policy UWA School of Agriculture and Environment The University of Western Australia 35 Stirling Highway Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
| | - Gabriel M. S. Vianna
- Australian Institute of Marine Science UWA Oceans Institute 35 Stirling Highway Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Western Australia 35 Stirling Highway Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
| | - Jessica J. Meeuwig
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Western Australia 35 Stirling Highway Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
| | - Mark G. Meekan
- Australian Institute of Marine Science UWA Oceans Institute 35 Stirling Highway Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
| | - David J. Pannell
- Centre for Environmental Economics and Policy UWA School of Agriculture and Environment The University of Western Australia 35 Stirling Highway Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
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12
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Kaplan KA, Yamane L, Botsford LW, Baskett ML, Hastings A, Worden S, White JW. Setting expected timelines of fished population recovery for the adaptive management of a marine protected area network. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2019; 29:e01949. [PMID: 31188493 PMCID: PMC9285580 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2018] [Revised: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Adaptive management of marine protected areas (MPAs) requires developing methods to evaluate whether monitoring data indicate that they are performing as expected. Modeling the expected responses of targeted species to an MPA network, with a clear timeline for those expectations, can aid in the development of a monitoring program that efficiently evaluates expectations over appropriate time frames. Here, we describe the expected trajectories in abundance and biomass following MPA implementation for populations of 19 nearshore fishery species in California. To capture the process of filling in the age structure truncated by fishing, we used age-structured population models with stochastic larval recruitment to predict responses to MPA implementation. We implemented both demographically open (high larval immigration) and closed (high self-recruitment) populations to model the range of possible trajectories as they depend on recruitment dynamics. From these simulations, we quantified the time scales over which anticipated increases in abundance and biomass inside MPAs would become statistically detectable. Predicted population biomass responses range from little change, for species with low fishing rates, to increasing by a factor of nearly seven, for species with high fishing rates before MPA establishment. Increases in biomass following MPA implementation are usually greater in both magnitude and statistical detectability than increases in abundance. For most species, increases in abundance would not begin to become detectable for at least 10 years after implementation. Overall, these results inform potential indicator metrics (biomass), potential indicator species (those with a high fishing : natural mortality ratio), and time frame (>10 yr) for MPA monitoring assessment as part of the adaptive management process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine A. Kaplan
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, Coastal and Marine Sciences InstituteUniversity of California DavisOne Shields AvenueDavisCalifornia95616USA
- California Department of Fish and WildlifeMarine Region350 Harbor BoulevardBelmontCalifornia94002USA
| | - Lauren Yamane
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, Coastal and Marine Sciences InstituteUniversity of California DavisOne Shields AvenueDavisCalifornia95616USA
- California Department of Fish and WildlifeMarine Region350 Harbor BoulevardBelmontCalifornia94002USA
| | - Louis W. Botsford
- Department of WildlifeFish and Conservation BiologyUniversity of California DavisOne Shields AvenueDavisCalifornia95616USA
| | - Marissa L. Baskett
- Department of Environmental Science and PolicyUniversity of California DavisOne Shields AvenueDavisCalifornia95616USA
| | - Alan Hastings
- Department of Environmental Science and PolicyUniversity of California DavisOne Shields AvenueDavisCalifornia95616USA
| | - Sara Worden
- California Department of Fish and WildlifeMarine Region350 Harbor BoulevardBelmontCalifornia94002USA
| | - J. Wilson White
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeCoastal Oregon Marine Experiment StationOregon State UniversityNewportOregon97365USA
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13
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Nickols KJ, White JW, Malone D, Carr MH, Starr RM, Baskett ML, Hastings A, Botsford LW. Setting ecological expectations for adaptive management of marine protected areas. J Appl Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kerry J. Nickols
- Department of Biology California State University Northridge Northridge California
| | - J. Wilson White
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station Oregon State University Newport Oregon
| | - Dan Malone
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz California
| | - Mark H. Carr
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz California
| | - Richard M. Starr
- California Sea Grant Extension Program Moss Landing Marine Laboratories Moss Landing California
| | - Marissa L. Baskett
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of California Davis Davis California
| | - Alan Hastings
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of California Davis Davis California
| | - Louis W. Botsford
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology University of California Davis Davis California
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14
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Saarman ET, Owens B, Murray SN, Weisberg SB, Ambrose RF, Field JC, Nielsen KJ, Carr MH. An ecological framework for informing permitting decisions on scientific activities in protected areas. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0199126. [PMID: 29920527 PMCID: PMC6007909 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
