1
|
Fernández-Chacón A, Villegas-Ríos D, Moland E, Baskett ML, Olsen EM, Carlson SM. Protected areas buffer against harvest selection and rebuild phenotypic complexity. Ecol Appl 2020; 30:e02108. [PMID: 32096584 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Alós J, Palmer M, Linde-Medina M, Arlinghaus R. Consistent size-independent harvest selection on fish body shape in two recreationally exploited marine species. Ecol Evol 2014; 4:2154-64. [PMID: 25360257 PMCID: PMC4201430 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2013] [Revised: 03/25/2014] [Accepted: 03/26/2014] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Harvesting wild animals may exert size-independent selection pressures on a range of morphological, life history, and behavioral traits. Most work so far has focused on selection pressures on life history traits and body size as morphological trait. We studied here how recreational fishing selects for morphological traits related to body shape, which may correlate with underlying swimming behavior. Using landmark-based geometric morphometrics, we found consistent recreational fishing-induced selection pressures on body shape in two recreationally exploited marine fish species. We show that individuals with larger-sized mouths and more streamlined and elongated bodies were more vulnerable to passively operated hook-and-line fishing independent of the individual's body size or condition. While the greater vulnerability of individuals with larger mouth gapes can be explained by the direct physical interaction with hooks, selection against streamlined and elongated individuals could either involve a specific foraging mode or relate to underlying elevated swimming behavior. Harvesting using passive gear is common around the globe, and thus, size-independent selection on body shape is expected to be widespread potentially leaving behind individuals with smaller oral gapes and more compact bodies. This might have repercussions for food webs by altering foraging and predation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Josep Alós
- Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB) C/Miquel Marqués 21, 07190, Esporles, Illes Balears, Spain ; Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries Müggelseedamm 310, 12587, Berlin, Germany
| | - Miquel Palmer
- Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB) C/Miquel Marqués 21, 07190, Esporles, Illes Balears, Spain
| | - Marta Linde-Medina
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester M13 9PT Manchester, U.K
| | - Robert Arlinghaus
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries Müggelseedamm 310, 12587, Berlin, Germany ; Chair of Integrative Fisheries Management and Integrative Research Institute for the Transformation of Human-Environment Systems (IRI THESys), Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Invalidenstrasse 42, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|