The Fish Assemblages Inside and Outside of a Temperate Marine Reserve in Southern California

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the effect of a small marine reserve (established 1988) on a temperate rocky reef fish assemblage at Santa Catalina Island, California. Fish surveys on SCUBA were conducted at two reserve and two non-reserve sites from October 2002 to January 2004. Sites were similar in fish density, species richness and biomass of the entire fish assemblage. However, the adult densities of two important fishery species, California sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher; 7.6 0.5 and 5.5 0.4/100 m2 inside versus outside) and kelp bass (Paralabrax clathratus; 3.6 0.4 and 2.9 0.4 inside versus outside), were significantly higher within the reserve. The reserve appears to be effective in increasing density and biomass of two impacted species that were readily observed and surveyed on SCUBA

Where the Weird Things Are: A Collection of Species Range Extensions in the Southern California Bight

A large-scale monitoring program associated with the establishment of a marine protected area network in southern California provided an opportunity to observe and document unique or rare species across the region. Scientists and students from several educational and research institutions surveyed 145 subtidal reefs, 39 intertidal reefs, and five sandy beaches from 2011-2017, a period of time where oceanographic and climatic conditions changed serially and dramatically. In conjunction with an increase in monitoring frequency and locations, dramatic shifts in oceanographic climate during this same time period likely caused shifts in tolerable habitat conditions for many nearshore species. Here we describe range extensions – both to the north and south – of fourteen marine fish, invertebrate, and algae species as observed during the 2011-2012 South Coast MPA Baseline Program and subsequent monitoring efforts

New and Rare Fish and Invertebrate Species to California during the 1997-1998 El Nino

By some measures 1997-1998 El Nino southern oscillation (ENSO) was the strongest such event of the 20 th century and perhaps the strongest of all recorded history. For most of us, an El Nino means increased rains in the Southern California area, due to a disruption of the normal path of the jet stream. In the study of marine ecology and fisheries biology, El Nino\u27s have much more dire consequences. These winter storms can devastate our coastline and are accompanied by unusually warm and unproductive water. El Nino\u27s have been cited as the cause of the collapse of fishery stocks as well as the demise of our world renowned kelp beds. ENSO events have increased in both frequency and magnitude for the past two decades, which has intensified our awareness of this global phenomenon. These changes, which we have seen in our coastal ecosystems, have implications of macroscale changes in oceanography extending far beyond the Southern California arena. As we sit on the precipice of the 21 st century, the staggering ramifications of these new oceanographic conditions trigger questions of global climate change and we are challenged with the prospects of global warming

A Method for Estimating Marine Habitat Values Based on Fish Guilds, with Comparisons between Sites in the Southern California Bight

Habitat valuation is an essential tool for tracking changes in habitat quality and in adjudicating environmental mitigation. All current methods for estimating habitat values of coastal marine sites rely heavily on the opinion of experts or on data variables that can readily be manipulated to influence the outcome. As a result, unbiased, quantitative comparisons between the values of different marine habitats are generally unavailable. We report here on a robust, objective technique for the valuation of marine habitats that makes use of data that are commonly gathered in surveys of marine fish populations: density, fidelity, and mean size. To insure comparability across habitats, these variables are assessed for guilds of fishes, rather than for single species. The product of the three guild-based parameters is transformed to its square root and then summed across all guilds in the habitat, yielding a single measure of habitat value for each site surveyed. To demonstrate the usefulness of this approach, we have analyzed data from existing surveys of 13 marine sites in the Southern California Bight, encompassing 98 fish species from 23 guilds. For seven of the sites, it was possible to develop estimates of the confidence interval of the habitat valuation, using a resampling technique. Variance estimates from resampling in one habitat mirrored those derived from analysis of annual variation. The resultant ranking of habitat types was: kelp beds \u3e shallow artificial reefs \u3e wetlands \u3e protected shallow waters (soft bottom) \u3e shallow open coastal sand (depth \u3c30 m) \u3e soft bottom habitat on the continental shelf (30 m \u3c depth \u3c200 m) \u3e soft bottom habitat on the continental slope (depth \u3e200 m). Although our data sets were restricted to Southern California, similar data could be obtained from any reasonably well-studied marine environment. The guild-based valuation technique may, therefore, be broadly applicable to the analysis of other marine ecosystems

The phylogeny of Paralabrax (Perciformes: Serranidae) and allied taxa inferred from partial 16S and 12S mitochondrial ribosomal DNA sequences