There are numerous reasons to conduct scientific research within protected areas, but research activities may also negatively impact organisms and habitats, and thus conflict with a protected area’s conservation goals. We developed a quantitative ecological decision-support framework that estimates these potential impacts so managers can weigh costs and benefits of proposed research projects and make informed permitting decisions. The framework generates quantitative estimates of the ecological impacts of the project and the cumulative impacts of the proposed project and all other projects in the protected area, and then compares the estimated cumulative impacts of all projects with policy-based acceptable impact thresholds. We use a series of simplified equations (models) to assess the impacts of proposed research to: a) the population of any targeted species, b) the major ecological assemblages that make up the community, and c) the physical habitat that supports protected area biota. These models consider both targeted and incidental impacts to the ecosystem and include consideration of the vulnerability of targeted species, assemblages, and habitats, based on their recovery time and ecological role. We parameterized the models for a wide variety of potential research activities that regularly occur in the study area using a combination of literature review and expert judgment with a precautionary approach to uncertainty. We also conducted sensitivity analyses to examine the relationships between model input parameters and estimated impacts to understand the dominant drivers of the ecological impact estimates. Although the decision-support framework was designed for and adopted by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for permitting scientific studies in the state-wide network of marine protected areas (MPAs), the framework can readily be adapted for terrestrial and freshwater protected areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily T. Saarman
- University of California, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Brian Owens
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Belmont, California, United States of America
| | - Steven N. Murray
- California State University, Fullerton, California, United States of America
| | - Stephen B. Weisberg
- Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, Costa Mesa, California, United States of America
| | - Richard F. Ambrose
- University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - John C. Field
- NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Karina J. Nielsen
- San Francisco State University, Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies, Tiburon, California, United States of America
| | - Mark H. Carr
- University of California, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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15
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Egerton JP, Johnson AF, Turner J, LeVay L, Mascareñas-Osorio I, Aburto-Oropeza O. Hydroacoustics as a tool to examine the effects of Marine Protected Areas and habitat type on marine fish communities. Sci Rep 2018; 8:47. [PMID: 29335421 PMCID: PMC5768732 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-18353-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Hydroacoustic technologies are widely used in fisheries research but few studies have used them to examine the effects of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). We evaluate the efficacy of hydroacoustics to examine the effects of closure to fishing and habitat type on fish populations in the Cabo Pulmo National Park (CPNP), Mexico, and compare these methods to Underwater Visual Censuses (UVC). Fish density, biomass and size were all significantly higher inside the CPNP (299%, 144% and 52% respectively) than outside in non-MPA control areas. These values were much higher when only accounting for the reefs within the CPNP (4715%, 6970% and 97% respectively) highlighting the importance of both habitat complexity and protection from fishing for fish populations. Acoustic estimates of fish biomass over reef-specific sites did not differ significantly from those estimated using UVC data, although acoustic densities were less due to higher numbers of small fish recorded by UVC. There is thus considerable merit in nesting UVC surveys, also providing species information, within hydroacoustic surveys. This study is a valuable starting point in demonstrating the utility of hydroacoustics to assess the effects of coastal MPAs on fish populations, something that has been underutilised in MPA design, formation and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- J P Egerton
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, Wales, UK.
| | - A F Johnson
- Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - J Turner
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, Wales, UK
| | - L LeVay
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, Wales, UK
| | | | - O Aburto-Oropeza
- Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
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16
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Denney C, Fields R, Gleason M, Starr R. Development of New Methods for Quantifying Fish Density Using Underwater Stereo-video Tools. J Vis Exp 2017. [PMID: 29286391 DOI: 10.3791/56635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of video camera systems in ecological studies of fish continues to gain traction as a viable, non-extractive method of measuring fish lengths and estimating fish abundance. We developed and implemented a rotating stereo-video camera tool that covers a full 360 degrees of sampling, which maximizes sampling effort compared to stationary camera tools. A variety of studies have detailed the ability of static, stereo-camera systems to obtain highly accurate and precise measurements of fish; the focus here was on the development of methodological approaches to quantify fish density using rotating camera systems. The first approach was to develop a modification of the metric MaxN, which typically is a conservative count of the minimum number of fish observed on a given camera survey. We redefine MaxN to be the maximum number of fish observed in any given rotation of the camera system. When precautions are taken to avoid double counting, this method for MaxN may more accurately reflect true abundance than that obtained from a fixed camera. Secondly, because stereo-video allows fish to be mapped in three-dimensional space, precise estimates of the distance-from-camera can be obtained for each fish. By using the 95% percentile of the observed distance from camera to establish species-specific areas surveyed, we account for differences in detectability among species while avoiding diluting density estimates by using the maximum distance a species was observed. Accounting for this range of detectability is critical to accurately estimate fish abundances. This methodology will facilitate the integration of rotating stereo-video tools in both applied science and management contexts.
