UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO the Role
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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO The role of nursery habitats and climate variability in reef fish fisheries in the Gulf of California A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Marine Biology by Marco Octavio Aburto-Oropeza Committee in charge: Professor Philip A. Hastings, Chair Professor Enric Sala, Co-Chair Professor Theodore Groves Professor Jim Leichter Professor Lisa Levin Professor Dale Squires 2009 Copyright Marco Octavio Aburto-Oropeza, 2009 All rights reserved The dissertation of Marco Octavio Aburto-Oropeza is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication on microfilm: _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ Co-Chair _________________________________________________ Chair University of California, San Diego 2009 iii This work is dedicated to Catalina, who always inspire me to accomplish my dreams…... si dile!!!! … to my Father, for his support and love, … and to my Mother and my Sister, for their unconditional love. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Signature Page………………………………………………………………………...iii Dedication……………………………………………………………………………..iv Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………v List of Tables…………………………………………………………………………vii List of Figures……………………………………………………………………..…viii Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………..…..xi Vita and Publications………………………………………………………………...xiii Abstract of the Dissertation…………………………………………………………...xv Chapter 1. Introduction…………………….…………………………………………..1 Overview………………………………………………………………………….2 Objectives…..…………………………………………………………………….6 References………………………………………………………………..……….7 Chapter 2. Predictability of reef fish recruitment in a highly variable nursery habitat...9 Abstract………………………………………………………………………….10 Introduction……………………………………………………………………...10 Methods…………………………………………………………………………11 Results…………………………………………………………………………...14 Discussion……………………………………………………………………….15 Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………...17 References……………………………………………………………………….17 Chapter 3. Recruitment and ontogenetic habitat shifts of the Yellow snapper (Lutjanus argentiventris) in the Gulf of California.….…………………………………...……..19 Abstract………………………………………………………………………….20 Introduction……………………………………………………………………...20 Materials and Methods…………………………………………………………..23 Results…………………………………………………………………………...31 Discussion……………………………………………………………………….34 Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………...40 Tables……………………………………………………………………………41 v Figures…………………………………………………………………………...42 References……………………………………………………………………….49 Chapter 4. Spatially explicit contribution of mangroves ecosystems to the replenishment of reef fish populations.……………………………………………….54 Abstract………………………………………………………………………….55 Introduction……………………………………………………………………...55 Materials and Methods…………………………………………………………..57 Results…………………………………………………………………………...66 Discussion……………………………………………………………………….69 Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………...75 Tables……………………………………………………………………………76 Figures…………………………………………………………………………...77 References……………………………………………………………………….81 Chapter 5. Climatic influence on reef fish recruitment and fisheries.………………..84 Abstract…..……………………………………………………………………...85 Main text…………….…………………………………………………………..85 Notes..…………………………………………………………………………...87 Materials and methods.………………………………………………………….88 Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………...91 Tables……………………………………………………………………………92 Figures…………………………………………………………………………...93 References……………………………………………………………………….95 Chapter 6. Mangroves in the Gulf of California increase fishery yields.…………….96 Abstract…..……………………………………………………………………...97 Results……..…………………………………………………………….………97 Discussion…………………………………………………………………….....99 Materials and methods…………………………………………………………..99 Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………….100 References……………………………………………………………………...100 Chapter 7. General conclusions………………………………………...…………...101 References……………………………………………………………………...106 vi LIST OF TABLES Chapter 3 Table 3.1. Lutjanus argentiventris life history variables..……………………………41 Chapter 4 Table 4.1. Summary of the islands characteristics and the density of Yellow snapper < 30 cm in the 10 years of the study……………………………………………………76 Chapter 5 Table 5.1. Sites surveyed each year from 1998 to 2008 in the central and southern Gulf of California.….……………………………………………………………………....92 Chapter 6 Table 6.1. Estimated mangrove ecosystem service values worldwide.……………....98 Table 6.2. Cost estimations of transforming mangrove ecosystems in the Gulf of California……………………………………………………………………………..99 vii LIST OF FIGURES Chapter 2 Fig. 2.1. Location of study sites for (A) recruitment habitat preferences of the leopard grouper, Mycteroperca rosacea (1999), and (B) interannual recruitment variability (1998–2004)…………………………………………...