永兴岛及七连屿造礁石珊瑚近10年变化分析

根据2007-2016年珊瑚礁监测数据，永兴岛及七连屿共调查到造礁石珊瑚11科113种，常见种有鹿角杯形珊瑚Pocillopora damicornis、疣状杯形珊瑚Pocillopora Verrucosa、粗野鹿角珊瑚Acropora humilis、澄黄滨珊瑚Porites lutea、丛生盔形珊瑚Galaxea fascicularis、梳状菊花珊瑚Goniastrea pectinata及锯齿刺星珊瑚Cyphastrea serailia等。研究区域内造礁石珊瑚种类近10年（2007-2016年）来下降明显，其中永兴岛从39种下降到18种，下降率为53.85%；北岛从23种下降到17种，下降率为26.09%；赵述岛从46种下降到12种，下降率为73.91%；西沙洲从51种下降到15种，下降率为70.59%。群体形态群落中皮壳状种类数最为稳定，分枝类下降了59.26%；叶片状下降了75.00%；圆盘状下降了87.50%；团块状下降了57.14%。通过对研究区域造礁石珊瑚种类组成及群落形态等方面的变化分析可见，人为活动、长棘海星、珊瑚病害、台风及全球升温等因素逐渐影响到西沙海域的珊瑚礁生态系统。     

The physiological response of the reef coral Pocillopora damicornis to elevated temperature: results from coral reef mesocosm experiments in Southern Taiwan

Given the threat of climate change towards scleractinian corals, there is an urgent need to understand their physiological mechanisms of acclimation to increasing temperatures. To gain insight into this process, two mesocosm-based experiments were conducted in Southern Taiwan with the model reef-building coral Pocillopora damicornis. In the first study, temperature was gradually elevated to 32 °C, though reduced to ambient levels at night, in order to simulate a temperature profile that can characterize intertidal reefs of Southern Taiwan. All corals acclimated to such conditions over the course of the month-long experiment, as evidenced by a variety of physiological and sub-cellular responses. In the second experiment, corals were exposed continually to 31.5 °C for two weeks, and, in contrast to results from the first study, the majority of the corals died, revealing that prolonged exposure to this temperature is lethal for this dominant reef builder of many regions of the Pacific Ocean.     

Spatio-temporal variability of benthic macroalgae in a coral reef system highly influenced by fluvial discharge: Veracruz,Gulf of Mexico

The Veracruz Reef System, in the southern Gulf of Mexico, is a suitable area for the study of the temporal and spatial variability of macroalgae abundance, at reef settings influenced by the fluvial discharge of the Jamapa River, and by human activities in the city and port of Veracruz. With this purpose, the bottom cover of each morpho-functional group of benthic macroalgae (frondoses, turf, and crustose corallines), and hermatypic corals, was determined at ten selected coral reefs, on a seasonal basis (rainy and dry seasons), for the 2009–2015 period. The average cover of benthic macroalgae was high (53.1%), with turf as the dominant morpho-functional group (31.9%), as in several reef ecosystems in the tropical Atlantic, followed by crustose corallines (15.2%), and frondoses (6.1%). Although turf macroalgae is dominant, due to their high temporal and spatial variability, the Veracruz Reef System could not be considered to be in a stable state, but just in an intermediate unstable equilibrium state, which is highly influenced by a high sediment load. As expected, nearshore reefs presented higher macroalgae covers, and unexpectedly, the outer-shelf reefs presented the highest cover of frondoses. Despite fluvial discharge influence, no differences in cover were found between the rainy and dry seasons. There was a negative and significantly correlation between the cover of frondoses and turf, which suggests that the driver/s of the abundance of these macroalgae, act in opposite ways for each group. Three clusters of reefs, defined by community structure and conservation degree, were determined: nearshore or degraded, offshore or moderately conserved, and conserved; and the entire Veracruz Reef System is considered to be in a moderately state of conservation.     

