Development trajectories and impacts on coral reef use in Lingayen Gulf,Philippines

Management interventions to reduce pressures on coral reefs often include attracting fishers to non-extractive non-fishery supplemental livelihoods. We look at the case of coral reefs in Lingayen Gulf, Philippines to understand the impacts of local (i.e., aquaculture and tourism), regional, and national development on the artisanal fisheries sector. Using household surveys and a coral reef interaction index (CRII), we obtained relative levels of dependency and impacts of fisheries, aquaculture, and tourism on coral reefs for livelihood. Results show that overall dependency on coral reefs remains high despite its decreasing quality. Socio-economic profiles reveal steep hurdles in shifting fishers to aquaculture. Both aquaculture and fisheries will continue to grow and eventually compete for space if left unmanaged further resulting in reduced reef quality. Shifts of fishers to tourism-based and other low-capital requirement mariculture (e.g., sea ranching) are more realistic than the expectation of absorbing fishers into current aquaculture businesses. Strengthening local coastal governance capacity to improve proactive responses for micro–macro development interactive synergy will also help reduce the impacts of development on reefs. Improving safety nets for coastal communities through skills enhancement and supplemental livelihood options that facilitate stewardship and reef recovery is an imperative. Transforming the lessons learned at village level actions to sustain municipal scale programs and institutional cooperation among stakeholders such as through marine protected area networks remain a challenge. Sharing forums and joint financing of coastal resource management remain to be realized through public and private partnerships and expansion of development for investments in social enterprises.     

Coral reef education in schools of Quintana Roo, Mexico

Coral reefs are vital to the livelihood of coastal communities in Quintana Roo, México and the preservation of these ecosystems relies on the establishment of protected areas. Education should be one of the most important management tools in coral reef preservation. Surveys were made among primary and secondary school students of Quintana Roo to determine the level of education regarding coral reefs and their importance. Students had little awareness about reefs. Coverage of coral reef issues is insufficient in school curricula and information media. Many students will leave school and become users of the reef with little understanding of it and of the consequences of exploitation of the reef. Creation of marine parks has not increased education and public awareness. There is an immediate need to establish appropriate and continuously available educational programs in order to preserve coral reefs. Education should encourage codes of behavior and community support to management issues.     

试验水槽中多种人工鱼礁模型组合对紫红笛鲷幼鱼的诱集效果

摸清多种人工鱼礁模型组合对紫红笛鲷幼鱼的诱集效果,可为人工鱼礁礁体组合设计和礁区布局设计等方面提供科学依据.本研究参照深圳杨梅坑人工鱼礁区的实际建礁情况,制作并模拟4组三种模型礁体组合、4组四种模型礁体组合,在方形试验水槽中以鱼类行为学的方法研究了这8组模型礁体组合对紫红笛鲷的诱集效果.4组三礁组合礁体模型试验结果表明,FHJ三礁组合对紫红笛鲷的集鱼效果非常明显,BFH、BCG、CHJ三礁组合对紫红笛鲷的集鱼效果较为明显.其诱集效果排序为:FHJ组合礁(53.84%)>BFH组合礁(44.85%)>BCG组合礁(38.11%)>CHJ组合礁(36.01%).4组四礁组合礁体的试验结果表明,4组四礁组合礁体模型对紫红笛鲷均具有较强的诱集效果,其诱集效果排序为:BGHJ组合礁(52.27%)>CFHJ组合礁(51.26%)>BCGJ组合礁(50.01%)>BCGH组合礁(45.05%).总体上,四礁组合的诱集效果优于三礁组合,人工鱼礁建设的礁群配置以多礁组合为佳.     

Fish harvest tags: An alternative management approach for recreational fisheries in the US Gulf of Mexico

This paper explores the potential adaptation of harvest tags to the Gulf of Mexico recreational reef fish fishery. The discussion addresses conceptual, theoretical, and practical issues surrounding the application of harvest tags, as well as challenges and opportunities related to the design of tag programs. A review of hunting and fishing tag programs around the world and analysis of Gulf recreational fisheries suggests that tags have the potential to improve control over total catches, increase economic benefits and provide better information for fishery management. Results also provide insight into potential use of fish tags in large-scale recreational fisheries nationwide.     

