Effectiveness of Southern California Marine Protected Areas in promoting healthy fish communities
Presentation Type
Poster
Presentation Type
Submission
Keywords
Marine Management, Flight Initiation Distance, Fish, Community Health, Southern California
Department
Biology
Major
Biology
Abstract
The goal of marine protected areas (MPAs) is to protect habitats and ecosystems to promote the diversity and health of marine populations. To evaluate the health of fish populations within and outside of MPAs, we used flight initiation distance (FID). FID is the distance at which an individual will flee from a perceived predator and is a direct measure of boldness. Lower FIDs are indicative of bolder and therefore healthier populations. Lower FID values indicate that fish will conserve energy that could be used towards growth and reproduction. Data was collected from nine locations along the southern California coast, four in protected areas, and five in non-protected areas. FIDs were measured with a sonar-based range finder. All fish species that could be caught by recreational fishermen were targeted, with a focus on six core species that are commonly sought by spearfishermen. Results showed that all fish sampled in MPAs have lower FIDs than those in non-protected areas (Wilcoxon rank sum: W=7013.5, p
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Florybeth La Valle
Funding Source or Research Program
Academic Year Undergraduate Research Initiative, Summer Undergraduate Research in Biology
Location
Waves Cafeteria
Start Date
24-3-2023 2:00 PM
End Date
24-3-2023 4:00 PM
Effectiveness of Southern California Marine Protected Areas in promoting healthy fish communities
Waves Cafeteria
The goal of marine protected areas (MPAs) is to protect habitats and ecosystems to promote the diversity and health of marine populations. To evaluate the health of fish populations within and outside of MPAs, we used flight initiation distance (FID). FID is the distance at which an individual will flee from a perceived predator and is a direct measure of boldness. Lower FIDs are indicative of bolder and therefore healthier populations. Lower FID values indicate that fish will conserve energy that could be used towards growth and reproduction. Data was collected from nine locations along the southern California coast, four in protected areas, and five in non-protected areas. FIDs were measured with a sonar-based range finder. All fish species that could be caught by recreational fishermen were targeted, with a focus on six core species that are commonly sought by spearfishermen. Results showed that all fish sampled in MPAs have lower FIDs than those in non-protected areas (Wilcoxon rank sum: W=7013.5, p