Fishing the line near marine reserves in single and multispecies fisheries.

Throughout the world "fishing the line" is a frequent harvesting tactic in communities where no-take marine reserves are designated. This practice of concentrating fishing effort at the boundary of a marine reserve is predicated upon the principle of spillover, the net export of stock from the marine reserve to the surrounding unprotected waters. We explore the consequences and optimality of fishing the line using a spatially explicit theoretical model. We show that fishing the line: (1) is part of the optimal effort distribution near no-take marine reserves with mobile species regardless of the cooperation level among harvesters; (2) has a significant impact on the spatial patterns of catch per unit effort (CPUE) and fish density both within and outside of the reserve; and (3) can enhance total population size and catch simultaneously under a limited set of conditions for overexploited populations. Additionally, we explore the consequences of basing the spatial distribution of fishing effort for a multispecies fishery upon the optimality of the most mobile species that exhibits the greatest spillover. Our results show that the intensity of effort allocated to fishing the line should instead be based upon more intermediate rates of mobility within the targeted community. We conclude with a comparison between model predictions and empirical findings from a density gradient study of two important game fish in the vicinity of a no-take marine-life refuge on Santa Catalina Island, California (USA). These results reveal the need for empirical studies to account for harvester behavior and suggest that the implications of spatial discontinuities such as fishing the line should be incorporated into marine-reserve design.     

Comparative studies on the metabolism of shallow-water and deep-sea marine fishes. I. White-muscle metabolism in shallow-water fishes

Maximal rates of oxygen consumption in vitro have been measured under standardized conditions at three test temperatures (5°, 15°, and 25°C) on minced preparations of white muscle from 39 species of shallow-water marine teleost fishes. These fishes came from four different geographic areas, two with cool average water-temperatures (near 15°C: coastal southern California, Galápagos Islands) and two with warm average water-temperatures (near 25°C: Hawaiian Islands; Bermuda). The group includes species covering much of the range of variation to be found among the teleosts with respect to five additional variables: phylogenetic position, type of environment, body weight, activity level, and growth stage. The purpose of the work is to provide part of a base line of tissue-metabolism data on shallow-water fishes for comparison with similar results from deep-sea species. Major conclusions from statistical analyses of the results are: four groups of shapes of oxygen-uptake rate versus temperature curves exist: normal, flat, dipped and peaked. Over 50% of curves are normal. Intra-group differences, contributing significantly to the total variance of the results at given test temperatures, are: cool versus warm average environmental temperatures primarily for epipelagic species; epipelagic versus non-epipelagic environments; very active species versus all others; juvenile stages versus adults. In each case, the subgroup first mentioned shows higher muscle oxygen-uptake rates than the other subgroup. Variables not contributing significantly to the total variance are phylogenetic position and body weight. Physiological and ecological implications of these results are discussed.     

Comparative studies on the metabolism of shallow-water and deep-sea marine fishes. II. Red-muscle metabolism in shallow-water fishes

Maximal rates of oxygen consumption in vitro have been measured under standardized conditions at three test temperatures (5°, 15°, 25°C) on minced preparations of red muscle from 10 species of shallow-water marine teleost fishes. These fishes came from three different geographic areas, two with cool average water temperatures (near 15°C: coastal southern California, Galápagos Islands) and one with warm average water temperatures (near 25°C: Hawaiian Islands). The group is made up of post-juvenile or adult epipelagic fishes, which are moderately or very active in terms of their locomotor activities. A large part of the range of phylogenetic diversity among the teleosts is represented, as is the body weight range from a few grams to several kilograms. The purpose of the work is to provide part of a set of tissue-metabolism data on shallow-water fishes for future comparison with similar results from deep-sea species. Of 8 complete curves for oxygen uptake rate versus temperature (R-T curves), 6 are normal in shape (Q₁₀1.5), 1 is normal but with a low Q₁₀, and 1 is partly flat, partly normal. The differences between the species in terms of both absolute positions and slopes of the R-T curves are not related in any consistent way to any of the three testable variables: phylogenetic position, long-term adaptation temperature, and body size. The red muscles of a variety of adult epipelagic fishes, at ecologically realistic temperatures, are shown to be exceptions to the general rule that tissues of ectothermous lower vertebrates have lower metabolic rates than comparable tissues of non-torpid endothermous higher vertebrates. This circumstance probably is a major factor in the great capacities for sustained high-speed swimming shown by most epipelagic fishes. Other physiological and ecological implications of the results are discussed.     

Planning for persistence in marine reserves: a question of catastrophic importance.

Large-scale catastrophic events, although rare, lie generally beyond the control of local management and can prevent marine reserves from achieving biodiversity outcomes. We formulate a new conservation planning problem that aims to minimize the probability of missing conservation targets as a result of catastrophic events. To illustrate this approach we formulate and solve the problem of minimizing the impact of large-scale coral bleaching events on a reserve system for the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. We show that by considering the threat of catastrophic events as part of the reserve design problem it is possible to substantially improve the likely persistence of conservation features within reserve networks for a negligible increase in cost. In the case of the Great Barrier Reef, a 2% increase in overall reserve cost was enough to improve the long-run performance of our reserve network by >60%. Our results also demonstrate that simply aiming to protect the reefs at lowest risk of catastrophic bleaching does not necessarily lead to the best conservation outcomes, and enormous gains in overall persistence can be made by removing the requirement to represent all bioregions in the reserve network. We provide an explicit and well-defined method that allows the probability of catastrophic disturbances to be included in the site selection problem without creating additional conservation targets or imposing arbitrary presence/absence thresholds on existing data. This research has implications for reserve design in a changing climate.     

