A retrospective (1979-1996) multispecies assessment of coral reef fish stocks in the Florida Keys
"A baseline assessment of 35 economically and ecologically important Florida Keys reef fish stocks is provided by using a systems approach that integrates sampling, statistics, and mathematical modeling. Quantitative fishery-independentd ata from reef fis...
Variations in the isotopic signatures of juvenile gray snapper (Lutjanus griseus) from five southern Florida regions
"Measurements of 18O/16O and 13C/12C ratios in the carbonate of juvenile gray snapper (Lutjanus griseus) sagittal otoliths collected during 2001-2005 from different southern Florida regions indicated significant variations in the ratios between Florida Ba...
Assessment of fish populations and habitat on Oculina Bank, a deep-sea coral marine protected area off eastern Florida
"A portion of the Oculina Bank located off eastern Florida is a marine protected area (MPA) preserved for its dense populations of the ivory tree coral (Oculina varicosa), which provides important habitat for fish. Surveys of fish assemblages and benthic ...
A passive acoustic survey of fish sound production at Riley's Hump within Tortugas South Ecological Reserve; implications regarding spawning and habitat use
"Passive acoustic recorders were used to monitor sound production indicative of the use of spawning habitat by groupers (Serranidae) at Rileys Hump, which is located in the Tortugas South Ecological Reserve (TSER), part of the Florida Keys National Marine...
BotCam: a baited camera system for nonextractive monitoring of bottomfish species
"A stereo-video baited camera system (BotCam) has been developed as a fishery-independent tool to monitor and study deepwater fish species and their habitat. During testing, BotCam was deployed primarily in water depths between 100 and 300 m for an assess...
Trends in biomass of coral reef fishes, derived from shore-based creel surveys in Guam
"Coral reef fisheries have a cultural, economic, and ecological importance and sustain the societal well-being of many coastal communities. However, the complexities of the multigear, multispecies fisheries that target coral reef species pose challenges f...
Preliminary evidence of increased spawning aggregations of mutton snapper (Lutjanus analis) at Riley's Hump two years after establishment of the Tortugas South Ecological Reserve.
In this note we describe the re-formation of a spawning aggregation of mutton snapper (Lutjanus analis). A review of four consecutive years of survey data indicates that the aggregation may be increasing in size. Mutton snapper are distributed in the temp...
Baseline levels of coral disease in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
"There has been a worldwide increase in the reports of diseases affecting marine organisms. In the Caribbean, mass mortalities among organisms in reef ecosystems have resulted in major shifts in community structure. However, our ability to fully understan...
Building sustainable fisheries in Florida's coral reef ecosystem: Positive signs in the dry tortugas
"In a series of synoptic research cruises including 4000 research dives, we surveyed reef-fish populations and habitats before and 3 yrs after 2001 implementation of no-take marine reserves covering approximately 566 km2 in the Dry Tortugas, Florida. Spec...
Climate change and the oceans - What does the future hold?
"The ocean has been shielding the earth from the worst effects of rapid climate change by absorbing excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This absorption of CO2 is driving the ocean along the pH gradient towards more acidic conditions. At the same ti...
A retrospective (1979-1996) multispecies assessment of coral reef fish stocks in the Florida Keys