The Gulf of California: Review of ecosystem status and sustainability challenges

The Gulf of California is unique because of its geographical location and conformation. It hosts diverse ecosystems and important fisheries that support industry and provide livelihood to coastal settlements. It is also the site of interests and problems, and an intense interaction among managers, producers, and conservationists. In this report, we scrutinize the abiotic (hydrography, climate, ocean circulation, and chemistry) and biotic (phyto- and zooplankton, fish, invertebrates, marine mammals, birds, and turtles) components of the marine ecosystem, and some particular aspects of climate variability, endemisms, harmful algal blooms, oxygen minimum layer, and pollution. We also review the current conditions and conflicts around the main fisheries (shrimp, small and large pelagic fishes, squid, artisanal and sportfishing), the most important human activity in the Gulf of California. We cover some aspects of management and conservation of fisheries, especially the claimed overexploitation of fish resources and the ecosystems, and review proposals for creating networks of marine protected areas. We conclude by identifying main needs for information and research, particularly the integration of data bases, the implementation of models and paleoreconstructions, establishment of monitoring programs, and the evaluation of fishing impacts and management actions.     

国外人工鱼礁研究动向及对我国的启示

建设人工鱼礁是打造海洋牧场的重要手段之一。文章对1987—2017年的国内外人工鱼礁相关文章进行了梳理,以发表文章数量来划分层次,美国等5个国家为"第一梯队",而中国等8个国家处于"第二梯队";2001年之后,中国发表文章的增长率居25个国家首位。国外人工鱼礁的研究主题主要包括鱼礁构建材料、本底调查、设计和布局、环境生态功能、渔业生产和鱼类行为等8个方面。通过总结国外人工鱼礁研究动向的特点,提出科学规划人工鱼礁区、完善资金配套扶持政策、构建人工鱼礁标准体系等3条建议,从而为我国人工鱼礁建设、渔业资源养护、生态环境保护提供参考依据。     

一种人工鱼礁的水动力学研究与建设效果评价

针对舟山群岛的海洋环境和渔业资源等情况,设计了一种正六棱柱式人工鱼礁用于改善当地的海洋生态和渔业资源。选用反映鱼礁通透性的ε值和反映鱼礁附着能力的η值两个参数对人工鱼礁的结构进行评价,通过比较发现所设计的正六棱柱式人工鱼礁在具有良好通透性的情况下还能够为海洋生物提供更大的附着面积,满足设计需求。使用Fluent软件对鱼礁进行CFD仿真,发现鱼礁迎流面前部上升流的最大高度随来流速度的增加而增加,鱼礁后方背涡流的长度约为鱼礁高度的9.3~9.6倍,表明其具有很好的水动力特性。为进一步验证鱼礁的水动力学性能,在相同尺寸、相同水域环境下对鱼礁模型设计了水槽实验,与仿真结果相互验证,证明了正六棱柱式人工鱼礁水动力性能的有效性。最后采用实地调查的方法对正六棱柱式鱼礁礁区与箱形鱼礁礁区进行建设效果的对比评价,发现两种鱼礁均能对各自所处的海洋环境起到增殖作用,正六棱柱人工礁区的平均生物密度大于对比礁区的生物密度,证明了其良好的水动力特性对增殖效果的有效性。     

Benthic infaunal communities around two artificial reefs in Mamala Bay, Oahu, Hawaii

Non-fishery use of artificial reefs has been given attention in recent years. The primary concern associated with non-fishery artificial reefs is their effects to the surrounding ecosystems. This study examined the infaunal communities around two non-fishery artificial reefs (the sunken vessels YO257 and Sea Tiger) in Mamala Bay, Hawaii. Infaunal community structures at these artificial reefs were relatively similar to one at a nearly natural patch reef. A large amount of basalt gravel around YO257 associated with its deployment operation possibly had an effect on the surrounding community by increasing pore space. Polychaete assemblages were compared with existing data throughout the bay, and this revealed that the variation in sediment grain sizes and depths seemed to play some role in structuring the polychaete communities. Nevertheless, the infaunal communities around the artificial reefs were typical and within the range of natural variation in Mamala Bay, supporting their beneficial uses in ecotourism.     