Comparative studies on the metabolism of shallow-water and deep-sea marine fishes. IV. Patterns of aerobic metabolism in the mesopelagic deep-sea fangtooth fish Anoplogaster cornuta

Measurements have been made of oxygen consumption rates O₂ of 10 specimens of the mesopelagic deep-sea fangtooth fish Anoplogaster cornuta. Determinations were made at 1 atm pressure, at temperatures of 3°, 7°, and 10°C, at dissolved oxygen concentrations ranging from near saturation to zero, with the fish swimming at low, controlled speeds. Weight-specific O₂ were uniformly low. They showed Q₁₀'s of 2.5 and 1.3, respectively, in the temperature ranges 3° to 7°C, and 7° to 10°C, at dissolved oxygen concentrations above 2 ml (standard temperature and presusure, STP)/1. Measurable O₂ continued in these fish at dissolved oxygen concentrations down to the lowest levels detectable with our instruments. At 7°C the average critical oxygen tension (P _c ) for the entire group was near 35 mm Hg. However, there is a statistically significant positive slope to the regression line relating O₂ to P _c for individual fish. The physiological and ecological significance of these results is discussed, particularly with reference to thermal effects and to the basis for survival by A. cornuta in the oxygen minimum layers of the eastern Pacific Ocean.     

Field presentation of male secretions alters social display in Sceloporus virgatus but not S. undulatus lizards

Lizards have communicative displays involving primarily vision and chemicals, and recent work suggests trade-offs between these two modalities. In reptiles, little work assesses effects of conspecific chemicals on subsequent signaling behavior. Here, we studied responses to conspecific secretions in two Sceloporus species differing in visual signaling: male Sceloporus undulatus have blue abdominal patches used in aggressive territorial encounters, while Sceloporus virgatus males have evolutionarily lost the patches and have low rates of aggressive display. We measured behavior of free-ranging males following presentation of swabs with conspecific male chemicals from femoral glands and the cloaca, or of clean swabs. For male S. undulatus (blue), neither likelihoods nor rates of behavioral responses differed between swab treatments. In contrast, male S. virgatus (white) presented with secretions had significantly higher likelihood of performing head bob, push-up, and shudder displays, than males in control swab trials. Rates of behavior also differed for S. virgatus, with higher rates of push-up display and tongue flick in trials with conspecific chemicals, but rates of other displays, number of moves, and mean total distance moved did not differ between treatments. Male S. undulatus moved significantly greater distances than S. virgatus, independent of treatment. In sum, male S. virgatus responded to conspecific male chemicals by increasing their low rates of display behavior, whereas male S. undulatus did not alter their already high rates of display or movement following chemical exposure. Chemical signals may play a different role in social signaling in the species with the loss of the abdominal color signal.     

Comparative studies on the metabolism of shallow-water and deep-sea marine fishes. V. Effects of temperature and hydrostatic pressure on oxygen consumption in the mesopelagic zoarcid Melanostigma pammelas

Measurements have been made of routine oxygen consumption rates ( ) of the mesopelagic deep-sea zoarcid fish Melanostigma pammelas. Determinations were made over ecologically relevant ranges of 3 variables; temperature (3° to 10°C), hydrostatic pressure (1 to 170 atm), and oxygen partial pressure (1 to 160 mm Hg). Weight-specific s were uniformly low. Of the 3 test variables, only temperature had significant metabolic effects within the ranges studied. Q₁₀'s were 6.75 between 3° and 5°C. 1.47 between 5° and 7°C, and 17.4 between 7° and 10°C. These Q₁₀'s were constant over the hydrostatic pressure range studied. Between 3° and 7°C the fish regulated their rates of oxygen consumption down to PO₂'s comparable to those occurring in their natural environments (6 to 12 mm Hg). The showed no capacity to tolerate anoxic conditions. The physiological and ecological significance of these results is discussed, particularly with reference to thermal effects and to the basis of survival of this fish in the oxygen minimum layers of the eastern Pacific Ocean. Since it is possible to maintain M. pammelas in the laboratory for extended periods of time (over 12 months) it could serve as the basis for many interesting studies of deep-sea fish biology.     

Heterospecific song matching in two closely related songbirds (Parus major and P. caeruleus): great tits match blue tits but not vice versa

To date, song research has focused primarily on the interactions of conspecifics. However, frequent interactions of songbirds with heterospecifics may necessitate adequate communication outside the species boundary. In this study, we focus on heterospecific communication behaviour of two small sympatric congeneric passerines, great and blue tits (Parus major and Parus caeruleus), which breed in overlapping territories and compete for food and nesting cavities. By means of a first playback experiment, we show that (1) heterospecific matching (imitating songs of the other species) is a strategy frequently used by great tits but not by blue tits, (2) both blue tit trilled and untrilled song can be accurately matched by great tits and that (3) almost half of the great tits in our study population match at least one blue tit song across all studied breeding stages, indicating that this heterospecific matching behaviour is a common feature in this population. A second playback experiment showed that these great tit imitations of blue tit songs do not function in intraspecific communication between male great tits. Hence, these heterospecific imitations appear to be designed for interspecific communication with blue tits. These findings suggest a strong heterospecific influence on the vocal learning process, repertoire composition and repertoire use in great tits and provide a possible mechanism that can drive song convergence in songbirds.