Full Text in Pdf Format

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Full Text in Pdf Format MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES Vol. 160: 291-293, 1997 Published December 15 Mar Ecol Prog Ser NOTE Fish predation on the scleractinian coral Madracis mirabilis controls its depth distribution in the Florida Keys, USA A. G. Grottoli-Everett*, G. M. Wellington Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, 77204-5513, USA ABSTRACT We evaluated the role of f~shpredation as the mann 1993). It forms densely packed clumps of small mechanism controlling the local distribution of the scleractin- pencil-sized branches with blunt tips, small polyps ]an coral Madracis mirabills on Conch Reef in the Florlda which are light brown to yellow in appearance. M. Keys, USA At many Car~bbeansltes, M m~rabilisis found at depths ranging from 1 to 63 m However, at Conch Reef th~s mirabilis is found nearshore at a depth of 3 m at the coral IS rarely found shallower than 20 m M ~nlrabilisfrag- Channel Two pass (24"50' 05" N, 81'41' 05" W) which ments transplanted from 26 to 13 m depth suffered sign~fi- links Florida Bay and the Florida reef track between cantly hlgher levels of f~shpredation than fragments trans- Lower Matacumbe Key and Long Key (pers. obs.). At planted from 26 to 20 m These results Indicate that fish predat~onpotentially 11mits the ve~tlcal distribution of M Conch Reef, Florida (24"57' 05" N, 80" 28' 00" W), it is mlrabllis on Canbbean reefs rarely found shallower than 20 m. In the course of experimentally assessing the source of carbon in the KEY WORDS: Fish predat~on- Col-al distnbution Madracis skeletal matrix of M. mirabihs, we observed evidence mlra biljs of heavy fish grazing on colonies transplanted from 26 to 13 m depth. In this experiment, 8 distinct Madracis mirabilis coral colonies were collected at 26 m and each was Competition for space, habitat type, food availability, divided into 8 fragments. Each individual fragment environmental conditions and natural disturbances was cemented to an individual plexiglass disk. Four have often been emphasized as important factors con- fragments from each coral head were transplanted to trolling coral distribution (Loya 1972, Porter 1972, 13 m and 4 to 20 m (4 fragments colony-' X 2 depths X 1974, 1976, Fishelson 1973, Lang 1973, Glynn 1976, 8 colonies = 64 total sample size). All fragments were 1988, Sammarco 1980, 1982, Wellington 1982a, Huston manipulated in an identical fashion at both depths. 1985, Glynn & Colgan 1988). Increasing evidence from Coral fragments were collected approximately 6 wk field studies shows that predation by invertebrates later and treated in 5% sodium hypochlorite solution (Robertson 1970, Glynn et al. 1972, 1979, Glynn 1976, for 24 h. Because the number of branches per fragment McClanahan & Shafir 1990, McClanahan et al. 1996) was unequal, predation is reported here as a percent- and corallivorous reef fish (Glynn et al. 1972, Kaufman age, as follows: 1977, Brock 1979, Neudecker 1979, Wellington 1982b, total number of fish bites Harmelin-Vivien & Bouchon-Navaro 1983, Littler et al. X 100% (total number of branches/fragment) 1989) can play a direct role in shaping coral distribu- tion and community structure (reviewed by Glynn In cases where the total number of bites exceeded the 1990, Hixon 1997).Here, we present evidence that fish total number of branches (due to more than 1 bite/ predation limits vertical distribution of the pocilloporid branch-') the percent predation value exceeded 100. coral Madracis mirabilis on the Florida, USA reef tract. Overall mean percent predation was found to be sig- Madracis mirabilis is commonly found throughout nificantly greater at 13 m than at 20 m (Table 1).With the Caribbean, South Florida and the Bahamas (Hu- the exception of colony 2, the mean percent predation was consistently higher in shallow water. In some shal- low water fragments, all branch tips were bitten off, yet none of the fragments in deeper water were in such 0 lnter-Research 1997 Resale of full artjcle not pernutted Mar Ecol Prog Ser 160: 291-293. 