Fine-scale behavior of red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) around bait: approach distances, bait plume dynamics, and effective fishing area

The behavior of fish around bait is poorly understood despite it being important for the fish catching process and estimating relative abundance. We used a fine-scale acoustic positioning system to quantify the movements of 26 red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) around 120 bait deployments in 2019 at a natural reef site (~37-m deep) in North Carolina, USA. There were 39 instances of tagged red snapper approaching bait during four baiting days, some of which approached due to apparent sensory cues (28%) while most approached incidentally (72%). Tagged red snapper approached bait from initial distances of 1 to 1 147 m (median = 27 m; mean = 86 m), and took 0 – 77 min (mean = 22 min) to approach. Fish were more likely to approach bait if they were located close to, and down-current of, the bait at deployment. Our estimated effective fishing area of 2 290 m2 (within which >50% of red snapper responded to bait) could be used along with video counts and other information to estimate densities of red snapper.

Using ecological evidence to refine approaches to deploying offshore artificial reefs for recreational fisheries

Artificial reefs have many applications but are best known for their deployments to enhance recreational fisheries by creating new habitat in areas where natural reef is otherwise limited. The expectation is that fish assemblages will take up residence on artificial reefs and that these assemblages will become at least similar, if not more diverse and abundant, to those on natural reefs. Although designed, purpose-built artificial reefs are becoming more widely used in support of recreational fisheries and many of the historic issues have been resolved, conservation practitioners and managers still face challenges as to the type, number, and arrangement of structures and where to deploy them to maximize benefits and minimize risks. The ecological literature was reviewed to develop and enhance contemporary principles of artificial reef best practices for utilization. Our review identified optimal shapes, vertical relief, void spaces, and unit arrangements for increasing volumes and diversity of catch to recreational fishers and we provide a tool for identifying the least constrained areas for artificial reef deployment. We suggest; (a) monitoring of noncatch motivators in combination with quantitative indicators of the fishing activity (e.g., catch rate and effort) will provide the best understanding of success or failure of an artificial reef deployment; (b) choosing target species for informing purpose-built artificial reef designs to be reef-associated, demersal, philopatric, territorial, and obligatory reef species that are desired by local recreational fishers; and (c) considering the ecosystem services provided by artificial reefs beyond those associated with recreational fishing.

REASON OF FIXATION OF MOUTH OF A SMALL RIVER BEHIND NATURAL REEF

The mechanism by which the mouth of a small river is stably fixed in the wave-shelter zone behind an offshore reef composed of natural rocks was studied, taking a small river flowing into the Moriya coast together with two other small rivers as examples. The beach topography around the river mouth and the shape of the stream behind the reef were measured on this coast, and the wave height distribution around the reef was calculated using the angular spreading method, and the reason why the river mouth is stably fixed at this location was considered. Furthermore, the numerical simulation of beach changes using the BG model when an offshore breakwater was installed as a model of a natural reef was carried out to study the longshore change in the berm height. The primary cause for the fixation of a river mouth behind a reef was found to be the decrease in wave height behind the reef, which in turn decreases in the berm height.

Benthic biodiversity on old platforms, young wind farms, and rocky reefs

The introduction of artificial hard substrates in an area dominated by a sandy seabed increases habitat available to epifouling organisms. To investigate this, samples were taken on old offshore oil and gas platforms, and data were compared with data of a young wind farm and a natural reef. Depth, sampling date, abundance of Mytilus edulis, Psammechinus miliaris, Metridium dianthus, and the presence of Tubulariidae and substrate (rock or steel) all correlated with species richness. Multivariate analysis showed a large overlap in communities on steel and rock and between the wind farm and platforms. The community changed over a gradient from deep rocks to shallow steel substrate, but no strong community differentiation was observed. Deep steel was more similar to natural rocks than shallow steel. When an artificial reef is intended to be colonized by communities similar to those on a natural reef, its structure should resemble a natural reef as much as possible.

Residency and movement patterns of yellowfin bream (Acanthopagrus australis) released at natural and artificial reef sites

The present study investigated the long-term (>2 years) site fidelity, residency and movement patterns of Acanthopagrus australis (Sparidae) at artificial (AR) and natural reef (NR) sites. Acoustic telemetry was used to assess movement patterns of 39 fish released at NR and AR locations and other habitat types within the study area. Detection periods ranged from 1 day to a maximum of 912 days, with 36% of fish detected by the array for >1 year and a further 7% detected for >2 years. Results indicate that tagged fish tended to remain associated with the release site; however, AR fish were detected for considerably longer periods with greater numbers of fish identified as resident within the AR system. AR-released fish were also identified more frequently across the entire array, with the majority (90%) of detections between receiver stations located within the AR system. Results were affected by short detection periods (<6 days) of a relatively high proportion of fish released at the NR, possibly indicating differential rates of fishing mortality between locations. Longer range movements of >200km were also detected, but there was no obvious trend with release location. The results of the present study indicate interactions between existing and introduced artificial habitat are more complex than a ‘draw-down’ effect and provide further evidence that AR systems provide suitable habitat for a variety of species, as well as further support for the use of AR systems in fisheries enhancement initiatives. The results also have important implications for understanding the effect of AR systems and indicate that the size of the reef system may be an important factor in controlling for levels of fishing-related mortality.