两种造礁石珊瑚共生藻分子系统分类及其对水温升高的响应研究

珊瑚白化是导致全球珊瑚礁生态系统衰退的最重要原因之一,野外观察结果表明不同种属的造礁石珊瑚对于海水温度升高的耐受性有所差异.选取多孔鹿角珊瑚(Acropora millepora)和丛生盔形珊瑚(Galaxea fascicularis)为研究对象,比较其共生藻在温度升高时的光生理差异.对多孔鹿角珊瑚和丛生盔形珊瑚共生藻的分子系统学研究结果表明:多孔鹿角珊瑚和丛生盔形珊瑚的共生藻属于不同系群,丛生盔形珊瑚共生藻属于D系群,而多孔鹿角珊瑚共生藻属于C1亚系群.当温度升高到30℃时并未对两种造礁石珊瑚共生藻光合系统Ⅱ造成损害,而当温度升高到34℃时两种造礁石珊瑚共生藻的F_v/F_m值急剧下降,其光合系统Ⅱ遭受损害.多孔鹿角珊瑚和丛生盔形珊瑚分别与不同系群的共生藻共生可能是导致其对海水温度升高耐受性不同的主要原因,与C1亚系群共生藻共生的多孔鹿角珊瑚对水温升高敏感,容易白化,而与D系群共生藻共生的丛生盔形珊瑚对水温升高的耐受性强,不易白化.     

Evaluation of the impacts of land-based contaminants on the benthic faunas of Jakarta Bay,Indonesia

To evaluate the impact of land-based contaminants on benthic faunas, as part of the Land-Ocean Contamination Study (LOCS), a study transect was established in Jakarta Bay, Indonesia during the 1996 southeasterly monsoon. The transect extended 72 km between the city's main port, Tanjung Priok, and the Pilau Seribu Island chain in the Java Sea. The dissolved concentrations of Pb, Cu, Zn, Cr and Ni in seawater, in suspended particulate matter (SPM) and surficial sea bed sediments were measured along the transect at nine sites. In addition, metal concentrations were measured in tissues of the corals Goniopora lobata and Lobophyllia hemprichii at five sites, and of the green mussel, Perna viridis at six sites. An assessment of the impact of contaminants on the faunas was made using a biomarker approach, employing coral community analysis and lysosomal stability with Perna viridis. The results of the study showed two main trends. The distributions of metals dissolved in seawater, in SPM, and in the coral and mussel tissues were similar, and failed to show a consistent graded response from inshore to offshore sites. This suggests that the concentration of metals in waters is the primary route for metal uptake by the coral and mussel tissues. By way of contrast, a clear offshore increase in coral generic diversity, coral cover, coral colony numbers and neutral-red retention time (lysosomal stability) was observed, suggesting increasing nearshore stress. Whilst the coral community stucture may reflect the seasonally-averaged metal distributions in the bay (shown by the metal content of sea bed sediments which increase shorewards), it is more likely that the coral community structure and lysosomal biomarker are responding principally to other nearshore stresses, such as sediment and nutrient loading of water (sewage) or, more likely, organic contaminants such as oils and other hydrocarbons.     

中国珊瑚礁资源状况及其药用研究调查 Ⅰ.珊瑚礁资源与生态功能

对中国珊瑚礁生物物种组成、资源状况、分布特征及其生态功能进行了调查和评价.中国珊瑚礁主要分布在中国南海诸岛海域和唬南、广东、广西、福建、台湾等近岸海域.中国造礁石珊瑚已记录21科,56属295种,对珊瑚礁生态系统结构与生态功能的维持具有重要作用.八放珊瑚亚纲中柳珊瑚已记录7科,28属,75种,软珊瑚有6科,23属,113种,是现代海洋药物研究的热点生物资源.中国珊瑚礁具有造礁与消波护岸、维持珊瑚礁生态系统和生物多样性、提供生物资源和材料、生物地球化学与科学研究、文化教育与生态旅游等多种生态功能与价值.     

Patterns of Coral Distribution and Benthic Space Partitioning on the Fringing Reefs of Southern Taiwan

Abstract. The distribution pattern of corals and benthic space partitioning patterns on the fringing reefs of southern Taiwan were studied by the line-transect method. The bathymetric distribution of corals in the study area was basically homogeneous except on the protected reef slopes and the exposed reef fronts and terraces. Corals on protected reef slopes are mainly foliaceous, including Montipora foliosa, Merulina ampliata, Mycedium elephantotus , and Pachyseris speciosa , but the dominant species on a reef slope vary from site to site. The formation of the foliaceous coral community is possibly related to a complex of environmental factors, chance, and biological interactions. The reef fronts and submarine terraces of exposed areas are dominated by alcyonacean corals. The most abundant species are Sarcophyton trocheliophorum, S. crassocaule , and Lobophytum sarcophytoides ; their distributions are relatively homogeneous. The formation of alcyonacean-dominated assemblages can be related to the special adaptive strategies of these corals. In regard to space partitioning patterns, the major space occupiers on those reefs exposed to storm disturbances are alcyonacean soft corals, scleractinian corals, and algae; on reefs protected from storms, scleractinian corals and algae dominate. Two conspicuous features of the study area are the high proportion of space occupied by algae and the abundant unoccupied space. The dense algal cover is possibly caused by sewage pollution and overfishing of the reef area. The unoccupied space is most likely related to the high frequency of typhoon disturbances.     