1997 Table 1. Madracis mirabilis. Mean percent predation per porites furcata in Belize (Littler et al. 1989). The colony at each depth (n = 3 for colony 2 at 13 m and n = 4 for pattern of predation observed in this study was also all other colonies at both depths). Mean percent predation reported by Yeudecker (1979) for P, damlcornis. Fur- was significantly h~gherat 13 m than at 20 m (Wilcoxon's signnd-ranks test T, = 2, n = 8, p < 0.01 17) ther, Llttler et al. (1989) suggested that the degree of fish predation is influenced by proximity to refugia for the corallivores and coral palatability. However, these Colony Mean percent predation Mean percent predation at 13 m at 20 m factors do not appear to be applicable to Conch Reef where topographic complexity and refugia increase 1 61 0 with depth (pers. obs.) in opposition to the observed 2 7 28 3 125 21 increase in predation across the experimental depth, 4 108 26 and where deep water M. mirabilis is susceptible to 5 102 29 predation when transplanted to shallower depths. 6 75 17 7 37 32 Field studies examining the direct role of corallivo- 8 83 10 rous fishes on coral zonation are limited (Kaufman Mean of means 74.75 20.38 1977, Neudecker 1979, Wellington 198213, Littler et SE 12.90 3.61 al. 1989, reviewed by Glynn 1990, Hixon 1997). Our observations provide further evidence that fish preda- tion can be an important factor limiting the vertical condition (Fig. 1). These results indicate that at Conch distribution of reef corals. Reef predation by corallivorous fish plays a critical role in restricting the distribution of Madracis mirabilis to Acknowledgements. We thank the staff of the National depths below 13 m. Although we did not directly Undersea Research Center's Florida Keys Program (UNCW) observe fish predation on M. mirabilis since caged con- for their support during 'Aquarius' mission No. 17 and the trols were not employed in this experimental design, Jason Foundation for Education (Jason Project V11) for the cusp-like bite marks revealed that parrotfish and/ financial assistance. For their assistance in the fleld we thank or pufferfish are likely to be responsible. No other evi- K. Sebens, G. Taylor, K. Wood and D. J. Roller. We also thank Dr C. Birkeland and 3 anonymous reviewers for their dence of damage due to handling or predation by other helpful comments on the manuscript. organisms was observed. Situations where fish predation limits the zonation LITERATURE CITED patterns of corals have also been reported in the branching coral Pocillopora damicornis (Neudecker Brock RE (1979) An experimental study of the effects of 1979, Wellington 1982b) and massive Pavona spp. grazing by parrotfishes and role of refuges in benthic community structure. Mar Biol 51 :381-388 (Wellington 1982b) in the Pacific, for Montastraea Fishelson L (1973) Ecological and biological phenomena In- annularis and Acropora cervicornis in Jamaica (Kauf- fluencing coral-species composition on the reef tables at man 1977) and for Porites astreoides and Porites Eilat (Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea). Mar Biol 19:183-196 Flg 1 Madraas mlrab~l~sfragments from 13 m w~thbranch tlps bltten off (on left) and from 20 m wlth lntact branch tlps (on nght) Grottoli-Everett & Wellington: Flsh predation on Madrac~sm~rabilis 293 Glynn PLV (1976) Some physlcal and biological determinants Littler MM Taylor PR. Llttler DS (1989) Complex lnteractlons of coral commun~tystructure In the Eastern Paciflc Ecol In the contlol of coral zonatlon on a Car~bbeanreef flat Monogr 46:431-456 Oecologia 80 331-340 Glynn PW (1988) El N~no-Southern Oscillation 1982-83: Loya Y (1972) Community structure and specles dlverslty of nearshore population, community and ecosystem re- hermatyp~ccorals at Ellat Red Sea Mar B101 13 100-123 sponses Annu Rev Ecol Syst 19 309-345 McClanahan TR, Kamukuru AT Muthiga NA Gllagabher Glynn PM' (1990) Feeding ecology of selected coral-reef Yebio M Obura D (1996) Effect of sea uichin leductions macroconsumers; patterns and effects on coral community on algae, coral and flsh populatlons Conserv Biol 10 structure. In: Dubinsky Z (ed) Ecosystems of the world 25. 