Newsletter

The impacts we are having on our oceans are ever more apparent, with growing awareness of increasing fishing pressure on diminishing marine resources. However, I suspect that even though some people are aware of these impacts, the urgent need to address unsustainable fishing pressure, especially on vulnerable life history events like spawning aggregations, is not widely appreciated. Certainly proactive management is rarely practiced.

Our work continues to focus on research and education with the aim of having aggregation protection become a standard of fishery management and conservation planning. Despite much improved awareness of the problems faced by many aggregating species, few today are effectively managed or their aggregations incorporated systematically into marine protected areas or into ecosystem planning. Our membership of the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) has been an important part of our work over the past year. At the 25th General Meeting of ICRI meeting on 8-12 November 2010, in Apia, Samoa, the Ad Hoc Committee on ‘Coral Reef Associated Fisheries’ prepared an Advisory paper on “the importance of a sustainable management of coral reef spawning aggregations” for submission to the 7th Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) Heads of Fisheries Meeting in New Caledonia earlier this year. The paper was presented by Dr. Eric Clua of the Coral Reef Initiative of the South Pacific (CRISP) on behalf of ICRI and SCRFA and was well-received (See: http://www.spc.int/fame/en/component/content/article/82 seventh-spc-headsof-fisheries-meeting-working paper number 7 - WP7). Fishery heads are interested to learn more about their spawning aggregations in collaboration with SPC.

Nassau grouper research in Belize

In January 2011, I visited Belize to work with Janet Gibson and the Wildlife Conservation Society and help evaluate the monitoring protocol used to count Nassau grouper, Epinephelus striatus,in their spawning aggregations. I visited the two biggest aggregations monitored regularly by Belize’s national Spawning Aggregation Working Group (SAWG); Northeast Pt, Glover’s Reef (1,800 fish in 2011) monitored by WCS and partners, and Lighthouse reef, Sandbore, with the University of Belize monitoring team (1,300 fish in 2011). The crosssector SAWG was established in 2001 following a nationwide survey of Nassau grouper which showed that many of their spawning aggregations had low fish numbers (hundreds to a few thousands) compared to historical highs of tens of thousands.The WG has played a pivotal role in the introduction of various legislation, including protection of all aggregation sites, a four-month closed season and a minimum capture size for Nassau grouper in Belize. It is a noteworthy model for collaboration and cooperation in aggregation management at the national level (www.spagbelize.org)

The struggles to protect the last commercially fished spawning aggregation on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef

When Belize passed its eyebrow-raising legislation in 2003 that protected nine of its known 11 spawning aggregation sites,scientists, conservationists and many fishers cheered the world over. But what of Belize’s jewel in the spawning aggregation crown, Gladden Spit, now a thorny management issue that few wish to tackle?

Research and adaptive management lead to better protection of spawning aggregations in Bermuda 

The discovery of a black grouper Mycteroperca bonaci)spawning aggregation site in 2004 located between two seasonally protected (May to August) areas for red hind (Epinephelus guttatus) at the eastern end of Bermuda led to the incorporation of this site into a newly configured seasonally protected area encompassing all three sites. Initial observations of abundance and behaviour of black grouper were made in 2005 to confirm the nature of the aggregation (Luckhurst, 2010). The closure of the red hind sites was based on their known spawning period during the summer months. However, the duration of the spawning period for black grouper was poorly documented and this presented a management challenge as black grouper would be vulnerable to fishing pressure if they continued to aggregate outside the four month closure period. To better understand the dynamics and duration of this black grouper aggregation, an acoustic tagging programme was initiated in 2008. ‘Vemco’ acoustic transmitter tags were surgically implanted into the body cavities of 37 black grouper during the first two summers of field work and an array of acoustic receivers was set up around the aggregation site.

Atlantic surgeonfish aggregation site revisited after 34 years

In February 2011 an aggregation area for ocean surgeonfish Acanthurus bahianus and blue tang Acanthurus coeruleus on the south west shelf edge of Puerto Rico was re-surveyed. The original studies at this site took place between 1977 and 1979 and again in 1988, when the two surgeonfishes were seen to aggregate and spawn at a location on the shelf edge. The most recent survey was done to improve the spatial mapping of the original area (based on notes taken during the earlier research trips), and to resurvey the aggregation site for fish number and distribution.

Fisheries collapses highlight need for management of spawning aggregations in Southern California 

The barred sand bass Paralabrax nebulifer and the kelp bass P. clathratusthe most numerically abundant seabasses in coastal waters of southern California. Both species form spawning aggregations during the summer months, although the spatial and temporal dynamics of spawning differ between the two species. Sand bass form small groups over inshore habitats for most of the year but migrate to form massive spawning aggregations over offshore sand flats during July and August at six main areas.Conversely, kelp bass aggregate on kelp beds and rocky reefs year-round and form localized spawning aggregations of several hundred fish from May to September.

Mark-recapture studies reveal secret lives of the pink snapper (Sparidae) in Australia