Titre du document / Document title

Reefs of an uninhabited Caribbean island: fishes, benthic habitat, and opportunities to discern reef fishery impact

Auteur(s) / Author(s)

MILLER Margaret W. ⁽¹⁾ ; GERSTNER Cynthia L. ⁽²⁾ ;

Affiliation(s) du ou des auteurs / Author(s) Affiliation(s)

⁽¹⁾ NOAA Fisheries-Southeast Fisheries Science Center, 75 Virginia Beach Drive, Miami, FL 33149, ETATS-UNIS
⁽²⁾ Department of Conservation, John G. Shedd Aquarium, 1200 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605, ETATS-UNIS

Résumé / Abstract

Navassa Island is a tiny, (5 km²) uninhabited US protectorate located between Jamaica and Haiti. It is part of the Caribbean Islands National Wildlife Refuge, under the jurisdiction of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. We conducted a quantitative assessment of Navassa's coral reef fishes and benthic habitat, in order to assist with the development of conservation plan for the island. The shallow reefs of Navassa (<23m) have high live coral cover (range 20-26.1%), high degree of architectural complexity (rugosity index range 1.4-1.9), and moderate abundance of the keystone grazing urchin, Diadema antillarum, at all sites (mean 2.9±0.9 per 30 m²). Despite its remoteness, an unregulated, artisanal fishery (primarily using traps and hook and line) carried out by Haitians is the primary mode of human impact on Navassa reefs. Even so, reef fish communities exhibit high density (range 97-140 fish per 60 m²) and retain representation by large snapper, grouper and herbivores, which are mostly lacking in nearby Caribbean locations with high fishing pressure. Thus, Navassa reefs appear to be trophically intact with fish populations relatively unexploited, presenting a conservation challenge and a research opportunity. The regulation and conservation of the fishery will be difficult, due to the international nature of the situation. However, given the apparently small impact that artisanal fisheries have yet had on its reef communities, Navassa presents a possibly unique opportunity to study the ecological functioning of a relatively trophically intact Caribbean reef, and represents a strong imperative for conservation, monitoring, and research.

Revue / Journal Title

Biological conservation   ISSN 0006-3207   CODEN BICOBK 

Source / Source

2002, vol. 106, n^o1, pp. 37-44 (26 ref.)

Langue / Language

Anglais

Editeur / Publisher

Elsevier, Oxford, ROYAUME-UNI  (1968) (Revue)

Mots-clés anglais / English Keywords

Vertebrata ; Environmental factor ; Anthropogenic factor ; Animal conservation ; Marine environment ; America ; Pisces ; Caribbean Basin ; Island ; Environmental monitoring ; Environment impact ; Craft activities ; Fishery ; Habitat ; Biomass ; Population density ; Community structure ; Animal community ; Benthic zone ; Coral reef ;

Mots-clés français / French Keywords

Vertebrata ; Facteur milieu ; Facteur anthropique ; Protection faune ; Milieu marin ; Amérique ; Ile Navassa ; Pisces ; Bassin Caraïbe ; Ile ; Surveillance écologique ; Impact environnement ; Artisanat ; Pêcherie ; Habitat ; Biomasse ; Densité population ; Structure communauté ; Communauté animale ; Zone benthique ; Récif corallien ;

Mots-clés espagnols / Spanish Keywords

Vertebrata ; Factor medio ; Factor antrópico ; Protección fauna ; Medio marino ; America ; Pisces ; Cuenca Caribe ; Isla ; Vigilancia ecológica ; Impacto medio ambiente ; Artesanía ; Pesquería ; Habitat ; Biomasa ; Densidad población ; Estructura comunidad ; Comunidad animal ; Zona béntica ; Arrecife coralino ;

Localisation / Location

INIST-CNRS, Cote INIST : 14169, 35400010121631.0050