136-154 Coral reefs. Elsevier, Amsterdam, p 365-400 McClanahan TR Shaf~rSH (1990) Causes and consequences Glynn PW, Colgan MW (1988) Sporadic disturbances in fluc- of sea ulchln abundance and dlvers~tyIn Kenyan coral tuating coral reef environments: El Nilio and coral reef reef lagoons Oecologla 83 362-370 development in the Eastern Paclf~c.Am Zool 32:707-718 Neudecker S (1979)Effects of grazlng and browsing flshes on Glynn PW, Stewart RH, McCosker JE (1972) Paclflc coral the zonatlon of corals in Guam Ecology 60 666-672 reefs of Panama: structure, dlstributlon and predators. Porter JW (1972) Patterns of species dlverslty In Canbbean Geol Rundsch 61:483-519 reef corals Ecology 53 745-748 Glynn PW, Wellington GM, Birkeland C (1979) Coral reef Porter JW (1974) Commun~tystructure of coral reefs on oppo- growth in the Galapagos: limitation by sea urchins. SCI- site sldes of the Isthmus of Panama Sclence 186 543-545 ence 203.47-49 Porter JW (1976) Autotrophy heterotrophy and resource par- Harmelln-Vivien ML, Bouchon-Navaro Y (1983) Feeding dlets tltloning In Caribbean reef-building corals Am Nat 110 and significance of coral feed~nganlong Chaetodontid 731-742 f~shesin Moorea (French Polynesia). Coral Reefs 2: Robertson R (1970) Review of the predators and parasites of 119-127 stony corals, with special reference to symbiotic proso- Hixon MA (1997) Effects of reef flshes on corals and algae In: branch gastropods Pac Sci 24 43-54 Birkeland C (ed) Life and death of coral reefs Chapman Sammarco PW (1980) Djadema and its relationsh~pto coral and Hall, New York, p 231-246 spat mortality grazlng competition and biological dlstur- Humann P (1993) Reef coral ~dentiflcatlon.New World Publi- bance J Exp Mar Blol Ecol45 245-272 cat~ons,Inc, Jacksonville Sammarco PW (1982) Echlnoid grazing as a structunng force Huston MA (1985) Patterns of species diversity on coral reefs.
Recommended publications
  • Benthic Communities at Two Remote Pacific Coral Reefs: Effects of Reef
    Benthic communities at two remote Pacific coral reefs: eVects of reef habitat, depth, and wave energy gradients on spatial patterns Gareth J. Williams1,7 , Jennifer E. Smith1,7 , Eric J. Conklin2, Jamison M. Gove3,4 , Enric Sala5,6 and Stuart A. Sandin1 1 Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA 2 The Nature Conservancy, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA 3 Coral Reef Ecosystem Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, USA 4 Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA 5 National Geographic Society, Washington, DC, USA 6 Centre d’Estudis Avanc¸ats de Blanes (CSIC), Blanes, Spain 7 These authors contributed equally to this work. ABSTRACT Kingman Reef and Palmyra Atoll in the central Pacific are among the most re- mote coral reefs on the planet. Here we describe spatial patterns in their benthic communities across reef habitats and depths, and consider these in the context of oceanographic gradients. Benthic communities at both locations were dominated by calcifying organisms (54–86% cover), namely hard corals (20–74%) and crustose coralline algae (CCA) (10–36%). While turf algae were relatively common at both locations (8–22%), larger fleshy macroalgae were virtually absent at Kingman (<1%) and rare at Palmyra (0.7–9.3%). Hard coral cover was higher, but with low diversity, in more sheltered habitats such as Palmyra’s backreef and Kingman’s patch reefs. Al- most exclusive dominance by slow-growing Porites on Kingman’s patch reefs provides indirect evidence of competitive exclusion, probably late in a successional sequence.
