In:
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, Acoustical Society of America (ASA), Vol. 129, No. 4_Supplement ( 2011-04-01), p. 2691-2691
Abstract:
The Tortugas Ecological Reserve was established in 2001 as a no-take research reserve extending the area of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The Sanctuary is evaluating the effects of management areas, including the TER. In 2008 we initiated a fisheries hydroacoustic survey to compliment the visual census for reef fishes and coral communities that was initiated in 2000. The hydroacoustic survey was specifically designed to map the distribution and abundance of reef fishes in relation to the reserve boundary, and over a broader spatial extent that is possible using scuba divers. Biomass of large, exploited species observed by divers was significantly higher within the reserve, and biomass increased with proximity to the boundary. Fish densities assessed using hydroacoustics showed a similar pattern. We developed an indicator from the acoustic data analogous to the biomass size spectrum and found that biomass of larger size classes was higher within the reserve. Indicators produced from fisheries hydroacoustic surveys cannot only inform marine reserve design and monitoring, but can also enhance the interpretation of smaller-scale visual surveys by providing landscape-scale maps of fish densities at high spatial resolution.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0001-4966
,
1520-8524
Language:
English
Publisher:
Acoustical Society of America (ASA)
Publication Date:
2011
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1461063-2
detail.hit.zdb_id:
219231-7
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