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Interconnected marine habitats form a single continental-scale reef system in South America. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17359. [PMID: 36253396 PMCID: PMC9576765 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21341-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Large gaps in reef distribution may hinder the dispersal of marine organisms, interrupting processes vital to the maintenance of biodiversity. Here we show the presence and location of extensive reef habitats on the continental shelf between the Amazon Reef System (ARS) and the Eastern Brazilian Reef System (ERS), two reef complexes off eastern South America. Formations located 20-50 m deep include both biogenic and geogenic structures. The presence of diverse reef assemblages suggests the widespread occurrence of rocky substrates below 50 m. These habitats represent an expansion of both the ARS and ERS and the closure of the only remaining large-scale gap (~ 1000 km) among West Atlantic reef environments. This indicates that the SW Atlantic harbors a single, yet heterogeneous, reef system that stretches for about 4000 km, and thus, represents one of the largest semi-continuous tropical marine ecosystems in the world.
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2
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Western boundary currents drive sun-coral (Tubastraea spp.) coastal invasion from oil platforms. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5286. [PMID: 35347218 PMCID: PMC8960833 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09269-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Most marine species have a planktonic larval phase that benefit from the surface oceanic flow to enhance their dispersion potential. For invasive species, the interaction of environmentally resistant larvae with different flow regimes and artificial substrates can lead to complex larval dispersion patterns and boost geographic expansion. In the Southwest Atlantic, the invasive corals Tubastraea spp. (sun-coral) have been recorded biofouling on oil platforms since the late 1980s. These platforms are considered important vectors for the established populations throughout the Brazilian coast. However, we still do not know how the position of these structures relative to regional flow contribute to the natural dispersion potential of these invaders on a regional scale. Herein, we used an eddy-resolving ocean model (ROMS) and an Individual Based Model (IBM-Ichthyop) to simulate the natural dispersion patterns of sun-coral larvae from all oil platforms on Brazilian oil-producing basins, for the austral summer and winter along 6 years (2010–2015) in 90-day simulations. We found that mortality rates by advection were significantly higher during the winter (p = 0.001) and when sources of larvae were compared throughout this season (p = 1.9 × 10–17). The influence of two western boundary currents and persistent eddy activity contribute to the dispersal of larvae to distances up to 7000 km. The effectiveness of each oil-producing basin as vectors for the entire Brazilian coastline, measured as the percentage of larval supply, highlights the importance of the northern Ceará (59.89%) and Potiguar (87.47%) basins and the more central Camamu (44.11%) and Sergipe-Alagoas (39.20%) basins. The poleward shift of the Southern branch of the South Equatorial Current during the winter causes larvae released from the Sergipe-Alagoas and Camamu basins to enter the North Brazil Current, expanding their dispersion towards the north. The Brazil Current disperses larvae southwards, but strong mesoscale activity prevents their dispersion to the coast, especially for those released from the oil platforms on Campos and Santos basins. Within this complex hydrodynamic setting, a few source areas, like those in the Sergipe-Alagoas and Camamu basins, can potentially contribute to the spread of larvae along nearly all the Brazilian coast. Therefore, oil platforms act as possible chronic sources of sun-coral propagules to the coast, emphasizing the urgency for a more detailed set of actions to control and monitor these invasive exotic species.
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3
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Assis J, Fragkopoulou E, Serrão EA, Horta E Costa B, Gandra M, Abecasis D. Weak biodiversity connectivity in the European network of no-take marine protected areas. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 773:145664. [PMID: 33940752 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The need for international cooperation in marine resource management and conservation has been reflected in the increasing number of agreements aiming for effective and well-connected networks of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). However, the extent to which individual MPAs are connected remains mostly unknown. Here, we use a biophysical model tuned with empirical data on species dispersal ecology to predict connectivity of a vast spectrum of biodiversity in the European network of marine reserves (i.e., no-take MPAs). Our results highlight the correlation between empirical propagule duration data and connectivity potential and show weak network connectivity and strong isolation for major ecological groups, resulting from the lack of direct connectivity corridors between reserves over vast regions. The particularly high isolation predicted for ecosystem structuring species (e.g., corals, sponges, macroalgae and seagrass) might potentially undermine biodiversity conservation efforts if local retention is insufficient and unmanaged populations are at risk. Isolation might also be problematic for populations' persistence in the light of climate change and expected species range shifts. Our findings provide novel insights for management directives, highlighting the location of regions requiring additional marine reserves to function as stepping-stone connectivity corridors.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Assis
- CCMAR - Centre of Marine Sciences, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal.