    [Show full text]
  • In Situ Tagging and Tracking of Coral Reef Fishes from the Aquarius Undersea Laboratory
    TECHNICAL NOTE In Situ Tagging and Tracking of Coral Reef Fishes from the Aquarius Undersea Laboratory AUTHORS ABSTRACT James Lindholm We surgically implanted coded-acoustic transmitters in a total of 46 coral reef fish Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary; during a saturation mission to the Aquarius Undersea Laboratory in August 2002. Current address: Pfleger Institute of Aquarius is located within the Conch Reef Research Only Area, a no-take marine re- Environmental Research serve in the northern Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Over the course of 10 Sarah Fangman days, with daily bottom times of 7 hrs, saturation diving operations allowed us to col- Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary lect, surgically tag, release, and subsequently track fishes entirely in situ. Fish were collected using baited traps deployed adjacent to the reef as well as nets manipulated Les Kaufman on the bottom by divers. Surgical implantation of acoustic transmitters was conducted Boston University Marine Program at a mobile surgical station that was moved to different sites across the reef. Each fish Steven Miller was revived from anesthetic and released as divers swam the fish about the reef. Short- National Undersea Research Center, term tracking of tagged fish was conducted by saturation divers, while long-term fish University of North Carolina at Wilmington movement was recorded by a series of acoustic receivers deployed on the seafloor. Though not designed as an explicit comparison with surface tagging operations, the benefits of working entirely in situ were apparent. INTRODUCTION he use of acoustic telemetry to track the movements of marine fishes is now a com- true with deepwater fishes that have air blad- fish with a damp towel.
    [Show full text]
  • Aquarius Fact Sheet
    Fact Sheet: 2019 Designer: Perry Submarine Builders (Florida) Construction: Victoria Machine Works (Texas); start: 1986 | complete: 1987 Estimated construction cost: $5.5M Operational Timeline: St. Croix Deployment: Deployment in Salt River Canyon, St. Croix: 1987 Owner: NOAA Operator: Farleigh Dickenson University Interim Period: Recovered: 1990 by the University of North Carolina Wilmington Refurbished: 1990-1993 at North Carolina State Ports, Wilmington, NC Owner: NOAA Operator: University of North Carolina Wilmington Florida Keys Deployment: Initial deployment on Conch Reef, Florida Keys: 1993 (baseplate deployed 1992) Recovered for refurbishment: 1996-1998 - Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Ft. Pierce, FL Redeployment on Conch Reef, Florida Keys: 1998 – present Owner: NOAA: 1986-2014; Florida International University: 2014 – present Operator: FDU: 1987-1989; UNCW: 1990-2012; Florida International University: 2013 - present Aquarius Siting: Conch Reef, Florida Keys (Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary): Distance From Islamorada shore base: 15.4 km (8.5 nm) Distance offshore: 9 km (5.4 nm) Hatch depth/storage depth: 14 m (46 fsw) 35 psi Depth of bottom directly below Aquarius: 18 m (60 fsw) (updated: 09.15.19) Habitat Specifications: Aquarius weight: 82-ton double-lock pressure vessel Baseplate weight: 120 tons Dimensions: 14-meters long by 3-meters in diameter (46 ft x 10 ft) Crew: 4 scientists and 2 technicians Amenities: kitchen facilities that include a microwave, instant hot water dispenser, refrigerator, sink, dining
    [Show full text]
  • Review on Hard Coral Recruitment (Cnidaria: Scleractinia) in Colombia
    Universitas Scientiarum, 2011, Vol. 16 N° 3: 200-218 Disponible en línea en: www.javeriana.edu.co/universitas_scientiarum 2011, Vol. 16 N° 3: 200-218 SICI: 2027-1352(201109/12)16:3<200:RHCRCSIC>2.0.TS;2-W Invited review Review on hard coral recruitment (Cnidaria: Scleractinia) in Colombia Alberto Acosta1, Luisa F. Dueñas2, Valeria Pizarro3 1 Unidad de Ecología y Sistemática, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia. 2 Laboratorio de Biología Molecular Marina - BIOMMAR, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia. 3 Programa de Biología Marina, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano. Santa Marta. Colombia. * [email protected] Recibido: 28-02-2011; Aceptado: 11-05-2011 Abstract Recruitment, defined and measured as the incorporation of new individuals (i.e. coral juveniles) into a population, is a fundamental process for ecologists, evolutionists and conservationists due to its direct effect on population structure and function. Because most coral populations are self-feeding, a breakdown in recruitment would lead to local extinction. Recruitment indirectly affects both renewal and maintenance of existing and future coral communities, coral reef biodiversity (bottom-up effect) and therefore coral reef resilience. This process has been used as an indirect measure of individual reproductive success (fitness) and is the final stage of larval dispersal leading to population connectivity. As a result, recruitment has been proposed as an indicator of coral-reef health in marine protected areas, as well as a central aspect of the decision-making process concerning management and conservation.
