South Atlantic MPA: year 6 of an evaluation of habitat and fish assemblages in a network of reserves.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have implemented a network of eight marine protected areas (MPAs) between Cape Hatteras, NC and the Florida Keys to protect seven species of grouper and tilefish, all members of the deepwater snapper-grouper complex. In May 2010, the NOAA Fisheries Laboratory in Panama City, FL completed its sixth annual survey of the MPA sites. Previously, four pre-closure surveys were conducted (2004, 2006-2008) and now two years of post-closure data have been collected (2009 and 2010). A remotely operated vehicle (ROV) was used to examine the areas with four main objectives: 1) establish estimates of species composition and fish abundance, especially for species of grouper and tilefish; 2) describe habitat features; 3) document the relationship between habitat and species assemblages; and 4) begin to investigate any changes in fish species composition and/or abundances between pre- and post-closure data as well as comparisons between areas inside and outside the MPAs. In 2010, we focused our survey on the Florida, Edisto, and northern South Carolina MPAs. Four of the targeted species were observed including; speckled hind (Epinephelus drummondhayi), yellowedge grouper (Epinephelus flavolimbatus), snowy grouper (Epinephelus niveatus), and blueline tilefish (Caulolatilus microps). While not all of the target species were observed, numerous other members of the snapper-grouper complex were present including seven different species of grouper, which is more than any year prior to the implementation of the fishery closures in early 2009. While lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) abundances were down from 2009, they still remain relatively high as they were more abundant than the most common grouper, scamp (Mycteroperca phenax) at all surveyed MPAs. Gag grouper are an important species in the snapper-grouper complex and, while not targeted by these MPAs, were more abundant in 2010 than in any other survey year. This study has presented a unique opportunity to examine MPA sites before implementation of fishing restrictions, thus providing fishery managers with robust pre-closure data upon which efficacy evaluations of closures can be made.

1) establish estimates of species composition and fish abundance, especially for species of grouper and tilefish;

2) describe habitat features;

3) document the relationship between habitat and species assemblages;

4) begin to investigate any changes in fish species composition and/or abundances between pre- and post-closure data as well as comparisons between areas inside and outside the MPAs.

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