Análise dos processos recentes de fragmentação e recomposição dos remanescentes florestais do estado do Rio de Janeiro

Ao longo de quase cinco anos de trabalho, foi desenvolvido o Índice de Qualidade dos Municípios - Verde, pela Fundação CIDE. O trabalho buscou retratar as características da fragmentação florestal fluminense. Como um elemento para apoiar a gestão ambiental do território, o projeto identificou corredores ecológicos prioritários para a interligação de fragmentos florestais. A grande contribuição do trabalho, do ponto de vista conceitual, foi reorientar o debate acerca da fragmentação florestal no Estado do Rio de Janeiro. O projeto IQM - Verde apresentou, exaustivamente, lugares onde ocorreram perdas e ganhos de estoques de vegetação com porte arbóreo, num recorte por municípios, bacias hidrográficas e Unidades de Conservação. Existem importantes questões que foram levantadas e ainda aguardam maiores e melhores respostas. Uma delas é tentar explicar, a partir da ecologia de paisagens, quais são os mecanismos que facilitam ou dificultam o processo natural de sucessão florestal. A situação da sucessão florestal é completamente diferente de uma região para outra do Estado. No Noroeste do Estado existem indícios claros de retração e fragmentação dos remanescentes enquanto na região Serrana do Sul Fluminense aparecem sinais claros de recuperação e recomposição florestal. Novos conceitos de gestão ambiental procuram minimizar os efeitos decorrentes da fragmentação e do isolamento espacial das espécies. O aumento da conectividade através de corredores ecológicos entre unidades de conservação e até mesmo entre os fragmentos mais bem conservados é apontado por muitos pesquisadores como uma das formas mais eficazes de promover a manutenção dos remanescentes florestais - a longo prazo - e até mesmo promover a recuperação funcional de determinadas unidades ecológicas atualmente ilhadas. A atual geração de pesquisadores e gestores públicos está diante do problema do controle dos processos que desencadeiam a fragmentação florestal. Portanto, é urgente a necessidade de entender todas as consequências associadas ao processo de fragmentação florestal e, ao mesmo tempo, descobrir os efeitos inibidores deste complexo fenômeno que possui raízes físicas, naturais e sociais. O objetivo central da tese é, a partir de elementos da História das Mentalidades e da Teoria da Decisão, construir cenários de pressão antrópica sobre os remanescentes florestais e propor um programa possível de intervenção econômica, jurídica e política, denominado no presente estudo como bolsa floresta, capaz de aliviar o atual processo de fragmentação florestal.

Getting it right: incorporating social aspects into MPA planning and implementation

This brochure summarizes a series of case studies done in nine countries—Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Senegal, South Africa, Spain,Tanzania and Thailand—on the role of communities in the planning and implementation of marine protected areas (MPAs). The studies demonstrate that communities can be powerful allies in efforts for conservation and management of coastal and marine resources. They also underline the need for systematic attention, capacity building, funding and other resources for effective implementation of Programme Element 2 on governance, participation, equity, and benefit sharing of the Programme of Work on Protected Areas (PoWPA) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

Reserved parking : marine reserves and small-scale fishing communities: a collection of articles from SAMUDRA report

As the earth’s resources continue to face increasing pressure from a variety of human and natural causes, protection of the environment and biodiversity is a matter of contemporary concern, The conservation of coastal and marine resources, in particular, has become a priority for countries around the world. In this context, marine protected areas (MPAs) are being widely promoted as one of the most effective tools for the conservation of coastal and marine resources. Most MPAs are located in coastal areas of great biodiversity, and hence their development has direct impacts on the lives and livelihoods of coastal communities, especially small-scale and traditional fishing communities. Typically, they are the ones who have to bear the costs of conservation practices–lost livelihood options, expulsion from traditional fishing grounds and living spaces, and violation of human/community rights, to name a few. The articles in this dossier, drawn chronologically from the pages of Samudra Report, the triannual publication of ICSF, draw attention to these issues. They show that conservation and livelihoods are closely intertwined, and that top-down, non-participatory models of conservation can be counter-productive. Despite being poor and powerless, fishing and coastal communities can be powerful allies in conservation efforts, given their longstanding dependence on natural resources and their traditional ecological knowledge systems. As the examples in this dossier reveal, it is possible for fishing communities to protect and conserve the environment, while continuing with sustainable fishing operations. Clearly, only an integrated approach to fisheries management and conservation will prove successful. This dossier will be useful for policymakers, social scientists, non-governmental organizations and others interested in fisheries, conservation, communities and livelihoods.

Ecoturismo e Inserção Comunitária em Unidades de Conservação: Uma análise comparativa entre as comunidades tradicionais do Núcleo Picinguaba do Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar (PESM) Ubatuba, SP