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17
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White JW, Nickols KJ, Malone D, Carr MH, Starr RM, Cordoleani F, Baskett ML, Hastings A, Botsford LW. Fitting state-space integral projection models to size-structured time series data to estimate unknown parameters. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2016; 26:2675-2692. [PMID: 27907261 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2015] [Revised: 04/23/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Integral projection models (IPMs) have a number of advantages over matrix-model approaches for analyzing size-structured population dynamics, because the latter require parameter estimates for each age or stage transition. However, IPMs still require appropriate data. Typically they are parameterized using individual-scale relationships between body size and demographic rates, but these are not always available. We present an alternative approach for estimating demographic parameters from time series of size-structured survey data using a Bayesian state-space IPM (SSIPM). By fitting an IPM in a state-space framework, we estimate unknown parameters and explicitly account for process and measurement error in a dataset to estimate the underlying process model dynamics. We tested our method by fitting SSIPMs to simulated data; the model fit the simulated size distributions well and estimated unknown demographic parameters accurately. We then illustrated our method using nine years of annual surveys of the density and size distribution of two fish species (blue rockfish, Sebastes mystinus, and gopher rockfish, S. carnatus) at seven kelp forest sites in California. The SSIPM produced reasonable fits to the data, and estimated fishing rates for both species that were higher than our Bayesian prior estimates based on coast-wide stock assessment estimates of harvest. That improvement reinforces the value of being able to estimate demographic parameters from local-scale monitoring data. We highlight a number of key decision points in SSIPM development (e.g., open vs. closed demography, number of particles in the state-space filter) so that users can apply the method to their own datasets.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Wilson White
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina, 28043, USA
| | - Kerry J Nickols
- Division of Science and Environmental Policy, California State University Monterey Bay, Seaside, California, 93955, USA
| | - Daniel Malone
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, 95060, USA
| | - Mark H Carr
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, 95060, USA
| | - Richard M Starr
- California Sea Grant Extension Program, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Moss Landing, California, 95039, USA
| | - Flora Cordoleani
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Marissa L Baskett
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Alan Hastings
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Louis W Botsford
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
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18
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Rockfish size and age: The crossroads of spatial protection, central place fisheries and indigenous rights. Glob Ecol Conserv 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2016.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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19
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Cossaboon JM, Ganguli PM, Flegal AR. Mercury offloaded in Northern elephant seal hair affects coastal seawater surrounding rookery. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:12058-62. [PMID: 26372960 PMCID: PMC4593100 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1506520112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a potent neurotoxin that is biomagnified approximately 1-10 million-fold in aquatic carnivores such as the Northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris), whose excreta and molted pelage, in turn, constitute a source of environmental MeHg contamination at the base of marine food chains. The potential for this top-down contamination is greatest in coastal areas with productive marine ecosystems that provide ideal habitats for large marine mammal colonies that can number in the thousands. This recycling of MeHg was evidenced by comparing total mercury (HgT) and MeHg concentrations in seawater, and HgT in molted pelage of M. angustirostris, at the Año Nuevo State Reserve pinniped rookery with concentrations at neighboring coastal sites in Central California. Seawater MeHg concentrations around the rookery (average = 2.5 pM) were markedly higher than those at the comparison coastal sites (average = 0.30 pM), and were as high as 9.5 pM during the M. angustirostris molting season. As a consequence, excreta and molts from this marine mammal colony, and presumably other marine predator populations, constitute a major source of MeHg at the base of the local marine food chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M Cossaboon
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, WIGS Laboratory, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064;
| | - Priya M Ganguli
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, WIGS Laboratory, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
| | - A Russell Flegal
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, WIGS Laboratory, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
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20
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Caselle JE, Rassweiler A, Hamilton SL, Warner RR. Recovery trajectories of kelp forest animals are rapid yet spatially variable across a network of temperate marine protected areas. Sci Rep 2015; 5:14102. [PMID: 26373803 PMCID: PMC4642697 DOI: 10.1038/srep14102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2015] [Accepted: 08/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Oceans currently face a variety of threats, requiring ecosystem-based approaches to management such as networks of marine protected areas (MPAs). We evaluated changes in fish biomass on temperate rocky reefs over the decade following implementation of a network of MPAs in the northern Channel Islands, California. We found that the biomass of targeted (i.e. fished) species has increased consistently inside all MPAs in the network, with an effect of geography on the strength of the response. More interesting, biomass of targeted fish species also increased outside MPAs, although only 27% as rapidly as in the protected areas, indicating that redistribution of fishing effort has not severely affected unprotected populations. Whether the increase outside of MPAs is due to changes in fishing pressure, fisheries management actions, adult spillover, favorable environmental conditions, or a combination of all four remains unknown. We evaluated methods of controlling for biogeographic or environmental variation across networks of protected areas and found similar performance of models incorporating empirical sea surface temperature versus a simple geographic blocking term based on assemblage structure. The patterns observed are promising indicators of the success of this network, but more work is needed to understand how ecological and physical contexts affect MPA performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E. Caselle
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 USA
| | - Andrew Rassweiler
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 USA
| | - Scott L. Hamilton
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, 8272 Moss Landing Rd., Moss Landing, CA 95039 USA
| | - Robert R. Warner
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 USA
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