| | - E Fragkopoulou
- CCMAR - Centre of Marine Sciences, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - E A Serrão
- CCMAR - Centre of Marine Sciences, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - B Horta E Costa
- CCMAR - Centre of Marine Sciences, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - M Gandra
- CCMAR - Centre of Marine Sciences, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - D Abecasis
- CCMAR - Centre of Marine Sciences, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
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4
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Potential changes in the connectivity of marine protected areas driven by extreme ocean warming. Sci Rep 2021; 11:10339. [PMID: 33990631 PMCID: PMC8121921 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89192-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Projected future climate scenarios anticipate a warmer tropical ocean and changes in surface currents that will likely influence the survival of marine organisms and the connectivity of marine protected areas (MPAs) networks. We simulated the regional effects of climate change on the demographic connectivity of parrotfishes in nine MPAs in the South Atlantic through downscaling of the HadGEM2-ES Earth System Model running the RCP 8.5 greenhouse gas trajectory. Results indicate a tropicalization scenario over the tropical southwest Atlantic following an increase of sea surface temperature (SST) between 1.8 and 4.5 °C and changes in mean surface currents between - 0.6 to 0.5 m s-1 relative to present conditions. High mortality rates will reduce demographic connectivity and increase the isolation of oceanic islands. The simulation of organismal response to ocean warming shows that acclimation can significantly improve (p < 0.001) particle survival, promoting connectivity and tropicalization of MPAs, with potential impacts on their functional integrity and long-term resilience.
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5
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Maxwell SL, Cazalis V, Dudley N, Hoffmann M, Rodrigues ASL, Stolton S, Visconti P, Woodley S, Kingston N, Lewis E, Maron M, Strassburg BBN, Wenger A, Jonas HD, Venter O, Watson JEM. Area-based conservation in the twenty-first century. Nature 2020; 586:217-227. [PMID: 33028996 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2773-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 213] [Impact Index Per Article: 53.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Humanity will soon define a new era for nature-one that seeks to transform decades of underwhelming responses to the global biodiversity crisis. Area-based conservation efforts, which include both protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, are likely to extend and diversify. However, persistent shortfalls in ecological representation and management effectiveness diminish the potential role of area-based conservation in stemming biodiversity loss. Here we show how the expansion of protected areas by national governments since 2010 has had limited success in increasing the coverage across different elements of biodiversity (ecoregions, 12,056 threatened species, 'Key Biodiversity Areas' and wilderness areas) and ecosystem services (productive fisheries, and carbon services on land and sea). To be more successful after 2020, area-based conservation must contribute more effectively to meeting global biodiversity goals-ranging from preventing extinctions to retaining the most-intact ecosystems-and must better collaborate with the many Indigenous peoples, community groups and private initiatives that are central to the successful conservation of biodiversity. The long-term success of area-based conservation requires parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity to secure adequate financing, plan for climate change and make biodiversity conservation a far stronger part of land, water and sea management policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean L Maxwell
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Victor Cazalis
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Nigel Dudley
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.,Equilibrium Research, Bristol, UK
