Larval Connectivity in an Effective Network of Marine Protected Areas

Acceptance of marine protected areas (MPAs) as fishery and conservation tools has been hampered by lack of direct evidence that MPAs successfully seed unprotected areas with larvae of targeted species. For the first time, we present direct evidence of large-scale population connectivity within an existing and effective network of MPAs. A new parentage analysis identified four parent-offspring pairs from a large, exploited population of the coral-reef fish Zebrasoma flavescens in Hawai'i, revealing larval dispersal distances ranging from 15 to 184 km. In two cases, successful dispersal was from an MPA to unprotected sites. Given high adult abundances, the documentation of any parent-offspring pairs demonstrates that ecologically-relevant larval connectivity between reefs is substantial. All offspring settled at sites to the north of where they were spawned. Satellite altimetry and oceanographic models from relevant time periods indicated a cyclonic eddy that created prevailing northward currents between sites where parents and offspring were found. These findings empirically demonstrate the effectiveness of MPAs as useful conservation and management tools and further highlight the importance of coupling oceanographic, genetic, and ecological data to predict, validate and quantify larval connectivity among marine populations

SURVIVAL, GROWTH, AND BEHAVIOR OF THE LOLIGINID SQUIDS LOLIGO PLEI, LOLIGO PEALEI, AND LOLLIGUNCULA BREVIS (MOLLUSCA: CEPHALOPODA) IN CLOSED SEA WATER SYSTEMS

Volume: 165Start Page: 637End Page: 68

Interactions Between Invasive Lionfish and Native Nassau Grouper

The Indo-Pacific Red Lionfish (P.volitans) has invaded coral reefs in the Western Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean. This abundant invader has the potential to negatively affect native species through both competition and predation. A native species that may be particularly vulnerable to this invasion is the Nassau grouper (E. striatus) because it prefers similar habitat as lionfish. Since Nassau grouper are of ecological and economic significance, it is important to understand how lionfish will affect them. Experiments were conducted in large outdoor tanks to investigate competition for shelter space and predation between lionfish and Nassau grouper. Lionfish and Nassau grouper were paired in three combinations (lionfish:grouper): (1) 1:1 size ratio (2) 1:4 size ratio and (3) 3:1 size ratio. Small lionfish often displaced large Nassau grouper from shelter holes indicating that the invader may be a superior interference competitor for habitat. In addition, throughout all replicates, large Nassau grouper did not consume small lionfish and large lionfish did not consume small Nassau grouper. These results suggest that grouper in the size range studied are unlikely to control the invasion and that invasive lionfish may outcompete native grouper for access to shelter

WR_HHMI.pdf

The Indo-Pacific Red Lionfish (P.volitans) has invaded coral reefs in the Western Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean. This abundant invader has the potential to negatively affect native species through both competition and predation. A native species that may be particularly vulnerable to this invasion is the Nassau grouper (E. striatus) because it prefers similar habitat as lionfish. Since Nassau grouper are of ecological and economic significance, it is important to understand how lionfish will affect them. Experiments were conducted in large outdoor tanks to investigate competition for shelter space and predation between lionfish and Nassau grouper. Lionfish and Nassau grouper were paired in three combinations (lionfish:grouper): (1) 1:1 size ratio (2) 1:4 size ratio and (3) 3:1 size ratio. Small lionfish often displaced large Nassau grouper from shelter holes indicating that the invader may be a superior interference competitor for habitat. In addition, throughout all replicates, large Nassau grouper did not consume small lionfish and large lionfish did not consume small Nassau grouper. These results suggest that grouper in the size range studied are unlikely to control the invasion and that invasive lionfish may outcompete native grouper for access to shelter.Keywords: predation, lionfish, competitio

WR_HHMI Powerpoint.pptx

The Indo-Pacific Red Lionfish (P.volitans) has invaded coral reefs in the Western Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean. This abundant invader has the potential to negatively affect native species through both competition and predation. A native species that may be particularly vulnerable to this invasion is the Nassau grouper (E. striatus) because it prefers similar habitat as lionfish. Since Nassau grouper are of ecological and economic significance, it is important to understand how lionfish will affect them. Experiments were conducted in large outdoor tanks to investigate competition for shelter space and predation between lionfish and Nassau grouper. Lionfish and Nassau grouper were paired in three combinations (lionfish:grouper): (1) 1:1 size ratio (2) 1:4 size ratio and (3) 3:1 size ratio. Small lionfish often displaced large Nassau grouper from shelter holes indicating that the invader may be a superior interference competitor for habitat. In addition, throughout all replicates, large Nassau grouper did not consume small lionfish and large lionfish did not consume small Nassau grouper. These results suggest that grouper in the size range studied are unlikely to control the invasion and that invasive lionfish may outcompete native grouper for access to shelter.Keywords: predation, lionfish, competitio

Self-recruitment and Sweepstakes Reproduction Amid Extensive Gene Flow in a Coral-reef Fish

Identifying patterns of larval dispersal within marine metapopulations is vital for effective fisheries management, appropriate marine reserve design, and conservation efforts. We employed genetic markers (microsatellites) to determine dispersal patterns in bicolour damselfish (Pomacentridae: Stegastes partitus). Tissue samples of 751 fish were collected in 2004 and 2005 from 11 sites encompassing the Exuma Sound, Bahamas. Bayesian parentage analysis identified two parent–offspring pairs, which is remarkable given the large population sizes and 28 day pelagic larval duration of bicolour damselfish. The two parent–offspring pairs directly documented self-recruitment at the two northern-most sites, one of which is a long-established marine reserve. Principal coordinates analyses of pair-wise relatedness values further indicated that self-recruitment was common in all sampled populations. Nevertheless, measures of genetic differentiation (FST) and results from assignment methods suggested high levels of gene flow among populations. Comparisons of heterozygosity and relatedness among samples of adults and recruits indicated spatially and temporally independent sweepstakes events, whereby only a subset of adults successfully contribute to subsequent generations. These results indicate that self-recruitment and sweepstakes reproduction are the predominant, ecologically-relevant processes that shape patterns of larval dispersal in this system