| Title | Distribution and abundance of native marine species and an invasive predator on coral reefs of Eleuthera, the Bahamas |
| Download | Download (whole publication) |
| Author | Davis, A C D |
| Source | Program and abstracts: 2017 GeoHab Conference, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada; by Todd, B J; Brown, C J; Lacharité, M; Gazzola, V; McCormack, E; Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 8295, 2017 p. 45,
https://doi.org/10.4095/305845 (Open Access) |
| Links | GeoHab 2017
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| Year | 2017 |
| Publisher | Natural Resources Canada |
| Meeting | 2017 GeoHab: Marine Geological and Biological Habitat Mapping; Dartmouth, NS; CA; May 1-4, 2017 |
| Document | open file |
| Lang. | English |
| Media | on-line; digital |
| Related | This publication is contained in Todd, B J; Brown, C J;
Lacharité, M; Gazzola, V; McCormack, E; (2017). Program and abstracts: 2017 GeoHab Conference, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 8295 |
| File format | pdf |
| Area | Eleuthera Island; Bahamas |
| Lat/Long WENS | -77.0000 -76.0000 26.0000 24.0000 |
| Subjects | Nature and Environment; mapping techniques; oceanography; marine environments; coastal studies; conservation; marine organisms; marine ecology; resource management; ecosystems; reefs; Corals; biology;
habitat mapping; habitat conservation; habitat management; invasive species; fisheries resources; marine biology |
| Program | Offshore Geoscience, Ocean Management Geoscience |
| Released | 2017 09 26 |
| Abstract | Ecosystem based management (EBM) is a holistic approach that uses species-specific data to guide management but also incorporates environmental factors such as habitat and human-caused effects. Instead
of focusing on the species of interest in isolation, EBM focuses on the system as a whole in order to create a comprehensive plan that ensures sustainability of the entire system. Though EBM is more common in terrestrial systems, this it is becoming
more popular in management of marine ecosystems.
The coral-reef ecosystem in the Bahamas has experienced severe stress in the last few decades. In addition to habitat degradation due to coral bleaching, overfishing, and disease, a predatory fish
species invaded the region in the early 2000s. The Indo-Pacific red lionfish (Pterois volitans) has added insult to an already injured system by reducing densities of a variety of reef fishes, which in some cases leads to local extinction. If we wish
to preserve diversity of coral-reef fishes, it is now more important than ever to have a comprehensive view of the local distributions and abundances of species of importance in order to manage and conserve the ecosystem effectively.
Here I
present distribution and abundance maps of the southern edge of Eleuthera Island, the Bahamas, for commercially and economically important native species, as well as the invasive red lionfish. Previous datasets for this area are relatively
depauperate and mostly limited to long-line catch and release of sharks, and time series data of large grouper for one or two isolated locations. By incorporating counts and observations from SCUBA surveys over multiple years with satellite derived
bathymetry data, we can create a more comprehensive picture of the macrofauna of the region that will aid the Bahamian government to manage and conserve species of interest.
Preliminary data indicate that vector ruggedness measure (VRM), rugosity,
slope of slope, and bathymetric position index (BPI) are important model variables for predicting lionfish distributions on reefs. Additionally, undersea observations suggest that lionfish learn to evade divers on shallow reefs and may avoid areas
that may have high human traffic, such as reefs with mooring balls or close to harbours. These patterns indicate that locations of popular dive sites and distance from shore may also be informative variables for predicting the distribution of
lionfish. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 305845 |
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