The limitations of diversity metrics in directing global marine conservation

Biodiversity hotspots have been used extensively in setting conservation priorities for marine ecosystems. A recent Nature publication claims to have uncovered new latitudinal gradients in the evenness of reef communities and new reef hotspots based on functional diversity. Simulation models show that the purported evenness gradient is a mathematical inevitability of differences in species richness and detectability between vastly different marine ecosystems, namely ‘reefs’ in tropical, temperate, and polar regions. Constraints on evenness, along with disparity amongst communities in possible functional traits, cast doubt on the utility of global functional diversity comparisons for management of marine systems.     

Characterization of fisheries dependence in Galicia (Spain)

The management of marine ecosystems requires adequate knowledge of both environmental and human dimensions, as well as their interrelationships. In this study, the aquaculture and fisheries activities are analyzed in one of most important fishing regions in Europe, Galicia (NW Spain). In particular, the intensity and characteristics of the fishing dependency are evaluated in terms of income and employment. Thus, nine marine economic activities for nine Maritime Zones have been defined, considering the social and economic relevance of the provided ecosystem services to these communities. This paper highlights the entire Galician coast as fishing-dependent, independently of the urbanization level. Furthermore, the contribution of different fishery segments to the income and employment of these coastal communities is reviewed, including fluctuations on whether the activity is small or large-scale. Finally, this study establishes a strong relationship among the marine activities, which generate most employment, and the regulatory framework of the Regional Government. Therefore, the conclusions are relevant to design and implement policies that affect Galicia׳s Region and all its related marine ecosystems.     

Sustainable use of renewable resources and conservation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden: issues,needs and strategic actions

The coastal and marine environments and resources of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden are globally significant and generally in a healthy state. Current regional issues include localized destruction of coral reefs, seagrass and mangroves; declines in some fisheries; exploitation of some endangered species; pollution from the development and transport of petroleum; and disposal of industrial and municipal wastes. The underlying causes of these issues are the natural vulnerability of the Red Sea due to its semi-enclosed nature; economic reliance on the petroleum industry; significant navigation risks; a rapidly increasing coastal population and associated developments; lack of fisheries information, surveillance and management; poor coastal zone planning; and limited technical expertise. Strategic actions addressing these issues will need to be implemented regionally and focus on coastal zone management that integrates environmental planning, environmental assessment and review; training and institutional development; public awareness and participation; information gathering especially fisheries statistics; reducing navigation risks; and the development of resource management and conservation strategies.     

Fishermen perception on resources management and aquaculture development in the Mecoacan estuary,Tabasco, Mexico

The southern Mexican states on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico produce approximately 85% of the total national oil production. The region has also attracted attention due its important economic influence in terms of fisheries, aquaculture and agriculture, and for its ecosystem diversity. The justification for more integrated approaches to aquaculture development is significant, as coastal aquaculture has brought economic and employment benefits to both national economies and coastal people. The aim of this study is the analysis of Mecoacan fishing communities’ perception on coastal resources management and to assess group awareness of the potential benefits and impacts of coastal aquaculture. Although aquaculture practices have been implemented as an alternative to fishing and to improve current levels of fisheries production, the results showed that conditions within Mecoacan fisheries have deteriorated significantly, as collective aggregation is not producing a positive outcome for the local communities. However, fishermen regarded the restructuring of fishing organisations as a means of integrating employment and income generation alternatives such as aquaculture practices. Therefore, a key to success will be to demonstrate the ability of good coastal management to promote capacity building within coastal communities in the context of a participatory intervention strategy through formal and informal organisations.     