    [Show full text]
  • Status of Cuban Coral Reefs
    Bull Mar Sci. 94(2):229–247. 2018 research paper https://doi.org/10.5343/bms.2017.1035 Status of Cuban coral reefs 1 Centro de Investigaciones Patricia González-Díaz 1 * Marinas, Universidad de 2, 3 La Habana, Calle 16 No. 114, Gaspar González-Sansón Miramar, Playa, Havana 11300, Consuelo Aguilar Betancourt 2, 3 Cuba. Sergio Álvarez Fernández 1 2 Departamento de Estudios Orlando Perera Pérez 1 para el Desarrollo Sustentable 1 de la Zona Costera, Universidad Leslie Hernández Fernández de Guadalajara, Gómez Farías 82, Víctor Manuel Ferrer Rodríguez 1 San Patricio-Melaque, Cihuatlán, Yenisey Cabrales Caballero 1 Jalisco, CP 48980, Mexico. 1 3 Maickel Armenteros Canadian Rivers Institute, 100 1 Tucker Park Rd, Saint John, NB Elena de la Guardia Llanso E2L 4A6, Canada. * Corresponding author email: <[email protected]>. ABSTRACT.—Cuban coral reefs have been called the “crown jewels of the Caribbean Sea,” but there are few comparative data to validate this claim. Here, we provide an overview of Cuban coral reefs based on surveys carried out between 2010 and 2016 on seven of the main Cuban coral reef systems: Havana, Artemisa, Los Colorados, Punta Francés, Los Canarreos Archipelago, Península Ancón, and Jardines de la Reina. Ecological indicators were evaluated for each of these areas at the community level. Results suggest differences among benthic communities (corals, sponges, and gorgonians) that are most evident for reefs that develop near highly urbanized areas, such as Havana, than for those far from the coast and less accessible. Offshore reefs along the south-central coast at Jardines de la Reina and Península Ancón exhibited high coral density and diversity.
    [Show full text]
  • Coral Reef Algae
    Coral Reef Algae Peggy Fong and Valerie J. Paul Abstract Benthic macroalgae, or “seaweeds,” are key mem- 1 Importance of Coral Reef Algae bers of coral reef communities that provide vital ecological functions such as stabilization of reef structure, production Coral reefs are one of the most diverse and productive eco- of tropical sands, nutrient retention and recycling, primary systems on the planet, forming heterogeneous habitats that production, and trophic support. Macroalgae of an astonish- serve as important sources of primary production within ing range of diversity, abundance, and morphological form provide these equally diverse ecological functions. Marine tropical marine environments (Odum and Odum 1955; macroalgae are a functional rather than phylogenetic group Connell 1978). Coral reefs are located along the coastlines of comprised of members from two Kingdoms and at least over 100 countries and provide a variety of ecosystem goods four major Phyla. Structurally, coral reef macroalgae range and services. Reefs serve as a major food source for many from simple chains of prokaryotic cells to upright vine-like developing nations, provide barriers to high wave action that rockweeds with complex internal structures analogous to buffer coastlines and beaches from erosion, and supply an vascular plants. There is abundant evidence that the his- important revenue base for local economies through fishing torical state of coral reef algal communities was dominance and recreational activities (Odgen 1997). by encrusting and turf-forming macroalgae, yet over the Benthic algae are key members of coral reef communities last few decades upright and more fleshy macroalgae have (Fig. 1) that provide vital ecological functions such as stabili- proliferated across all areas and zones of reefs with increas- zation of reef structure, production of tropical sands, nutrient ing frequency and abundance.