| | - Michael Hoffmann
- Conservation and Policy, Zoological Society of London, London, UK
| | - Ana S L Rodrigues
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Piero Visconti
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK.,Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, University College London, London, UK.,International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Stephen Woodley
- World Commission on Protected Areas, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Gland, Switzerland
| | - Naomi Kingston
- UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), Cambridge, UK
| | - Edward Lewis
- UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), Cambridge, UK
| | - Martine Maron
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Bernardo B N Strassburg
- Rio Conservation and Sustainability Science Centre, Department of Geography and the Environment, Pontifícia Universidade Católica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,International Institute for Sustainability, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Programa de Pós Graduacão em Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Amelia Wenger
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.,Global Marine Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, New York, NY, USA
| | - Harry D Jonas
- World Commission on Protected Areas, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Gland, Switzerland.,Future Law, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
| | - Oscar Venter
- Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
| | - James E M Watson
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.,Global Conservation Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, New York, NY, USA
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Costa ACP, Garcia TM, Paiva BP, Ximenes Neto AR, Soares MDO. Seagrass and rhodolith beds are important seascapes for the development of fish eggs and larvae in tropical coastal areas. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 161:105064. [PMID: 32784115 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.105064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
In this study, the ichthyoplankton in two distinct tropical seascapes, gravelly sand with rhodolith beds (SRB) and muddy sand with seagrasses, were compared. The number of eggs was higher in the seagrass beds; however, the number of fish larvae was slightly higher in the SRB. Seagrass beds present less turbulent hydrodynamics and favor the retention of eggs and spawning. A more structured habitat provides better shelter, especially for eggs. However, as ontogeny progresses, the fish can explore areas with less shelter. This behavior was observed in this study, where the less structured SRB habitat had a high density of larvae in the later developmental stage. The dominance of earlier larval stages demonstrates a preference for more protected and less turbulent seascapes for nursery and offspring rearing. The results highlight that mapping of these seascapes (e.g., seagrass and rhodolith beds) will help to establish conservation measures to protect ecological connectivity and important tropical species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Cecília Pinho Costa
- Instituto de Ciências do Mar (LABOMAR), Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC), Av. Abolição, 3207, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
| | - Tatiane Martins Garcia
- Instituto de Ciências do Mar (LABOMAR), Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC), Av. Abolição, 3207, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
| | - Bárbara Pereira Paiva
- Instituto de Ciências do Mar (LABOMAR), Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC), Av. Abolição, 3207, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
| | - Antônio Rodrigues Ximenes Neto
- Laboratório de Geologia e Gemorfologia Costeira e Oceânica (LGCO), Universidade Estadual do Ceará (UECE), Av. Dr. Silas Munguba, 1700, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
| | - Marcelo de Oliveira Soares