Abstract Partial sequences of 16S and 12S mitochondrial ribosomal DNA were used to examine the phylogenetic relationships of the primarily eastern Pacific genus Paralabrax (Perciformes: Serranidae) and allied taxa. Paralabrax is considered a basal serranine, which is itself considered the basal subfamily in the Serranidae. Multiple serranines reported closely related to Paralabrax from the genera Serranus, Hypoplectrus, Cratinus, and Centropristis were used as outgroups. Species from the remaining two subfamilies, Epinephilinae and Anthiinae, of the Serranidae were also used in the analyses. The tree of the Serranidae was rooted with the families Polyprionidae and Priacanthidae. Paralabrax, the Serranidae, and the Serraninae were monophyletic in this study. Serranus was found to be paraphyletic. Centropristis, formerly considered the sister taxon to Paralabrax, was not closely related in these analyses. Cratinus agassizii, a monotypic genus from the eastern Pacific, was found to be the sister taxon to Paralabrax. There is greater resolution for intergeneric and subfamily relations than interspecific relationships. A single most parsimonious tree for the interspecific relationships of Paralabrax and allied taxa is proposed. This proposed molecular phylogeny is consistent with known biogeographic processes in the eastern Pacific

The phylogeny of Paralabrax (Perciformes: Serranidae) and allied taxa inferred from partial 16S and 12S mitochondrial ribosomal DNA sequences

Abstract Partial sequences of 16S and 12S mitochondrial ribosomal DNA were used to examine the phylogenetic relationships of the primarily eastern Pacific genus Paralabrax (Perciformes: Serranidae) and allied taxa. Paralabrax is considered a basal serranine, which is itself considered the basal subfamily in the Serranidae. Multiple serranines reported closely related to Paralabrax from the genera Serranus, Hypoplectrus, Cratinus, and Centropristis were used as outgroups. Species from the remaining two subfamilies, Epinephilinae and Anthiinae, of the Serranidae were also used in the analyses. The tree of the Serranidae was rooted with the families Polyprionidae and Priacanthidae. Paralabrax, the Serranidae, and the Serraninae were monophyletic in this study. Serranus was found to be paraphyletic. Centropristis, formerly considered the sister taxon to Paralabrax, was not closely related in these analyses. Cratinus agassizii, a monotypic genus from the eastern Pacific, was found to be the sister taxon to Paralabrax. There is greater resolution for intergeneric and subfamily relations than interspecific relationships. A single most parsimonious tree for the interspecific relationships of Paralabrax and allied taxa is proposed. This proposed molecular phylogeny is consistent with known biogeographic processes in the eastern Pacific

Using GIS Mapping of the Extent of Nearshore Rocky Reefs to Estimate the Abundance and Reproductive Output of Important Fishery Species

Kelp Bass (Paralabrax clathratus) and California Sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher) are economically and ecologically valuable rocky reef fishes in southern California, making them likely indicator species for evaluating resource management actions. Multiple spatial datasets, aerial and satellite photography, underwater observations and expert judgment were used to produce a comprehensive map of nearshore natural rocky reef habitat for the Santa Monica Bay region (California, USA). It was then used to examine the relative contribution of individual reefs to a regional estimate of abundance and reproductive potential of the focal species. For the reefs surveyed for fishes (i.e. 18 out of the 22 in the region, comprising 82 % the natural rocky reef habitat,30 m depth, with a total area of 1850 ha), total abundance and annual egg productio

Life history, ecology, and long-term demographics of queenfish

Queenfish Seriphus politus were collected at coastal power plants from San Clemente to Ventura, California. Power functions best described relations between otolith length, width, or weight and either standard length (SL) or total body weight. The length–weight relationship was described by the following equation: weight 1⁄4 105 3 SL3.09. Individuals were aged to 12 years by using sagittal otolith sections. Females grew at a significantly faster rate than males. Both sexes reached 50% maturity by 100 mm SL, or shortly after age 1. The total annual instantaneous mortality coefficient was estimated at 0.42. Catalina Harbor (on the windward side of Santa Catalina Island) and Ventura were the most populous sites based on gill-net catch per unit effort from 1995 to 2006. Juvenile and adult queenfish populations have declined since 1980 in a significant relationship with nearshore plankton biomass. Larval queenfish densities recorded in King Harbor (Redondo Beach) have declined since 1987. Long-term recruitment estimates indicated peak recruitment prior to 1976, with three subsequent downward baseline shifts