    [Show full text]
  • Lasting Effects of Damage from a Cruise Ship Anchor on a Coral Reef in St
    BULLETIN OF MARINE SCIENCE, 69(2): 793–803, 2001 TEN YEARS AFTER THE CRIME: LASTING EFFECTS OF DAMAGE FROM A CRUISE SHIP ANCHOR ON A CORAL REEF IN ST. JOHN, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS Caroline S. Rogers and Virginia H. Garrison ABSTRACT In October 1988, a cruise ship dropped its anchor on a coral reef in Virgin Islands National Park, St. John, creating a distinct scar roughly 128 m long and 3 m wide from a depth of 22 m to a depth of 6 m. The anchor pulverized coral colonies and smashed part of the reef framework. In April 1991, nine permanent quadrats (1 m2) were established inside the scar over a depth range of 9 m to 12.5 m. At that time, average coral cover inside the scar was less than 1%. These quadrats were surveyed again in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1998. Recruits of 19 coral species have been observed, with Agaricia agaricites and Porites spp. the most abundant. Quadrats surveyed outside the scar in June 1994 over the same depth range had a higher percent coral cover (mean = 7.4%, SD = 4.5) and greater average size (maximum length) of coral colonies than in quadrats inside the damaged area. Although coral recruits settle into the scar in high densities, live coral cover has not increased significantly in the last 10 yrs, reflecting poor survival and growth of newly settled corals. The relatively planar aspect of the scar may increase the vulner- ability of the recruits to abrasion and mortality from shifting sediments. Ten years after the anchor damage occurred, live coral cover in the still-visible scar (mean = 2.6%, SD = 2.7) remains well below the cover found in the adjacent, undamaged reef.
    [Show full text]
  • Reef Explorer Guide Highlights the Underwater World ALLIGATOR of the Florida Keys, Including Unique Coral Reefs from Key Largo to OLD CANNON Key West
    REEF EXPLORER The Florida Keys & Key West, "come as you are" © 2018 Monroe County Tourist Development Council. All rights reserved. MCTDU-3471 • 15K • 7/18 fla-keys.com/diving GULF OF FT. JEFFERSON NATIONAL MONUMNET MEXICO AND DRY TORTUGAS (70 MILES WEST OF KEY WEST) COTTRELL KEY YELLOW WESTERN ROCKS DRY ROCKS SAND Marathon KEY COFFIN’S ROCK PATCH KEY EASTERN BIG PINE KEY & THE LOWER KEYS DRY ROCKS DELTA WESTERN SOMBRERO SHOALS SAMBOS AMERICAN PORKFISH SHOALS KISSING HERMAN’S GRUNTS LOOE KEY HOLE SAMANTHA’S NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY OUTER REEF CARYSFORT ELBOW DRY ROCKS CHRIST GRECIAN CHRISTOF THE ROCKS ABYSS OF THE KEY ABYSSA LARGO (ARTIFICIAL REEF) How it works FRENCH How it works PICKLES Congratulations! You are on your way to becoming a Reef Explorer — enjoying at least one of the unique diving ISLAMORADA HEN & CONCH CHICKENS REEF MOLASSES and snorkeling experiences in each region of the Florida Keys: LITTLE SPANISH CONCH Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, Big Pine Key & The Lower Keys PLATE FLEET and Key West. DAVIS CROCKER REEF REEF/WALL Beginners and experienced divers alike can become a Reef Explorer. This Reef Explorer Guide highlights the underwater world ALLIGATOR of the Florida Keys, including unique coral reefs from Key Largo to OLD CANNON Key West. To participate, pursue validation from any dive or snorkel PORKFISH HORSESHOE operator in each of the five regions. Upon completion of your last reef ATLANTIC exploration, email us at [email protected] to receive an access OCEAN code for a personalized Keys Reef Explorer poster with your name on it.