Unit pockmarks associated with Lophelia coral reefs off mid-Norway: more evidence of control by ‘fertilizing’ bottom currents

High-resolution topographic mapping of Norwegian deep-water Lophelia coral reefs and their immediate surrounding seafloor has disclosed striking associations with small (<5?m diameter) ‘unit’ pockmarks. A total of four study areas with Lophelia reefs and unit pockmarks are here described and discussed. At the large Fauna reef, which spans 500?m in length and 100?m in width (25?m in height), there is a field of 184 unit pockmarks occurring on its suspected upstream side. Three other, intermediate-sized Morvin reefs are associated with small fields of unit pockmarks situated upstream of live Lophelia colonies. For two of the latter locations, published data exist for geochemical and microbial analyses of sediment and water samples. Results indicate that these unit pockmarks are sources of light dissolved hydrocarbons for the local water mass, together with nutrient-rich pore waters. It is suggested that the ‘fertilized’ seawater flows with the prevailing bottom current and feeds directly into the live portion of the Lophelia reefs. With an estimated growth rate of ~1?cm per year for the Morvin Lophelia corals, it would take between 1,000 and 2,000?years for the reefs to colonize the closest unit pockmarks, currently occurring 10–20?m from their leading (live) edges.     

Sexual reproduction and early life‐history traits of the Mediterranean soft coral Alcyonium acaule

Understanding processes that contribute to a better comprehension of the population dynamics of long‐lived species is critical for the maintenance and potential recovery of such species. Despite the abundance of soft corals in Mediterranean rocky reefs, little information exists on their life histories and reproductive patterns. In this study, we assessed the main reproductive characteristics and early life‐history traits of the long‐lived soft coral Alcyonium acaule. The sex ratio was 1:1; the smallest fertile colonies were one finger in size (2.1 ± 0.6 cm in height), and both colony and polyp fertility increased with colony size. Likewise, the number of eggs and spermary sacs per polyp increased significantly with colony size, whereas the diameter of the female and male sexual products did not. Over 6 years of observations (2007–2012), spawning occurred primarily in July, after the seawater reached 20 °C, in a single spawning episode per year. Approximately 80% of female colonies released eggs, which were retained on the surface of the mother colony by mucous strings for up to a few days. High fertilization rates were observed during spawning in 2008 and 2009 (94.9% and 87.0%, respectively). The timing of development was ~24 h for the blastulae, ~48–72 h for the planulae and 8–22 days for metamorphosis into primary polyps. Survivorship of planulae was relatively high (~50% at 45 days after release), but only 24% of larvae metamorphosed into primary polyps, and their survivorship was moderate after 2 months (65% in 2008 and 74% in 2009). Asexual reproduction was negligible, indicating that sexual reproduction is the main mechanism supporting the maintenance and recovery of populations.     

Mesoscale variation in the photophysiology of the reef building coral Pocillopora damicornis along an environmental gradient

Spatial variation in the photophysiology of symbiotic dinoflagellates (zooxanthellae) of the scleractinian coral Pocillopora damicornis was examined along an environmental gradient in the Whitsunday Islands (Great Barrier Reef) at two depths (3 m and 6 m). Chlorophyll a fluorescence of photosystem II (PSII) and PAR-absorptivity measurements were conducted using an Imaging-PAM (pulse-amplitude-modulation) fluorometer. Most photophysiological parameters correlated with changes in environmental conditions quantified by differences in water quality along the gradient. For example, maximum quantum yield (F_v/F_m) increased and PAR-absorptivity decreased as water quality improved along the gradient from nearshore reefs (low irradiance, elevated nutrients and sediments) to outer islands (high irradiance, low nutrients and sediments). For apparent photosynthetic rate (PS_max) and minimum saturating irradiance (E_k), the direction of change differed depending on sampling depth, suggesting that different mechanisms of photo-acclimatisation operated between shallow and deep corals. Deep corals conformed to typical patterns of light/shade acclimatisation whereas shallow corals exhibited reduced PS_max and E_k with improving water quality coinciding with greater heat dissipation (NPQ₂₄₁). Furthermore, deep corals on nearshore reefs exhibited elevated Q₂₄₁ in comparison to outer islands possibly due to effects of sedimentation and/or pollutants rather than irradiance. These results highlight the importance of mesoscale sampling to obtain useful estimates of the variability of photophysiological parameters, particularly if such measures are to be used as bioindicators of the condition of coral reefs.     

