Characterizing the behavior of coral reef fishes at home reef sites can provide insight into the ... more Characterizing the behavior of coral reef fishes at home reef sites can provide insight into the mechanisms of spatial ecology and provide a framework for spatial resource management. In the Caribbean, populations of Nassau grouper Epinephelus striatus have declined due to fishing impacts on spawning aggregations. Despite local and regional efforts by fisheries managers to implement regulations protecting spawning aggregations, few Nassau grouper populations appear to be recovering. In order to improve management strategies for this critically endangered species, it is necessary to understand the spatial ecology of the species across seasons and years. In the Cayman Islands, we used a multi-year, presence/absence, depth-coded acoustic tagging dataset of Nassau grouper to characterize patterns in the species’ behavior and vertical habitat use at home reef sites. Twenty acoustically tagged individuals (56-84 cm, 70.01 ± 7.40 cm; total length, mean ± SD) maintained consistent home reef...
Sulak, K.J., MacWhirter P.D., Luke K.E., Norem A.D., Miller J.M., Cooper J.A., and Harris L.E. 20... more Sulak, K.J., MacWhirter P.D., Luke K.E., Norem A.D., Miller J.M., Cooper J.A., and Harris L.E. 2009. Identification guide to skates (Family Rajidae) of the Canadian Atlantic and adjacent regions. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 2850: viii + 34 p. Ecosystem-based management requires sound information on the distribution and abundance of species both common and rare. Therefore, the accurate identification for all marine species has assumed a much greater importance. The identification of many skate species is difficult as several are easily confused and has been found to be problematic in both survey data and fisheries data collection. Identification guides, in combination with training and periodic validation of taxonomic information, improve our accuracy in monitoring data required for ecosystem-based management and monitoring of populations. This guide offers a comparative synthesis of skate species known to occur in Atlantic Canada and adjacent regions. The taxonomic nomenclatur...
effectiveness of Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus) spawning aggregation site closures by gain... more effectiveness of Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus) spawning aggregation site closures by gaining a better understanding of how local grouper populations use the aggregation sites. During the January 2005 spawning season thirty Nassau grouper were acoustically tagged off the Little Cayman west end aggregation site and during the summer of 2005 an additional twenty Nassau groupers were tagged around Little Cayman. By tagging fish on the aggregation we have been able to determine where fish go after they leave the spawning aggregation. By tagging fish around Little Cayman prior to the 2006 spawning season we will be able to determine the proportion of fish from around the Island that attend the west end spawning aggregation. Also, the frequency of aggregation attendance by individual fishes as a function of demography will be assessed. Initial results show that 60 % of the groupers tagged during the January, 2005 aggregation returned to aggregate during the February full moon. Furt...
Characterizing the behavior of coral reef fishes at home reef sites can provide insight into the ... more Characterizing the behavior of coral reef fishes at home reef sites can provide insight into the mechanisms of spatial ecology and provide a framework for spatial resource management. In the Caribbean, populations of Nassau grouper Epinephelus striatus have declined due to fishing impacts on spawning aggregations. Despite local and regional efforts by fisheries managers to implement regulations protecting spawning aggregations, few Nassau grouper populations appear to be recovering. In order to improve management strategies for this critically endangered species, it is necessary to understand the spatial ecology of the species across seasons and years. In the Cayman Islands, we used a multi-year, presence/absence, depth-coded acoustic tagging dataset of Nassau grouper to characterize patterns in the species’ behavior and vertical habitat use at home reef sites. Twenty acoustically tagged individuals (56-84 cm, 70.01 ± 7.40 cm; total length, mean ± SD) maintained consistent home reef...
Sulak, K.J., MacWhirter P.D., Luke K.E., Norem A.D., Miller J.M., Cooper J.A., and Harris L.E. 20... more Sulak, K.J., MacWhirter P.D., Luke K.E., Norem A.D., Miller J.M., Cooper J.A., and Harris L.E. 2009. Identification guide to skates (Family Rajidae) of the Canadian Atlantic and adjacent regions. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 2850: viii + 34 p. Ecosystem-based management requires sound information on the distribution and abundance of species both common and rare. Therefore, the accurate identification for all marine species has assumed a much greater importance. The identification of many skate species is difficult as several are easily confused and has been found to be problematic in both survey data and fisheries data collection. Identification guides, in combination with training and periodic validation of taxonomic information, improve our accuracy in monitoring data required for ecosystem-based management and monitoring of populations. This guide offers a comparative synthesis of skate species known to occur in Atlantic Canada and adjacent regions. The taxonomic nomenclatur...
effectiveness of Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus) spawning aggregation site closures by gain... more effectiveness of Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus) spawning aggregation site closures by gaining a better understanding of how local grouper populations use the aggregation sites. During the January 2005 spawning season thirty Nassau grouper were acoustically tagged off the Little Cayman west end aggregation site and during the summer of 2005 an additional twenty Nassau groupers were tagged around Little Cayman. By tagging fish on the aggregation we have been able to determine where fish go after they leave the spawning aggregation. By tagging fish around Little Cayman prior to the 2006 spawning season we will be able to determine the proportion of fish from around the Island that attend the west end spawning aggregation. Also, the frequency of aggregation attendance by individual fishes as a function of demography will be assessed. Initial results show that 60 % of the groupers tagged during the January, 2005 aggregation returned to aggregate during the February full moon. Furt...
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