Hydrobiologia Pilot acoustic tracking study on adult spiny lobster (Palinurus mauritanicus) and spider crab (Maja squinado) within an artificial reef --Manuscript Draft-- Manuscript Number: Full Title: Pilot acoustic tracking study on adult spiny lobster (Palinurus mauritanicus) and spider crab (Maja squinado) within an artificial reef Article Type: Primary research paper Keywords: ultrasonic transmitters; crustaceans; artificial reef; restocking; environmental factors; cabled observatory Corresponding Author: Guiomar Rotllant SPAIN Corresponding Author Secondary Information: Corresponding Author's Institution: Corresponding Author's Secondary Institution: First Author: Guiomar Rotllant First Author Secondary Information: Order of Authors: Guiomar Rotllant Aguzzi Jacopo David Sarria Enric Gisbert Valerio Sbragaglia Joaquin Del Rio Carles G. Simeo Antoni Manuel Erik Molino Corrado Costa Francesc Sardà Order of Authors Secondary Information: Abstract: The behavior of crustacean decapods is poorly characterized in artificial reef areas, being of relevance for population management and conservation studies based on capture and release. Acoustic tags were used to study the behavior of 3 adult spiny lobsters (Palinurus mauritanicus) and 3 spider crabs (Maja squinado), evaluating the use of artificial reef areas as suitable sites for re-stocking of overfished decapods. For this purpose, animals were released in a western Mediterranean artificial reef located at 20 m depth, close to a cabled sea-floor observatory (OBSEA). That cabled platform recorded simultaneously temperature, salinity, current direction plus speed, and light intensity close to these structures. The study lasted 64 days and was carried out during summer. Spiny lobster lingered in the reef area, while of the spider crab only remained between 21 and 45 hours. These behavioral differences suggested that artificial reefs might be a good area to deploy adult lobsters for re-stocking purposes. The movements displayed by the lobsters during this experiment were not influenced by any of the measured environmental factors, while spider crab movements took place against current major direction, when speed current was intense. Powered by Editorial Manager® and ProduXion Manager® from Aries Systems Corporation Suggested Reviewers: Anette Ungfors [email protected] She have previous expèrience in tagging and re-stocking crabs Antony Jensen [email protected] He have used artificial reefs to re-stock lobsters Silvia Revenga [email protected] She is working in the Spanish Ministry of Fisheries and she is in charge of artificial reef structures Powered by Editorial Manager® and ProduXion Manager® from Aries Systems Corporation Manuscript Click here to download Manuscript: Rotllant Maja-Palinurus-Marcatge-Hyd-R1-27-1-2014-sent.docx Click here to view linked References 1 Research article to be submitted to Hydrobiologia 2 3 4 Pilot acoustic tracking study on adult spiny lobster ( Palinurus 5 mauritanicus ) and spider crab ( Maja squinado ) with in an artificial reef 6 7 8 Guiomar Rotllant · Jacopo Aguzzi · David Sarria · Enric Gisbert · Valerio 9 Sbragaglia · Joaquín Del Río · Carles G. Simeó· Antoni Mànuel · Erik Molino · 10 Corrado Costa · Francisco Sardà 11 12 G. Rotllant ( ) · J. Aguzzi · V. Sbragaglia · F. Sardà 13 Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49 14 E-08003 Barcelona, Spain. 15 Tel.: (34) 932309500 16 Fax.: (34) 932309555 17 E-mail: [email protected] 18 19 D. Sarria · J. Del Río· E. Molino · C.G. Simeó· A. Mànuel 20 Technological Development Centre for Remote Acquisition and Data Processing Systems 21 (SARTI), Electronics Department, Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya (UPC), Rambla de 22 l’Exposició 24, 23 E-08800 Vilanova i la Geltrú (Barcelona), Spain 24 25 E. Gisbert · C.G. Simeó 26 Unitat Operativa de Cultius Experimentals, IRTA 27 Carretera del Poblenou km 5.5, Sant Carles de la Ràpita 28 E-43540 Tarragona, Spain 29 30 C. Costa 31 Consiglio per la Ricerca e la sperimentazione in Agricoltura (Unità di ricerca per 32 l’ingegneria agraria), Via della Pascolare, 16, 33 I-00015 Monterotondo Scalo-Rome, Italy 34 35 J. Aguzzi · V. Sbragaglia · F. Sardà · D. Sarria · J. Del Río· E. Molino · A. Mànuel 36 Associated Unit Tecnoterra 37 38 1 39 Abstract The behavior of crustacean decapods is poorly characterized in artificial reef 40 areas, being of relevance for population management and conservation studies based on 41 capture and release. Acoustic tags we re used to study the behavior of 3 adult spiny lobster s 42 (Palinurus mauritanicus ) and 3 spider crabs ( Maja squinado ), evaluating the use of 43 artificial reef areas as suitable sites for re -stocking of overfished decapods. For this 44 purpose , animals were