Fish assemblages in protected seagrass habitats:Assessing fish abundance and diversity in no-take marine reserves and fished areas

Marine reserves are an important management tool for conserving local biodiversity and protecting fragile ecosystems such as seagrass that provide significant ecological functions and services to people and the marine environment.With humans placing ever-growing pressure on seagrass habitats,marine reserves also provide an important reference from which changes to seagrass and their ecological assemblages may be assessed.After eight years of protection of seagrass beds(Posidonia australis)in no-take marine reserves(Sanctuary Zones)within the Jervis Bay Marine Park(New South Wales,Australia;zoned in 2002),we aimed to assess what changes may have occurred and assess continuing change through time in fish assemblages within these seagrass meadows.Using baited remote underwater videos(BRUVs),we sampled seagrass fish assemblages at three locations in no-take zones and five locations in fished zones three times from 2010 to 2013.Overall,we observed a total of 2615 individuals from 40 fish species drawn from 24 families.We detected no differences in total fish abundance,diversity,or assemblage composition between management zones,although we observed a significant increase in Haletta semifasciata,a locally targeted fish species,in no-take marine reserves compared with fished areas.Fish assemblages in seagrass varied greatly amongst times and locations.Several species varied in relative abundance greatly over months and years,whilst others had consistently greater relative abundances at specific locations.We discuss the potential utility of marine reserves covering seagrass habitats and the value of baseline data from which future changes to seagrass fish populations may be measured.

Fisher's perceptions about a marine protected area over time

The perceptions of fishers towards the Arrábida Marine Park,a marine protected area(MPA)in the west coast of Portugal,were studied through face-to-face interviews in two different moments of the MPA life cycle.Fishers'perceptions about the MPA and the impact it had on the fishing activity over time were identified just before the full implementation of the zoning and regulations of the management plan and 10 years later.This study aimed to investigate fishers'knowledge,acceptance and perceptions about the MPA changed with time,if support for the MPA was linked to the impact of the MPA on the fishing activity,and if fishers'perceptions about the impact of the MPA on the fishing activity match with local landings trends.Results show that although knowledge about the marine park significantly improved over time,fishers'acceptance did not.A decrease on fishers'support was not substantial but occurred.Issues such as the disagreement with regulations reinforced concerns raised during the implementation of the marine park,particularly in relation to the top-down decision-making,which commonly confers minor participation,recognition and legitimacy to fishers.Apparently,fisheries benefits were still not perceived by local fishers,though they are central for fishers'support.Further,the perceived negative impacts of the park seemed to be more related to social aspects and individual interests than to impacts on catches.Addressing adequate management,enforcement and participation of local fishers is still possible and are advocated here as to contribute to the expected socioecological outcomes and respective support,leading to the future successful performance of the Arrábida Marine Park.Assessing fishers’perceptions towards an MPA over time is central and should be included on periodical socioecological monitoring and inform an effective adaptive management.