    [Show full text]
  • Florida Keys Lobster Regulations
    FACTS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO. Additional rules and measuring information found in Rules For All Seasons & Measuring Lobster sections of this brochure. FLORIDA KEYS AREAS/ZONES CLOSED TO HARVEST OF SPINY LOBSTER LOBSTER REGULATIONS FLORIDA KEYS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY JOHN PENNEKAMP Includes Mini Sport Season CLOSED ZONES (YEAR-ROUND) CORAL REEF STATE (MARKED BY 30” YELLOW BOUNDARY BUOY) PARK (JPCRSP) Sanctuary Preservation Areas Ecological Reserves Special-use Research JPCRSP is Closed (SPAs) Western Sambo, Only Areas (No entry) for Sport Season Carysfort Reef, The Elbow, Tortugas Ecological Conch Reef, All of JPCRSP is closed Key Largo Dry Rocks, Grecian Reserve North Tennessee Reef, during the 2-day Sport Rocks, French Reef, Molasses and South Looe Key Patch Reef, Season for the harvest of Reef, Conch Reef, Davis Reef, (refer to GPS coordinates, Eastern Sambo. any lobster species. Hen and Chickens, Cheeca Rocks, not marked). Year-Round Coral Rule: Alligator Reef, Coffins Patch, No person shall harvest Sombrero Key, Newfound Harbor any lobster species from Key, Looe Key, Eastern Dry Rocks, or within any coral Rock Key, Sand Key. formation (patch reef) regardless of its proximity Other Closed Areas (Year-Round) to or exclusion from a Lobster Exclusion Zone. Everglades National Park Biscayne Bay Card Sound Spiny City of Layton Lobster Sanctuary JPCRSP Lobster Dry Tortugas National Park Artificial Habitat Exclusion Zones: Biscayne National Park Coral Reef in State Waters Closed year-round. Protection Areas Marked by Orange/White Spar buoys, found at: Spanish and Slipper Lobster Closed Areas Turtle Rocks, Basin Hills Spanish and Slipper Lobster are closed year-round North, Basin Hills East, to harvest in Key Largo and Looe Key Existing Management Areas, Basin Hills South, Higdon’s Reef, Cannon all FKNMS zones listed above in this table, Everglades Patch, Mosquito Bank KeysLobsterSeason.com & Dry Tortugas National Parks.
    [Show full text]
  • Effects of Tourism on Herbivore Community Composition in Coral Reefs in the Gulf of Thailand Diplomarbeit
    Effects of Tourism on herbivore community composition in Coral Reefs in the Gulf of Thailand Diplomarbeit vorgelegt von Susanne Pusch Erstgutachter: Prof. Dr. Wilfried Gabriel Zweitgutachter: Prof. Dr. Christian Wild Fakultät für Biologie, Department Biologie II Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München München, den 16.09.2011 Für meinen Vater, meine Mutter und Lukas 1 Erklärung Ich versichere hiermit, dass ich die vorliegende Arbeit selbstständig verfasst und keine anderen als die angegebenen Quellen und Hilfsmittel benutzt habe. Ort, Datum:____________________ Unterschrift:____________________ Kontaktdaten der Betreuer: Prof. Dr. Wilfried Gabriel Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München / Institute of Ecology / Großhaderner Str. 2 / D-82152 Munich / Email: [email protected] Prof. Dr. Christian Wild Universität Bremen / Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology / Fahrenheitstr.6 / D-28359 Bremen / Email: [email protected] 2 Danksagung Zunächst möchte ich mich bei Prof. Dr. Christian Wild bedanken, ohne den diese für mich sehr interessante Diplomarbeit nicht zustande gekommen wäre. Vor allem die anfängliche Betreuung bei der Datenaufnahme in Thailand hat mir bei der Erstellung meiner Arbeit sehr geholfen. Auch für die spontane Hilfe von Dr. Anna Fricke, sowie für die Hilfe der Mitarbeiter im Labor des ZMT Bremen möchte ich mich herzlich bedanken. Eine große Hilfe war für mich die Zusammenarbeit mit Hauke Schwieder, Swaantje Bennecke und Kristina Börder bei der Datenaufnahme in Thailand. Durch das freundschaftliche Verhältnis und ihre Hilfsbereitschaft wurde die Arbeit sehr erleichtert, und auch unvorhergesehene Probleme konnten wir gemeinsam bewältigen. Auch durch diese besondere Zusammenarbeit wurde der Aufenthalt für mich zu einem unvergesslichen Erlebnis, wofür ich mich herzlich bedanken will. Mein besonderer Dank gilt Hauke, der nicht nur in Thailand, sondern auch bei der weiteren Arbeit in Bremen eine große Hilfe war.