released in a western Mediterranean artificial reef located at 20 m 45 depth, close to a cabled s ea -floor observatory ( OBSEA) . T hat cabled platform recorded 46 simultaneously temperature, salinity, current direction plus speed, and light intensity close 47 to these structures . The study lasted 64 days and was carried out du ring summer. Spiny 48 lobster lingered in the reef area, while of the spider crab only remained between 21 and 45 49 hours. These behavioral differences suggested that artificial reefs might be a good area to 50 deploy adult lobsters for re -stocking purposes. The m ovements displayed by the lobsters 51 during this experiment were not influenced by any of the measured environmental factor s, 52 while spider crab movements took place against current major direction , when speed 53 current was intense . 54 55 56 Key words: ultrasonic transmitters; crustaceans; artificial reef; restocking; 57 environmental factors; cabled observatory 58 2 59 Introduction 60 In the western Mediterranean, lobsters and crabs stocks are threatened due to their past 61 and present severe overfishing (Sardà & Martin, 1986) . For example, in the Western 62 Mediterranean Catalan official landings of the last 10 years show how captures of 63 benthic crustacean have signif icantly decreased of a 5 % (p<0.0013**; R 2=0.6227) . 64 These crustaceans are especially vulnerable because of their low mobility or ability to 65 escape from divers and/or gear devices, and also by its high mortality in the early stages 66 of development (Abad, 2003; Goñi & Latrouite, 2005; Stevcic, 1967, 1977) . The 67 restocking in sensitive sites is a critical tool to preserve biodiversity, living resources, 68 and for ecosystem conservation and can also be used as an effective tool for fisheries 69 management (Bell et al., 2006) . However, restocking is not an easy task and it would be 70 desirable an y essential knowledge on the behavior of individuals in relation to their 71 movement patterns and in situ permanence within a specific area . 72 To our best knowledge no telemetric studies have been performed on the spiny 73 lobster Palinurus mauritanicus Gruvel, 1911 and the spider crab Maja squinado 74 (Herbst, 1788), although some data on the biology of these species is available (Bussani 75 & Zuder, 1977; Diop & Kojemiakine, 1990; Durán et al., 2012; Goñi & Latrouite, 2005; 76 Guerao et al ., 2008; Guerao & Rotllant, 2010; Hunter, 1999; Rotllant et al., 2014 ; 77 Stevcic, 1967, 1968, 1973, 1977) . In contrast, the biology and behavior of other species 78 within the same genus were approached by telemetry in Southern Europe, such as: 79 Palinurus elepha s (Fabricius, 1787) (Giacalone et al., 2006; Hunter, 1999) and Maja 80 brachydactyla Balss, 1922 (Freire, 1999; Gonzalez -Gurriaran & Freire, 1994; Gonzalez - 81 Gurriaran et al., 2002; Hines et al., 1995) . Although some studies were initially referred 82 to M. squina do they corresponded to M. brachydactyla , since animals were captured in 3 83 the Atlantic and only recently populations has been ascribed to a different species 84 (Guerao et al., 2011; Sotelo et al., 2009) . 85 Previous studies for P. elephas showed a shelter-life habit (Giacalone et al. 86 2006; Goñi & Latrouite, 2005 ) and short range displacements (i.e. > 5 km ), although 87 winter offshore migration was suggested by Hunter (1999) . Herrnkind (1980) 88 conversely, defined three spatial categories of movement in spiny lobster : (1) homing 89 (the ability for a lobster to return to a specific shelter after foraging), (2) nomadic 90 (undirected , long range displacements away from current shelter s), and (3) migratory 91 (vertical or horizontal seasonal displacements in and away from current shelters ). 92 Although the variations of temperature , salinity, photoperiod, light levels, oxygen , and 93 so on, may be coincident with lobster movements , Herrnkind (1980) failed in 94 identifying key eliciting stimuli. Recently, Bertelsen (2013) probed that the percentage 95 of lunar illumination triggers the movement of large males of Panuli rus argus 96 (Latraille, 1802) . The spiny lobster Panulirus cygnus George, 1962 seems to displace 97 according to current directions (Jernakoff & Phillips (198 8) . Counter -current migration 98 apparently favour larval dispersal in Palinurus delagoae Barnard, 1926 (Groeneveld, 99 2002), Palinurus gilchristi Stebbing, 1900 (Groeneveld & Branch, 2002) and Jasus 100 verreauxi (H. Milne -Edwards, 1851) (Booth, 1997). In a later mark -recapture study the 101 Rock lobster, Jasus edwardsii (Hutton, 1875) chiefly remain ed within 5 km (Linnane & 102 Dimmlich, 2005). MacArthur et al. (2008) using acoustic telemetry also observed that 103 sub -adults of the lobster P. cygnus in the absence