Reefs of an uninhabited Caribbean island: fishes, benthic habitat, and opportunities to discern reef fishery impact
Miller, M.W.; Gerstner, C.L. (2002). Reefs of an uninhabited Caribbean island: fishes, benthic habitat, and opportunities to discern reef fishery impact. Biol. Conserv. 106(1): 37-44
In: Biological Conservation. Elsevier: Barking. ISSN 0006-3207; e-ISSN 1873-2917, more
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| Keywords |
Baseline studies
Conservation
Environmental impact
Environmental studies
Environments > Aquatic environment > Benthic environment
Fisheries
Fisheries > Marine fisheries > Reef fisheries
Fishing > Artisanal fishing
Greater Antilles, Haiti
Greater Antilles, Jamaica
Monitoring > Environmental monitoring
Reefs > Biogenic deposits > Coral reefs
Resources
Topographic features > Landforms > Islands
Trophic relationships
West Indies
Diadema antillarum (Philippi, 1845) [WoRMS]
Haiti [Marine Regions]; Jamaica [Marine Regions]; West Indies [Marine Regions]
Marine/Coastal |
| Authors | | Top |
- Miller, M.W.
- Gerstner, C.L.
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| 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 plus or minus 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. |
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