55532
South Atlantic MPA: year 6 of an evaluation of habitat and fish assemblages in a network of reserves.
Document
Published / External
8523
CRCP-South Atlantic Bight Monitoring
Data Set
Completed
2011-02-01
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.
Panama City Laboratory
Panama City
FL
Report
Acrobat Portable Document Format
Final
Author
2010
Person
David, Andrew
andy.david@noaa.gov
3500 Delwood Beach Road
Panama City
FL
32408
850-234-6541 x208
850-235-3559
Phone or email
Author
2010
Person
Harter, Stacey
Stacey.Harter@noaa.govs
3500 Delwood Beach Road
Panama City
FL
32408
850-234-6541
850.235.3559
Contact by email preferred.
Metadata Contact
2010
Person
David, Andrew
andy.david@noaa.gov
3500 Delwood Beach Road
Panama City
FL
32408
850-234-6541 x208
850-235-3559
Contact by email preferred.
-82.08333333333
-79.96666666667
26.26666666667
24.46666666667
Gulf Of Mexico And South Atlantic Ocean
Range
2010-05-04
2010-05-09T17+00:00
.
Unclassified
Open to everytone
Download from specified link
https://data.nodc.noaa.gov/coris/library/NOAA/CRCP/project/1693/1693_2010_S_Atlantic_Rprt_SAFMC_Final.pdf
South Atlantic MPA: year six of an evaluation of habitat and fish assemblages in a network of reserves.
Online Resource
pdf
Report itself
gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:55532
Lee Weinberger
2019-02-14T14:51:35
SysAdmin InPortAdmin
2022-08-09T17:11:43
2022-02-28
Southeast Fisheries Science Center
SEFSC
75 Virginia Beach Drive
Miami
FL
33149
USA
(305)361-5761
www.sefsc.noaa.gov
8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. EST
1001
Public
No
2022-02-28
1 Year
2023-02-28