Marine Artificial Reef Research and Development: Integrating Fisheries Management Objectives

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
South Carolina ◽  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Artificial Reef ◽  
The South ◽  
Management Zone ◽  
Spawning Site ◽  
Management Objectives ◽  
South Carolina Department ◽  
Management Council ◽  
Sand Bottom

<em>Abstract</em>.—In support of the Magnuson–Stevens Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006, which tasked regional fisheries management councils with ending overfishing of numerous marine finfish species, the South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council established 8 deepwater (90–150 m [300–500 ft]) type II marine protected areas (MPAs) along the coastline of the southeastern United States. At the request of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), one of these MPAs was established on an undeveloped sand-bottom area previously permitted by SCDNR for artificial reef development. After monitoring the production potential of unfished artificial reefs for several years on shallower experimental reef sites, SCDNR staff proposed that a deeper location had the potential to become a highly productive spawning site, particularly for deepwater grouper species. Development of this permitted site began in 2014 when two 79-m (260 ft) barges with nearly 30 m (100 ft) of added profile were deployed. Subsequent monitoring of the site through remotely operated underwater vehicle video revealed colonization by several target species, including Warsaw Grouper <em>Hyporthodus nigritus</em>, Snowy Grouper <em>H. niveatus</em>, and Misty Grouper <em>H. mystacinus</em>. Due in part to the success of this deepwater MPA, the SCDNR was also granted spawning special management zone designation for its two previously established, undisclosed experimental artificial reef sites in federal waters off South Carolina in 2017.

Marine Artificial Reef Research and Development: Integrating Fisheries Management Objectives

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Artificial Reef ◽  
Coastal Development ◽  
Coastal Resource Management ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Management Objectives ◽  
Coastal Resource ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Habitat Enhancement

<em>Abstract</em>.—Multiple coastal development activities coupled with unsustainable management have caused environmental degradation in the Santa Marta region of Colombia. To mitigate this impact, Ecopetrol entered into alliances with private and government institutions to initiate an integrative artificial reef project in Pozos Colorados Bay. To develop the project’s framework, it was necessary to (1) establish context and objectives, (2) design plans and reef construction, (3) strengthen a target social population, and (4) conduct pre- and postdeployment ecological assessments. The achievement of each objective was met with delays and constraints, mainly due to administrative issues and legal requirements. Nevertheless, interventions and interactions among representatives of the 10 institutions involved in the project, as well as the strong commitment of fishers from three organizations in all stages of the process, were indicators of project’s success. Together, these actions and contributions resulted in the deployment of the first six artificial reefs in a 137-ha area. Moreover, recorded changes in biological assemblages before and after reef deployment (richness: 3–37 species; abundance: 30.3–1,615.7 individuals), along with the presence of commercial, ecological, and endangered important species, support the concept of habitat enhancement procedures used here as a strategy for biodiversity conservation with potential for ecotourism activities. The utilization of this technology should be conducted in compliance with concerted schemes for coastal resource management and precautionary principles, directed towards the conformation of discrete marine reserves as future models of sustainable production in sensitive areas.

Marine Artificial Reef Research and Development: Integrating Fisheries Management Objectives

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Kelp Forest ◽  
Evaluation Criteria ◽  
Artificial Reef ◽  
Performance Standards ◽  
Forest Resources ◽  
Management Objectives ◽  
Long Term Monitoring ◽  
Term Monitoring

<em>Abstract</em>.—The Wheeler North Reef (WNR) is a large (70.4 ha [174 acre]) artificial reef in Southern California designed to mitigate the loss of kelp forest habitat and its associated community of algae, invertebrates, and fishes caused by the operation of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS). Conditions of the SONGS’ operating permit require that the success of WNR in compensating for the kelp forest resources destroyed by the 30 years of the power plant’s operations be determined by long-term monitoring that is independent of the owners of SONGS. Performance standards pertaining to physical and ecological attributes of WNR are used as a basis for determining the success of WNR in meeting the mitigation objective to replace kelp forest resources in kind. We discuss details of the sampling design, evaluation criteria, and monitoring results and show how they are used to inform adaptive management that helps to ensure that the mitigation goals are met.

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