This study used trapping and visual census surveys to assess whether a marine reserve in Barbados effectively protected coral reef fish stocks and whether there was evidence of emigration from the reserve. Fish abundance and sizes were higher in the reserve than in surrounding non-reserve areas. Relative differences in abundance and size between reserve and non-reserve of different taxa were positively correlated to vulnerability to traps (the most common fishing method) but not to mobility of fish. Gradients of abundance across the reserve boundaries (decreasing abundance with distance from the reserve center) were apparent for total abundance but not for individual taxa. These patterns suggest that the reserve does protect fish stocks and that emigration is of minor importance.
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.68247 |
Date | January 1994 |
Creators | Rakitin, Ana |
Contributors | Kramer, Donald L. (advisor) |
Publisher | McGill University |
Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
Language | English |
Detected Language | English |
Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
Format | application/pdf |
Coverage | Master of Science (Department of Biology.) |
Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
Relation | alephsysno: 001402945, proquestno: AAIMM94505, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
Page generated in 0.0015 seconds