Current Status of Accomplishment or Milestone: As part of the Marine Ecological Reserves Research Program, UC Sea Grant and the California Department of Fish and Game Commission have approved funding of $167,888 for two years of research from June 1997 through May 1999. Field work will begin September 1997.
Background: The Marine Ecological Reserves Research Program is part of the California's Marine Resources Protection Act, and focuses on scientific research being conducted within one of the state's four coastal ecological reserves. Marine fishery reserves are being considered as an alternative to traditional fishery management throughout the world, and yet their effectiveness is poorly understood and reserve concepts, especially as they relate to temperate marine systems, largely are untested. Big Creek Ecological Reserve (The Reserve), closed to fishing since January 1994, affords an especially good opportunity to study the benefits of reserves to rockfishes, and to test the impacts of fishing on biodiversity.
Techniques developed during our past research using submersibles and side scan sonar to study bio-geological linkages have proved valuable in assessing marine benthic fish assemblages and habitats, especially in natural refugia. Using these techniques, our new research will build on the results of a recently completed study in which we mapped benthic habitats and ocean currents in the vicinity of this Reserve. Results of our new study will provide a baseline from which to evaluate future changes to Reserve populations of benthic fishes in deep water. In addition, this study will benefit from recommendations made at a workshop being convened in September 1997 at PFEL, which will address conceptual and theoretical aspects of using harvest refugia in rockfish management on the west coast.
Purpose of Activity/Goal of Project: This study has six objectives: 1) To verify (groundtruth) our interpretations of bottom types made from a previous seafloor survey in deepwater of The Reserve and adjacent fished areas; 2) To provide estimates of relative abundance and distribution of groundfish habitats in study area; 3) To quantify fish density, size structure, species composition and richness, relative to depth and habitat, in deepwater of The Reserve and adjacent unprotected areas; 4) To provide accurate maps of species-habitat relationships within study areas; 5) To compare above variables between two years of increasing resource protection; 6) To test the null hypothesis that there is no difference in fish assemblages (numbers and sizes) between The Reserve and adjacent fished areas.
Description of Accomplishment and Significant Results: Because traditional management efforts alone are not successfully protecting and sustaining our groundfish resources, reserves are being promoted as a viable alternative. Our characterization and quantification of habitats and fish resources within and around Big Creek Ecological Reserve will be a first step in evaluating a reserve's effectiveness at maintaining and enhancing coastal fish populations, and should generally improve the conceptual design and models for fishery reserves.
Significance of Accomplishment (e.g., to the Center, to Management, and to NMFS Strategic Plan Goals): Our proposed study directly addresses research priorities identified by NMFS Science Board, such as formation of a research agenda for essential fish habitat, studies on the use of refugia as a fisheries management tool, and improving stock assessments by including ecological information (e.g. habitat-specific estimates of species abundances). Additionally, fishery management councils and NMFS are required (through the reauthorization of the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act) to identify, characterize, and describe essential elements of habitat for commercially managed fish species, and to amend fishery management plans to reflect these elements. Our results on habitats in deep water will be especially useful. The Pacific Fisheries Management Council also has identified habitat studies of rockfishes, and the effects of fishing on those habitats, as high research priorities. A major rationale of our study is to provide information on the relationship between fish and particular habitats so that managers will be able to ensure the continued wise management of valuable resources.
Key Contact: Mary Yoklavich (831-648-9036)