……………………………...12 Fig. 2.2. Abundance (mean ± SE) of Mycteroperca rosacea recruits in the seven major shallow habitats of the Gulf of California…………………………………………….12 Fig. 2.3. Density (mean ± SE) of Mycteroperca rosacea recruits in three experimental treatments (n = 5 replicates per treatment).…………………………………………………………………………….14 Fig. 2.4. Relationship between the Multivariate El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Index and mean Sargassum biomass in the central and southern Gulf of California...14 Fig. 2.5. Relationship between MEI and density of leopard grouper recruits in the central and southern Gulf of California……………………………………………....15 Fig. 2.6. Size frequency distribution of the leopard grouper population in the Gulf of California……………………………………………………………………………..15 Chapter 3 Fig. 3.1. Map of Gulf of California showing: (a) the major marine habitat types surveyed off the coast of the Baja California coast and Mexico´s mainland, including the location of the 12 mangrove sampling sites……………………………………....42 Fig. 3.2. Lutjanus argentiventris. Relationship between standard length and age after settlement estimated from lapilli of juveniles collected in Balandra between 2002 and 2005, and 11 additional mangroves during October 2003 and June 2004.………...…43 Fig. 3.3. Lutjanus argentiventris. Settlement frequency distribution obtained with back calculations of 516 lapilli otoliths…...………………………………………………..44 Fig. 3.4. Lutjanus argentiventris. Comparison of settlement time in Balandra as determined by (a) back-calculation from otoliths collected from 2002 to 2005, and (b) survey data between February 2005 and May 2006..…………………………………45 viii Fig. 3.5. Lutjanus argentiventris. Average size of juveniles collected inside mangrove forests along the Gulf of California, during the recruitment peak (October) and the end of nursery stage (June) of cohort 2003……………………………………...………...46 Fig. 3.6. Lutjanus argentiventris. Significant differences in size classes ontogenetic patterns of habitat use…………………………………………………………………47 Fig. 3.6. Lutjanus argentiventris. Shows the relationship between nearest distance to mangrove and the density of individuals between10 and 20 cm size classes in each reef site……………………………………………………………..…………………48 Chapter 4 Fig. 4.1. Map of the Gulf of California showing the location of all mangrove and islands studied………………………………………………………………………...77 Fig. 4.2. Mean and standard error for the six size classes, in the three habitats surveyed in Balandra mangrove …………………...…………………………………………...78 Fig. 4.3. Absolute abundance plotted against mangrove suitable area for rocky systems () and sandy systems (), in central (a) and southern (b) Gulf of California.….…...79 Fig. 4.4. Relationship between density of immature individuals (a) and individual incorporation rate (b) in offshore islands, and the distance from the nearest mangrove patch……………………………………..……………………………………………80 Chapter 5 Fig. 5.1. Relationship between MEI and (A) yellow snapper juvenile abundance (mean ± SE) and (B) landings, and (C) leopard grouper juvenile abundance and (D) landings in the Gulf of California………...………………………………………………….....93 Fig. 5.2. Size-frequency distributions of collected (A) yellow snappers (n = 497) and (B) leopard groupers individuals (n = 705)…………………………………...………94 ix Chapter 6 Fig. 6.1. The Gulf of California and the 13 fishing regions considered in this study, based on mangrove distribution and affinity in the composition of landings…..….....98 Fig. 6.2. Relationship between landings and economic value against the area of mangrove fringe in the Gulf of California…………………………...…………….....98 x ACNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation would not have been possible without the help and support of many people. I would like to thank my committee members for their guidance. Enric Sala, my friend, who has been a great mentor and helped me throughout my academic career. I would like to thank Exequiel Ezcurra, who was not an official member of my committee, but has been a fundamental leadership for all my research. In the same way, I would like to thank Phil Hastings and Jeremy Jackson for their support to accomplish several studies about the Gulf of California; thanks for your advice. Many thanks for their suggestions on my research to: Theodor Groves, Jim Leichter, Lisa Levin, and Dale Squires. This project would never have happened without the support of several friends that helped me taking samples, doing analyses or writing scientific papers. First, I would like to thank Isaí Dominguez, José Cota, and Tomás Plomozo for their commitment to this Project. Special thanks to my friends and colleagues that participate