The role of archaeological and cultural-historical records in long-range coastal fisheries resources management strategies and policies in the Pacific Islands

The usefulness of conventional fisheries science for long-term fisheries management and policies in the resource-poor islands of the Pacific is very limited. Fishery managers can, however, make use of such alternative sources of information as archaeological and historical data to develop fishery management initiatives. Most Pacific Islands were settled by humans over the last three millennia, although human settlement in Western Melanesia dates from the late Pleistocene, a period of about 40 millennia. Archaeological studies over the past half-century contain information on the long-term subsistence exploitation of fish and invertebrates from nearshore coral reefs and lagoons. Molluscs appear to have been a very important food source for early human colonists in the Pacific Islands, but declines in abundance through harvest pressure and environmental changes forced a greater reliance on fin-fish capture and on agriculture. There is no firm evidence from the archaeological record to suggest that long-term subsistence exploitation of reef fish populations has had any serious negative effects on abundance or structure of reef fish communities. Sources for more recent historical information are also exemplified and briefly examined for their usefulness in assessing the impacts of commercial fishing. It is argued that fishery managers who adopt a data-less approach to fishery management could profitably use these sources of information to enrich their assessment of the impacts of various management scenarios.     

Ecosystem-based fisheries management in small-scale tropical marine fisheries: Emerging models of governance arrangements in the Philippines

There has been a gradual evolution in fisheries management over the past decades from a focus on sustainability of a single species or stock and resources to a focus on marine ecosystems. Among the issues to be addressed for effective implementation of ecosystem based fisheries management (EBFM) are the appropriate governance arrangements and scale for management. The purpose of this paper is to examine these issues of governance and scale as related to EBFM in tropical developing countries through an analysis of approaches being taken in the Philippines to manage fisheries on a multi-jurisdictional level. The management of fisheries and coastal resources in a number of bays and gulfs, which represent marine ecosystems, is presented. The opportunities and constraints to ecosystem based fisheries management in the Philippines are discussed and lessons for broader application of these governance structures in tropical developing country marine ecosystems are presented.     

Raising the “Sunken Billions”: Financing the transition to sustainable fisheries

Long-term investment to drive the adoption of precautionary, adaptive and resilience-building fisheries management measures is urgently required, especially given the financially difficult transition period to reach sustainable fisheries. In this paper a case for investing in the recovery of large marine ecosystems is provided based on the future value of recovered fish stocks. It is argued that the current market-based sustainable seafood movement alone will not affect the scale of change needed and must be complemented by investment in fundamental conservation measures that will lead to the recovery of marine ecosystems and promote long-term sustainable use. A rationale for addressing the economically challenging transition period is provided and the basis of a new financial institution to finance the measures necessary for realising the economic, social and environmental benefits of large-scale fisheries reform is proposed.     

On the Problems of Epibioses, Fouling and Artificial Reefs, a Review

Abstract. Artificial reefs in marine environments are in most cases submerged structures consisting of dumped waste material or specific constructions made with the purpose of enriching the local fish populations and other marine life to the benefit of recreational and commercial fisheries. Such structures are susceptible to fouling and will successively develop assemblages, which may or may not resemble epibioses on natural substrata. Studies of artificial reefs have focused predominantly on fish assemblages and have largely disregarded the development of sessile biota and their structural and functional relationships. In addition, most studies are from tropical or subtropical environments. To manage and understand artificial reefs, a whole-ecosystem approach is necessary, incorporating studies of all aspects of hard substratum ecology including both structural and functional variables. This review is an attempt to evaluate the present knowledge of ecological aspects of artificial reefs, emphasising the role of sessile hard substratum biota.     

我国热带生物海岸的现状及生态系统的修复与重建

评述了以红树林和珊瑚礁为代表的我国热带生物海岸的分布及其面积、生物群落的破坏、海岸保护与管理、科学研究等各个方面的现状，以及生态系统修复与重建技术研究进展，指出热带生物海岸及其上的红树林、珊瑚礁热带海岸生态系统具有特殊的资源价值和生态效益，对热带海岸社会经济可持续发展的十分重要；另一方面对日益频繁的人类开发活动和自然环境变异十分敏感和脆弱，而且其直接经济价值相对较低而通常易于被忽视，随着我国自然环境变异十分敏感和脆弱，而且其直接经济价值相对较低而通常易于被忽视，随着我国社会经济近20年来的快速发展，导致热带海岸地区人口、资源、环境压力加剧，热带生物海岸红树林和珊瑚礁资源已经受到生态破坏性开发活动的极大破坏而急需保护。尽管政府采取了保护管理的各种措施，包括相关法律、自然保护区、科学研究、生态系统修复与重建的实验、研究和推广，但是总体上衰退的趋势尚未扭转，热带生物海岸在我国河口海岸生态环境变异和资源可持续利用研究中具有特别重要要的意义，应该加强我国热带生物海岸的调查、监测、评估、研究，以适应热带生物海岸和相关生态系统的保护、管理、恢复、重建和可持续发展的紧迫要求。     

