Environmental Conservation

Table of Contents - September 2012 - Volume 39, Issue 03 (Thematic section. Temperate Marine Protected Areas)  

THEMATIC SECTION: Temperate Marine Protected Areas

Spatially explicit mortality of California spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus) across a marine reserve network

MATTHEW C. KAYa1 c1 and JONO R. WILSONa2

a1 Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5131, USA

a2 Sustainable Fisheries Group, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5131, USA

SUMMARY

Studies of marine reserves typically focus upon differences in the size and abundance of target organisms inside versus outside reserve borders, but they seldom provide spatially explicit measurements of how reserves influence mortality rates. This study investigated mortality rates for female California spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus) at multiple sites inside and outside of three marine reserves at the Santa Barbara Channel Islands, California, USA. Mean total mortality (Z) of female lobsters was lower at sites inside reserves (Z = 0.22 [± 0.05 SE]) than at sites outside reserves (Z = 0.59 [± 0.02 SE]). Mean mortality at all sites inside reserves, and among sites near reserve centres (where Z = 0.17 [± 0.05 SE]), was similar to estimates of natural mortality for other temperate spiny lobster species. Among sites inside reserves, there was a positive relationship between mortality and proximity to reserve borders, but this relationship was absent among sites outside reserves. Mortality estimates were much more variable among sites inside reserves than at sites in fished areas. This variation is probably due to differential emigration rates from the three reserves, as well as site-specific ecological factors that influence population structure, demonstrating the importance of spatially explicit reserve sampling and understanding how ecological heterogeneity influences fisheries models.

(Received June 30 2011)

(Accepted November 19 2011)

(Online publication March 02 2012)

Keywords:

Correspondence:

c1 Correspondence: Dr Matt Kay e-mail: mattckay@gmail.com