Relating coral species traits to environmental conditions in the Jakarta Bay/Pulau Seribu reef system, Indonesia

A key question in ecology is how biological traits of species determine their locations within an ecosystem. Identifying associations between species traits and environmental variables can help us to understand the causes of disturbance and predict whether species with given traits will persist under changing environmental conditions. To this end corals and environmental variables were sampled in 20 patch reefs of Pulau Seribu, located to the northwest of Jakarta, Indonesia. RLQ analysis, a multivariate ordination approach was subsequently used to relate species traits (colony shape, colony form, corallite size, reproductive mode and adaptive strategy) to environmental variables (e.g., heavy metal concentration in seawater and sediment, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and the cover of sand, dead coral, algae, sponges and soft corals). Using RLQ analysis, we identified environmental gradients associated with significant variation in species traits. Stress tolerant species with a massive morphology, meandroid shape and large corallites were associated with sites with a high abundance of algae and a relatively high concentration of potentially toxic heavy metals in seawater including Cu and Cd, whereas ruderal species and species with a branching morphology and very small corallites were linked to midshore sites. Competitively dominant species with a laminar or free-living morphology, phaceloid shape, very large corallites and brooding reproductive mode were linked to offshore sites with abundant Ca and Sr in the sediment and a high cover of Halimeda algae and sponges. Results of this study indicate that disturbance has differentially affected the marine environment of the Pulau Seribu system, which in turn interacts with coral species traits to determine local species composition.     

How Episodic Coral Breakage Can Determine Community Structure: A South African Coral Reef Example

Abstract. Africa's southernmost coral reefs are situated in Natal Province, South Africa. The Natal coast is exposed to open Ocean swells and episodic storm swell conditions. Benthic communities on these reefs differentiated into three community types: shallow reefs (8–18 m) were dominated by alcyonacean corals and low-growing, massive Scleractinia; intermediate reefs (18–25 m) were dominated chiefly by branching and tabular Scleractinia of the genus Acropora (A. austera, A. clathrata); deep reefs were not dominated by corals but by sponges. Breakage and recovery experiments indicated that the difference in Acropora dominance between shallow and intermediate sites was caused by breakage in high swell conditions. Survival of experimentally produced A. austera fragments was significantly higher in intermediate than in shallow sites, where higher surge made re-attachment and regeneration unlikely. Also, colony morphology was adapted to differential surge conditions: colonies on the shallow reefs were smaller with shorter branches, while on intermediate reefs they were much bigger with long, widely spreading branches. Episodic breakage and low fragment survival due to high water-motion thus excluded branching corals from shallow reef sites.     

灰色聚类法评价长江口、杭州湾海域表层海水中的重金属污染程度

通过2007年秋季航次我国近海海洋环境的综合调查,研究了长江口与杭州湾海域表层海水中重金属汞、砷、铜、铅、锌、镉、总铬的含量与分布,利用灰色聚类法对海水中的重金属元素进行评价。参照《国家海水水质标准GB3097-1997》,通过灰类白化权函数确定海水水质分级界限及各参评指标对不同等级的聚类权,构建了海水中重金属的灰色聚类法综合评价模型。该模型能够较客观、合理地评价海水中的重金属。评价结果表明,长江口与杭州湾海域表层海水中的重金属总体情况良好,但是汞、铅含量偏高,尤其是汞。长江口外以北、杭州湾北岸口外及舟山群岛邻近海域的海水水质相对较差,陆源排污为主要影响因子。     

Distribution, abundance, and growth of larval tautog, Tautoga onitis, in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, USA