- Instituto de Ciências do Mar (LABOMAR), Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC), Av. Abolição, 3207, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil; Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Carrer de les Columnes, Edifici Z, Cerdanyolla del Vallés, Barcelona, Spain; Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche e Ambientali (DISTEBA), Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy.
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7
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Araújo MED, Mattos FMGD, Melo FPLD, Chaves LDCT, Feitosa CV, Lippi DL, Félix Hackradt FC, Hackradt CW, Nunes JLS, Leão ZMDAN, Kikuchi RKPD, Ferreira Junior AV, Pereira PHC, Macedo CHR, Sampaio CLS, Feitosa JLL. Diversity patterns of reef fish along the Brazilian tropical coast. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 160:105038. [PMID: 32836143 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.105038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Causal mechanisms for broad-scale reef fish diversity patterns are poorly understood and current knowledge is limited to trends of species richness. This work compared the effects of ecological drivers on components of fish diversity across reefs spanning over 2.000 km of the tropical Brazilian coastline. A quarter of communities' diversity is accountable to common and dominant species, while remaining species are rare. Low-latitude sites were more diverse in rare species. Communities along the coast share common and dominant species, which display high densities across all reefs, but differ in rare species that show abundance peaks in particular reef morphotypes. The disproportionate distribution of rare species reveals a higher vulnerability of these communities to impacts and stochastic density fluctuations. Uneven conservation efforts directed to these morphotypes pose a threat to the maintenance of a paramount component of the reef fish diversity represented by rare species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Elisabeth de Araújo
- Universidade Federal de Pernambuco - Departamento de Oceanografia, Av. da Arquitetura s/n, Recife, PE, 50740-540, Brazil; Grupo de Ictiologia Marinha Tropical (IMAT), Research Group, Brazil
| | - Felipe Monteiro Gomes de Mattos
- Grupo de Ictiologia Marinha Tropical (IMAT), Research Group, Brazil; Ramkhamhaeng University, Marine Biodiversity Research Group, Ramkhamhaeng Road, Huamark, Bangkok, 10240, Thailand
| | - Felipe Pimentel Lopes de Melo
- Universidade Federal de Pernambuco - Departamento de Botânica, Av. Professor Moraes Rego s/n, Recife, PE, 50670-420, Brazil
| | - Lais de Carvalho Teixeira Chaves
- Grupo de Ictiologia Marinha Tropical (IMAT), Research Group, Brazil; Council of the Haida Nation - Marine Planning Program, Box 98, Queen Charlotte, BC, V0T 1S0, Canada
| | - Caroline Vieira Feitosa
- Grupo de Ictiologia Marinha Tropical (IMAT), Research Group, Brazil; Universidade Federal do Ceará - Instituto de Ciências do Mar, Av. da Abolição, 3207, Fortaleza, CE, 60165-081, Brazil
| | - Daniel Lino Lippi
- Universidade Federal de Pernambuco - Departamento de Oceanografia, Av. da Arquitetura s/n, Recife, PE, 50740-540, Brazil; Grupo de Ictiologia Marinha Tropical (IMAT), Research Group, Brazil
| | - Fabiana Cézar Félix Hackradt
- Universidade Federal do Sul da Bahia - Centro de Formação em Ciências Ambientais, Rodovia Joel Mares, BR 367, Km 10, s/n, Porto Seguro, BA, 458010-000, Brazil
| | - Carlos Werner Hackradt
- Universidade Federal do Sul da Bahia - Centro de Formação em Ciências Ambientais, Rodovia Joel Mares, BR 367, Km 10, s/n, Porto Seguro, BA, 458010-000, Brazil
| | - Jorge Luiz Silva Nunes
- Grupo de Ictiologia Marinha Tropical (IMAT), Research Group, Brazil; Universidade Federal do Maranhão - Departamento de Oceanografia e Limnologia, Av. dos Portugueses, 1966, São Luís, MA, 65080-805, Brazil
| | | | - Ruy Kenji Papa de Kikuchi
- Universidade Federal da Bahia - Instituto de Geociências, R. Barão de Jeremoabo, s/n - Ondina, Salvador, BA, 40170-290, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Cláudio Luis Santos Sampaio
- Universidade Federal de Alagoas - Unidade Educacional Penedo, Av. Beira Rio, s/n - Centro, Penedo, AL, 57200-000, Brazil
| | - João Lucas Leão Feitosa
- Grupo de Ictiologia Marinha Tropical (IMAT), Research Group, Brazil; Universidade Federal de Pernambuco - Departamento de Zoologia, Av. Professor Moraes Rego s/n, Recife, PE, 50670-420, Brazil.