Securing ocean benefits for society in the face of climate change

Benefits humans rely on from the ocean – marine ecosystem services – are increasingly vulnerable under future climate. This paper reviews how three valued services have, and will continue to, shift under climate change: (1) capture fisheries, (2) food from aquaculture, and (3) protection from coastal hazards such as storms and sea-level rise. Climate adaptation planning is just beginning for fisheries, aquaculture production, and risk mitigation for coastal erosion and inundation. A few examples are highlighted, showing the promise of considering multiple ecosystem services in developing approaches to adapt to sea-level rise, ocean acidification, and rising sea temperatures.Ecosystem-based adaptation in fisheries and along coastlines and changes in aquaculture practices can improve resilience of species and habitats to future environmental challenges. Opportunities to use market incentives – such as compensation for services or nutrient trading schemes – are relatively untested in marine systems. Relocation of communities in response to rising sea levels illustrates the urgent need to manage human activities and investments in ecosystems to provide a sustainable flow of benefits in the face of future climate change.     

The health and future of coral reef systems

Coral reefs are among the most productive and diverse ecosystems on earth and provide a multitude of valuable ecosystem services. Moreover, the resources derived from coral reefs are essential to the food security of millions of people living within tropical coastal communities. Unfortunately, burgeoning human populations in coastal regions are placing an unsustainable burden on these resources such that degradation of coral reefs is common. In addition, during 1998, El Niño driven increases in sea temperature caused a mass bleaching event that further degraded many of the world's coral reefs. This article provides a brief review of the status of the world's coral reefs and highlights their value to society. Also, the anthropogenic and natural disturbances that threaten the future of coral reefs are discussed and finally, this article offers some potential remedies that promote sustainable use of coral reef resources thus ensuring their future survival.     

Living macromolluscs from a paleo-reef region on the northeastern Venezuelan continental shelf

Drowned reefs, fossil reefs or paleo-reefs, are important ecologically as areas of high biodiversity, foraging, shelter environment, and as areas supporting the spawning aggregations of economically important reef fish species. This is particularly significant when the structures are situated in a wide soft-bottom continental shelf. The presence of limestone structures, fossil reefs and pinnacles dating from circa 8 to 9 ka, to the north of the Paria Peninsula in north-eastern Venezuela, has been known to local fishermen for decades. Using echograms obtained during acoustic fisheries evaluations and the scarce previously available information, an improved location map of hard-bottom structures was made. Benthic samples to study macromolluscs were taken at depths between 54 and 93 m using an unmodified 2-m beam trawl. Four trawl samples were located over fossil reef areas while another four were situated in soft-bottom valleys between limestone structures. Fossil reefs in the area showed a highly patchy distribution. A total of 91 species from 43 Bivalvia, Gastropoda and Scaphopoda families were found, Gastropoda being the dominant class with 49 species. Paleo-reef-covered areas showed higher species richness and only 21% of the species found were common to both substrates. Gastropods Tonna maculosa and Polystira albida were the most abundant species and occurred in both substrate types. Bivalve life habits, a mixture of organism–substrate relationships, shell fixation, mobility and feeding type, differed significantly according to bottom type. Six species are recorded for the first time for eastern Venezuelan waters. Bottom heterogeneity plays an important role in marine ecosystems, providing shelter to fish populations and may be significant as breeding and nursery areas. Its presence in a region with biogeographical interest, situated in the confluence of three major provinces and with oceanographic conditions varying seasonally from upwelling dominated to Orinoco River discharges, makes this the area of interest and it should be evaluated as a possible Marine Protected Area.