Tautog, Tautoga onitis, is an abundant species of fish in estuaries of the northeastern United States. Planktonic tautog larvae are abundant in summer in these estuaries, but there is little information on rates of growth of tautog larvae feeding on natural assemblages of food in the plankton. We examined abundance and growth of larval tautog and environmental factors during weekly sampling at three sites along a nearshore‐to‐offshore transect in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, USA during summer 1994. This is the first study of a robust sample size (336 larvae) to estimate growth rates of field‐caught planktonic tautog larvae feeding on natural diets, using the otolith daily‐growth‐increment method. The study was over the entire summer period when tautog larvae were in the plankton. The sampling sites contrasted in several environmental variables including temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), and chlorophyll a concentration. There was a temporal progression in the abundance of tautog larvae over the summer, in relation to location and temperature. Tautog larvae were first present nearshore, with a pronounced peak in abundance occurring at the nearshore sites during the last 2 weeks in June. Larvae were absent at this time further offshore. From late June through August, larval abundance progressively decreased nearshore, but increased offshore although never approaching the abundance levels observed at the nearshore sites. The distribution and abundance of tautog larvae appeared to be related to a nearshore‐to‐offshore seasonal warming trend and a nearshore decrease in DO. Otoliths from 336 larvae ranging from 2.3 to 7.7 mm standard length had otolith increment counts ranging from 0 to 19 increments. Growth of larval tautog was estimated at 0.23 mm·day^?1, and length of larvae prior to first increment formation was estimated at 2.8 mm indicating that first increment formation occurs 3–4 days after hatching at 2.2 mm. Despite spatial and temporal differences in environmental factors, there were no significant differences in growth rates at any of three given sites over time, or between sites. Because larval presence only occurred at a narrow range of temperature (17–23.5 °C) and DO (6.5–9.3 mg·l^?1), in situ differences in growth did not appear to be because of differences in larval distribution and abundance patterns relative to these parameters.     

西沙赵述岛海域珊瑚礁生态修复效果的初步评估

珊瑚恢复是一个协助退化、受损的珊瑚礁生态系统恢复的过程.近10 a来,西沙珊瑚礁生态系统不断退化,至2009年珊瑚覆盖率已下降至不足10%.针对西沙群岛珊瑚礁生态系统的退化状况,2011年12月于西沙赵述岛海域投放人工礁基并开展珊瑚移植实验,比较了人工修复区和自然恢复区1a后的修复效果.结果显示,投放礁基且进行珊瑚移植的区域,移植珊瑚的存活率不到10%;投放礁基但未进行珊瑚移植的区域,珊瑚补充量高达6~7 ind/m2;自然恢复区其珊瑚覆盖率提高了19.4%.依据珊瑚礁生态修复效果评估方法,人工修复且进行移植珊瑚的区域的生物修复权重值为27.5,人工修复但未移植珊瑚区及自然恢复区的生物修复权重值为39.3,珊瑚修复生物指标为亚健康.我们的结果表明,在健康、有良好珊瑚幼虫补充的珊瑚礁生态系统中,珊瑚礁群落可以自行恢复,其恢复只是一个时间的问题;而在缺少珊瑚幼虫附着基底的区域,通过人为增加一些附着基底,可加速其恢复进程.     

在闽东海域发现的石珊瑚的种类组成和分布

首次报道了闽东海域分布的3种石珊瑚,分别为造礁石珊瑚陀螺珊瑚（Turbinaria sp．）、非造礁石珊瑚猩红筒星珊瑚（Tubastrea coccinea Lesson）和1个珊瑚待定种,其中陀螺珊瑚和1个珊瑚待定种为中国新记录．珊瑚分布面积约3．24km2,主要呈零星斑块状分布在岛礁周围水深2—25m近岸岩礁区．2012年5～8月对闽东台山列岛和星仔列岛4km2范围内的55个岛礁近岸海域进行4个航次的调查表明,珊瑚的分布总体上南部的台山列岛海域分布数量多于北部的星仔列岛,海岛东部海域略多于西部．研究认为,闽东海域发现陀螺珊瑚说明其分布主要受台湾暖流的影响,揭示我国大陆沿岸造礁石珊瑚分布北缘可能扩展到台山列岛和星仔列岛．     

