Effects of excluding bottom-disturbing mobile fishing gear on abundance and biomass of groundfishes in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, USA
Abstract The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (southern Gulf of Maine, northwest Atlantic) is partially overlapped by the Western Gulf of Maine Closure Area (WGMCA). This is a region in which mobile, bottom-disturbing fishing gear has been banned by the New England Fishery Management Counci...
Published in: | Current Zoology |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Oxford University Press (OUP)
2010
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/czoolo/56.1.134 http://academic.oup.com/cz/article-pdf/56/1/134/29810622/czoolo0134.pdf |
id |
croxfordunivpr:10.1093/czoolo/56.1.134 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
croxfordunivpr:10.1093/czoolo/56.1.134 2023-05-15T17:45:41+02:00 Effects of excluding bottom-disturbing mobile fishing gear on abundance and biomass of groundfishes in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, USA Brown, Briana K. Soule, Elizabeth Kaufman, Les 2010 http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/czoolo/56.1.134 http://academic.oup.com/cz/article-pdf/56/1/134/29810622/czoolo0134.pdf en eng Oxford University Press (OUP) Current Zoology volume 56, issue 1, page 134-143 ISSN 2396-9814 1674-5507 Animal Science and Zoology journal-article 2010 croxfordunivpr https://doi.org/10.1093/czoolo/56.1.134 2023-01-27T10:53:08Z Abstract The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (southern Gulf of Maine, northwest Atlantic) is partially overlapped by the Western Gulf of Maine Closure Area (WGMCA). This is a region in which mobile, bottom-disturbing fishing gear has been banned by the New England Fishery Management Council to facilitate the rebuilding of depleted groundfish populations. We assessed the effects and effectiveness of the WGMCA on groundfish assemblages using habitat-stratified (gravel, sand, mixed benthic habitats) sampling by means of a commercial trawler, inside and outside of the WGMCA. Sampling occurred over three month-long sampling periods in 2004-2005, two during the spring seasons and one during the fall season. A total of 18 species were analyzed for protection effects. After controlling for substratum, location and sampling season, eight groundfish species exhibited higher mean proportional abundance inside than outside the WGMCA while two were proportionally more abundant on average outside of the closure. Four species had higher mean proportional biomasses on average inside the closure and three outside. We conclude that the WGMCA may be achieving its goal of rebuilding abundance and biomass for some commercially targeted groundfishes but not all. This study, six to seven years post-closure establishment, reveals fine-scale spatial and taxonomic complexity which will require a very different monitoring protocol than the one currently in place if adaptive management is to be successful in the region. Article in Journal/Newspaper Northwest Atlantic Oxford University Press (via Crossref) Current Zoology 56 1 134 143 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Oxford University Press (via Crossref) |
op_collection_id |
croxfordunivpr |
language |
English |
topic |
Animal Science and Zoology |
spellingShingle |
Animal Science and Zoology Brown, Briana K. Soule, Elizabeth Kaufman, Les Effects of excluding bottom-disturbing mobile fishing gear on abundance and biomass of groundfishes in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, USA |
topic_facet |
Animal Science and Zoology |
description |
Abstract The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (southern Gulf of Maine, northwest Atlantic) is partially overlapped by the Western Gulf of Maine Closure Area (WGMCA). This is a region in which mobile, bottom-disturbing fishing gear has been banned by the New England Fishery Management Council to facilitate the rebuilding of depleted groundfish populations. We assessed the effects and effectiveness of the WGMCA on groundfish assemblages using habitat-stratified (gravel, sand, mixed benthic habitats) sampling by means of a commercial trawler, inside and outside of the WGMCA. Sampling occurred over three month-long sampling periods in 2004-2005, two during the spring seasons and one during the fall season. A total of 18 species were analyzed for protection effects. After controlling for substratum, location and sampling season, eight groundfish species exhibited higher mean proportional abundance inside than outside the WGMCA while two were proportionally more abundant on average outside of the closure. Four species had higher mean proportional biomasses on average inside the closure and three outside. We conclude that the WGMCA may be achieving its goal of rebuilding abundance and biomass for some commercially targeted groundfishes but not all. This study, six to seven years post-closure establishment, reveals fine-scale spatial and taxonomic complexity which will require a very different monitoring protocol than the one currently in place if adaptive management is to be successful in the region. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Brown, Briana K. Soule, Elizabeth Kaufman, Les |
author_facet |
Brown, Briana K. Soule, Elizabeth Kaufman, Les |
author_sort |
Brown, Briana K. |
title |
Effects of excluding bottom-disturbing mobile fishing gear on abundance and biomass of groundfishes in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, USA |
title_short |
Effects of excluding bottom-disturbing mobile fishing gear on abundance and biomass of groundfishes in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, USA |
title_full |
Effects of excluding bottom-disturbing mobile fishing gear on abundance and biomass of groundfishes in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, USA |
title_fullStr |
Effects of excluding bottom-disturbing mobile fishing gear on abundance and biomass of groundfishes in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, USA |
title_full_unstemmed |
Effects of excluding bottom-disturbing mobile fishing gear on abundance and biomass of groundfishes in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, USA |
title_sort |
effects of excluding bottom-disturbing mobile fishing gear on abundance and biomass of groundfishes in the stellwagen bank national marine sanctuary, usa |
publisher |
Oxford University Press (OUP) |
publishDate |
2010 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/czoolo/56.1.134 http://academic.oup.com/cz/article-pdf/56/1/134/29810622/czoolo0134.pdf |
genre |
Northwest Atlantic |
genre_facet |
Northwest Atlantic |
op_source |
Current Zoology volume 56, issue 1, page 134-143 ISSN 2396-9814 1674-5507 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1093/czoolo/56.1.134 |
container_title |
Current Zoology |
container_volume |
56 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
134 |
op_container_end_page |
143 |
_version_ |
1766148900280860672 |