    [Show full text]
  • Spearfishing Brochure
    What To Know Before You Go. This is not an official publication of spearingfishing rules and regulations. Regulations for Spearfishing is defined as the taking of any saltwater For additional information such as fishing fish through the instrumentality of a spear, gig, or lance Spearfishing regulations including size and bag limits- operated by a person swimming at or below the surface http://www.myfwc.com of the water. The use of powerheads, bangsticks, and for http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ rebreathers remains prohibited. http://floridakeys.noaa.gov Monroe County, Florida http://www.dep.state.fl.us/ Possession of spear equipment: Possession of spears including the and spearguns is prohibited in Everglades National Park, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Dry Tortugas National Park and Florida State Parks. Division of Law Enforcement (888) 404-3922 Florida Keys Marathon Office (305) 289-2320 Coral is protected from damage and taking Division of Marine Fisheries (850) 487-0554 National Marine Sanctuary in state and federal waters. NOAA Fisheries (727) 824-5344 Bag and Size Limits: The federal bag limits cannot be (305) 743-3110 combined with state bag limits. Remember to abide by regulations regarding size limits. Objects underwater John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and appear 25% larger. Check with agencies for current Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical regulations: http://www.myfwc.com or State Park (305) 451-1202 http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park and License Requirements: Recreational harvesters are Lignumvitae Key Submerged Land Management required to possess a valid Florida Saltwater Fishing Area (305) 664-2540 License.
    [Show full text]
  • Spatial and Temporal Variability of Internal Wave Forcing on a Coral Reef
    VOLUME 35 JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY NOVEMBER 2005 Spatial and Temporal Variability of Internal Wave Forcing on a Coral Reef J. J. LEICHTER,G.B.DEANE, AND M. D. STOKES Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California (Manuscript received 22 June 2004, in final form 4 May 2005) ABSTRACT The deployment of a dense spatial array of temperature sensors on a coral reef in the Florida Keys provided a unique view of the interaction of cool water incursions generated by internal waves with the three-dimensional reef bathymetry. Water temperature on the reef surface was sampled every5sat100 points on a 100 m by 150 m grid with concomitant measurements of water column velocity and temperature from mid-May through mid-August 2003. Episodic incursions of cool, subsurface water were driven by periods of strong semidiurnal internal tide and higher-frequency internal wave activity. For every time step in the data record the mean profile of temperature as a function of depth is calculated with a 3-m vertical averaging length scale. Subtracting this mean profile from the raw record yields a within depth, horizontal temperature anomaly. Visualization through time of the anomaly mapped onto the measured reef bathym- etry reveals episodic variability of thermal patchiness across the reef as well as persistent features associated with reef bathymetry. Variation in the nature of the cooling and resulting thermal heterogeneity among events and seasons suggests multiple modes of cool water incursion ranging from unbroken, tidal period internal waves to packets of higher-frequency, energetic, broken internal bores.
    [Show full text]