Friedlander, A. M., Brown, E., Monaco, M., Clark, A.

Determining fish habitat utilization patterns and the efficacy of marine protected areas in Hawaii via integrated coral reef ecosystem mapping and monitoring

2006

Transactions, American Geophysical Union

87

36 supplement

Over the past four decades, Hawaii has developed a network of 11 Marine Life Conservation Districts (MLCDs) to conserve and replenish marine resources around the state. Initially established to provide opportunities for public interaction with the marine environment, MLCDs vary in size, habitat quality, and management regimes. The evolution of MLCDs into a spatial management tool used to protect marine ecosystems presents an excellent opportunity to test hypotheses concerning marine protected area (MPA) design and function. Digital nearshore habitat maps developed by NOAA's Biogeography Team were used to structure field investigations and identify patterns of habitat use for various fish species in order to define essential fish habitat and biologically relevant boundaries for MPAs. Results of the study show that the abundance and distribution of species and assemblages was strongly tied to habitat type. Structurally complex hardbottom habitats harbored the greatest diversity and the highest biomass of fishes. Management also played an important role, as MLCDs had higher values for most fish assemblage characteristics (e.g., biomass, size, diversity) than adjacent areas where fishing was permitted. In addition, apex predators and other target species were more abundant and larger in MLCDs, illustrating the effectiveness of these closures in conserving fish populations. Habitat complexity, quality, size and level of protection from fishing were important determinates of MLCD effectiveness. Most MLCDs in Hawaii are currently too small and encompass too few habitat types to provide substantial benefits to coastal reef fisheries. In addition, MLCDs currently encompass less than 1% of the total reef area of the main Hawaiian Islands. Future protected area design in the main Hawaiian Islands needs to incorporate a mosaic of habitats at larger spatial scales to support viable reef fish populations

habitat utilization /Hawaii /monitoring /Coral reef ecology /Marine parks and reserves - design /effectiveness /fishery management /habitat mapping

CSA Abstract