渤海湾表层海水中浮游细菌群落随离岸距离的分布特征及其影响因素

为研究渤海湾近岸污染对远近岸海域微生态的影响，利用高通量测序技术，对渤海湾不同离岸距离的6个站位采集表层海水，进行浮游细菌群落结构分析，结合环境、空间因素探究影响其变化的主要因素。结果表明:研究区域存在环境因子的梯度变化，如氮营养盐在近岸高于远岸；细菌α-多样性在不同站位间差异不显著，但仍显示在近岸相对较高；细菌群落结构随离岸距离变化显著，γ-变形菌和拟杆菌在近岸显著富集，且与氮营养盐的含量有关；蓝细菌在远岸显著富集，且与氨氮、透明度、电导率有关；邻体矩阵主坐标单独解释部分对群落结构变异的贡献率最大(38.1%)，说明可能存在尚未测量但具有空间结构的环境变量影响群落空间分布；结合功能预测的结果推测近岸区域的富营养与烃类污染等可能影响群落变化。本文从环境和空间影响两方面探讨了渤海湾不同离岸距离的海域浮游细菌群落结构变化，为研究渤海湾海洋生态及环境保护提供一定的参考。     

Transition processes between the three typical paths of the Kuroshio

Transitions between the three typical paths of the Kuroshio south of Japan (the nearshore and offshore non-large-meander paths and the large-meander path) are described using sea level data at Miyake-jima and HachijÔ-jima in the Izu Islands and temperature data at a depth of 200 m observed from 1964 to 1975 and in 1980.In transitions between the nearshore and offshore non-large-meander paths the variation of the Kuroshio path occurs first in the region off Enshû-nada between the Kii Peninsula and the Izu Ridge and subsequently over the ridge. In the nearshore to offshore transition the offshore displacement of the path occurs first off Enshû-nada and then develops southeastwardly in the direction of HachijÔ-jima. In the reverse transition shoreward displacement occurs first off Enshû-nada and then throughout the region west and east of the Izu Ridge. The position of the Kuroshio south of Cape Shiono-misaki (the southernmost tip of the Kii Peninsula) is almost fixed near the coast throughout these transition periods, and significant variations of the Kuroshio path only occur east of the cape. The nearshore to offshore and offshore to nearshore transitions can be estimated to take about 25 and 35 days, respectively, during which the variation of the Kuroshio path over the Izu Ridge occurs for the last 11 and 25 days.The transitions between the non-large-meander and large-meander paths show that the large-meander path is mostly formed from the nearshore non-large-meander path and always changes to the offshore non-large-meander path.     

Hydrodynamic control of the supply of reworked terrigenous sediment to coral reefs in the Bay of Banten (NW Java, Indonesia)

The Bay of Banten is an example of a shallow-water reef environment adjacent to an eroding delta system, where corals survive in turbid conditions. This study investigated the hydrodynamic controls over residual fluxes of terrigenous sediment in the bay. Observations of wind, waves, currents and suspended sediment concentrations in 1998 and 1999 revealed contrasting dynamic turbidity conditions influenced by tides, monsoon-driven flows and locally generated waves. The most sediment-rich suspensions originate from the shallow coastal margin of an inactive delta, where waves resuspend sediment and small creeks discharge freshwater and sediment. Because of coupling between monsoonal wind, throughflow in the bay and wave height, when wave-induced resuspension peaks seasonally during the northwest monsoon, an eastward throughflow prevents the nearshore reefs in the bay from being directly exposed to turbid water masses generated in the eroding delta. In inshore waters, tidal asymmetry and the spatial variation of current amplitudes cause residual sediment transport, largely depending on the availability of erodible sediment. In the center of the bay, where there is a patch reef complex, the tidal and subtidal currents are weak and therefore here there is a zone where sediment accumulates.     

An evaluation of artificial shelters in the artisanal spiny lobster fishery in Gazi Bay,Kenya

Two designs of artificial shelters were evaluated for use in the artisanal spiny-lobster fishery in Gazi Bay, Kenya. Both types of shelter were effective in aggregating the spiny lobster Panulirus ornatus in nearshore sea-grass beds. Lobsters aggregated at the shelters were caught by free-diving fishermen, using spearguns and hand nets. Mean lobster catches taken from the shelters ranged from 0,38 to 0,83 kg·trip^?1, around 50% of those taken farther offshore in natural reefs. No significant difference was found in the size or sex composition between shelter and reef-caught lobsters.