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8
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Melo DCM, Lira SMA, Moreira APB, Freitas L, Lima CAD, Thompson F, Bertrand A, Silva AC, Neumann-Leitão S. Genetic diversity and connectivity of Flaccisagitta enflata (Chaetognatha: Sagittidae) in the tropical Atlantic ocean (northeastern Brazil). PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231574. [PMID: 32374742 PMCID: PMC7202658 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The phylogeography of the holoplanktonic chaetognath Flaccisagitta enflata was investigated in the Tropical Western Atlantic (TWA). Considering the cosmopolitan range of this species and the fact that its entire life cycle is planktonic, the central hypothesis of this study is that F. enflata exhibits connectivity due to its high dispersal capacity, forming a panmictic population among the study sites. The evaluated areas included neritic (Port of Recife–PR, and Tamandaré - TA) and oceanic (Fernando de Noronha Archipelago—FN, Rocas Atoll—RA, Guará seamount—GS and Saint Peter and Saint Paul’s Archipelago—SPSPA) locations of the Brazilian Blue Amazon. We used COI gene sequences as molecular marker. Partial sequences (425 bp) were obtained for 116 specimens and employed to reconstruct the phylogeny, build an haplotype network, evaluate gene flow through a migration model, and estimate diversity indices, population structuring and demographic history. High levels of haplotype diversity (mean: 0.98) and moderate to high levels of nucleotide diversity (mean: 0.023) were observed. The phylogeny and the haplotype network topologies showed some geographic clustering, indicating local structuring in GS and PR. This finding was supported by the AMOVA high global Φst (0.033, significant) and some pairwise Φst comparisons (7 out of 15 were significantly >0). Significant differences suggested lower levels of connectivity when GS population was compared to those of FN and SPSPA; as well as when TA was compared to FN. These results might be related to particularities of the oceanic dynamics which rules the TWA, sustaining such dissimilarities. Structuring was also observed between PR and all oceanic locations. We hypothesize that the topography of the port inlet, enclosured by a reef barrier, may constrain the water turnover ratio and thus migration rates of F. enflata in the TWA. Accordingly, Migrate-N yielded a four metapopulations model (PR ⇌ TA ⇌ SPSPA+FN ⇌ GS+RA) as the best (highest probability; ~0.90) to represent the structuring of F. enflata in the TWA. Therefore, the null hypothesis of one randomly mating population cannot be accepted. The demographic evaluation demonstrated that the neutral hypothesis of stable populations may not be rejected for most of the locations. This work is the start point to broaden the knowledge on the phylogeography and population genetic structure of a numerically dominant species in the Western Atlantic, with key role in the marine trophic web.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle C. M. Melo
- Departamento de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
- * E-mail:
| | - Simone M. A. Lira
- Departamento de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
- Programa de pós-graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Ana Paula B. Moreira
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Lucas Freitas
- Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Camilla A. D. Lima
- Departamento de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Fabiano Thompson
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- SAGE—COPPE, Centro de Gestão Tecnológica—CT2, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Arnaud Bertrand
- Departamento de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
- Departamento de Pesca e Aquicultura, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
- MARBEC, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Université Montpellier, Sète, France
| | - Alex C. Silva
- Departamento de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
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Olson JC, Appeldoorn RS, Schärer-Umpierre MT, Cruz-Motta JJ. Recovery when you are on your own: Slow population responses in an isolated marine reserve. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0223102. [PMID: 31600245 PMCID: PMC6786604 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Geographic isolation is an important yet underappreciated factor affecting marine reserve performance. Isolation, in combination with other factors, may preclude recruit subsidies, thus slowing recovery when base populations are small and causing a mismatch between performance and stakeholder expectations. Mona Island is a small, oceanic island located within a partial biogeographic barrier—44 km from the Puerto Rico shelf. We investigated if Mona Island’s no-take zone (MNTZ), the largest in the U.S. Caribbean, was successful in increasing mean size and density of a suite of snapper and grouper species 14 years after designation. The La Parguera Natural Reserve (LPNR) was chosen for evaluation of temporal trends at a fished location. Despite indications of fishing within the no-take area, a reserve effect at Mona Island was evidenced from increasing mean sizes and densities of some taxa and mean total density 36% greater relative to 2005. However, the largest predatory species remained rare at Mona, preventing meaningful analysis of population trends. In the LPNR, most commercial species (e.g., Lutjanus synagris, Lutjanus apodus, Lutjanus mahogoni) did not change significantly in biomass or abundance, but some (Ocyurus chrysurus, Lachnolaimus maximus), increased in abundance owing to strong recent recruitment. This study documents slow recovery in the MNTZ that is limited to smaller sized species, highlighting both the need for better compliance and the substantial recovery time required by commercially valuable, coral reef fishes in isolated marine reserves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack C. Olson
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Richard S. Appeldoorn
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, United States of America
| | | | - Juan J. Cruz-Motta
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, United States of America
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