O desenvolvimento do ecoturismo em Unidades de Conservação tem sido considerado uma alternativa para a diminuição dos impactos sobre a biodiversidade, a potencialização da conservação da natureza e a oportunidade de inclusão das populações locais. Nesse sentido, a presente dissertação teve como objetivo geral analisar comparativamente o desenvolvimento das atividades turísticas em três comunidades tradicionais do Núcleo Picinguaba do Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar, localizado no município de Ubatuba (SP), buscando compreender de que forma as populações tradicionais de cada comunidade estão inseridas nessas atividades e qual das três encontra-se mais articulada para o desenvolvimento do ecoturismo. Para obter parâmetros de comparação das comunidades estudadas, foram criados Indicadores de Avaliação do Desenvolvimento do (Eco)turismo, definidos de acordo com algumas premissas básicas de desenvolvimento do ecoturismo e avaliados a partir de entrevistas semiestruturadas com atores locais e observações de campo. Concluiu-se que a comunidade mais bem estruturada para o desenvolvimento do ecoturismo é o Quilombo da Fazenda, apesar de grande parte dos moradores entrevistados não serem contemplados com os benefícios da atividade. A atuação do Parque é mais restrita aos trabalhos realizados pelos monitores ambientais, que atuam principalmente na Praia da Fazenda e Sertão da Fazenda. Dessa forma, é necessário haver medidas voltadas para a melhoria das condições de vida das populações tradicionais do NP, afetadas pela criação da unidade de conservação, que alterou profundamente seu modo de vida, através da proibição de suas atividades. O desenvolvimento do ecoturismo no NP deve ser capaz de gerar empregos e renda para a população local de forma mais abrangente, promovendo o desenvolvimento sustentável e a valorização da cultura local.

Avaliação da influência do manejo agrícola no uso e cobertura das terras através de ferramentas de geoprocessamento e indicadores de qualidade dos solos na bacia hidrográfica do Córrego da Caçada - Paraty/RJ

A avaliação da qualidade dos solos e a redução da Mata Atlântica tem sido alvo de diversas pesquisas no Brasil e no mundo, principalmente quando estes estão atrelados ao recorte espacial de Unidades de Conservação. No entanto, tem sido difícil para os gestores dessas unidades a avaliação dos impactos ambientais gerados ao longo dos anos nas bacias hidrográficas, principalmente pela falta de investimentos. Esta dissertação teve por objetivo geral avaliar o atual estágio de degradação da bacia hidrográfica do Córrego da Caçada pertencente à Área de Proteção Ambiental Federal de Cairuçu, no município de Paraty RJ, analisando quantitativamente e qualitativamente a redução dos fragmentos de Mata Atlântica e estabelecendo relações com a degradação física e química dos solos dentro e fora dos fragmentos florestais. A metodologia utilizada para a redução ou avanço dos fragmentos de Mata Atlântica baseou-se no uso de fotografias aéreas do ano de 1956 e imagens de satélite de 2012, onde possibilitou a avaliação espaço-temporal do uso e cobertura das terras, através da produção de um mapa temático final. Além disso, foram elaborados mapas temáticos de reconhecimento da área de estudo, como o de hipsometria, de declividade, de orientação e forma das encostas, além da geração de perfis topográficos. Para a avaliação da qualidade física, química e biológica dos solos foram determinadas as curvas de distribuição granulométrica, a densidade relativa dos grãos sólidos e a densidade aparente, porosidade total, os limites de liquidez e plasticidade, a estabilidade dos agregados em água, análises morfológicas, a saturação de bases, a capacidade de troca catiônica (CTC), a saturação por alumínio, fósforo, pH e o carbono orgânico. Para tal, foi realizada a abertura de três perfis, sendo um em área de fragmento florestal e dois em áreas de pasto. O resultado das análises permitiu, segundo a Sociedade Brasileira de Ciência do solo, a classificação de dois tipos de solos na bacia, sendo: Cambissolo Háplico Tb Distrófico Típico em área fragmento florestal e em área de pasto, e um Latossolo Amarelo Tb Distrófico Típico em área de pasto. Os resultados de laboratório mostraram que os solos avaliados têm baixa fertilidade e valores variados nos resultados de física do solo. No entanto, além do histórico de uso do solo caracterizado pelas práticas rudimentares do manejo empregado pelos Caiçaras, o clima predominante na região possibilita um regime pluviométrico anual que passa dos 2.000mm de chuva/ano, caracterizando solos muito lixiviados e pobres quimicamente. Portanto, conclui-se que a relação das propriedades físicas e químicas avaliadas junto ao manejo inadequado ao longo dos anos tem apresentado um cenário de grandes dificuldades para a recuperação florestal na bacia hidrográfica do Córrego da Caçada, o que mostra a importância da avaliação dos impactos ambientais não só pelo recorte de bacias hidrográficas, como contextualizar seu posicionamento dentro de Unidades de Conservação, com legislações e objetivos específicos.

PICES Press, Vol. 21, No. 2, Summer 2013

•The 2013 Inter-sessional Science Board Meeting: A Note from the Science Board Chairman (pp. 1-4) •ICES/PICES Workshop on Global Assessment of the Implications of Climate Change on the Spatial Distribution of Fish and Fisheries (pp. 5-8) •PICES participates in a Convention on Biological Diversity Regional Workshop (pp. 9-11) •Social and Economic Indicators for Status and Change within North Pacific Ecosystems (pp. 12-13) •The Fourth International Jellyfish Bloom Symposium (pp. 14-15) •Workshop on Radionuclide Science and Environmental Quality in the North Pacific (pp. 16-17) •PICES-MAFF Project on Marine Ecosystem Health and Human Well-Being: Indonesia Workshop (pp. 18-19) •Socioeconomic Indicators for United States Fisheries and Fishing Communities (pp. 20-23) •Harmful Algal Blooms in a Changing World (pp. 24-25, 27) •Enhancing Scientific Cooperation between PICES and NPAFC (pp. 26-27) •Workshop on Marine Biodiversity Conservation and Marine Protected Areas in the Northwest Pacific (pp. 28-29) •The State of the Western North Pacific in the Second Half of 2012 (pp. 30-31) •Stuck in Neutral in the Northeast Pacific Ocean (pp. 32-33) •The Bering Sea: Current Status and Recent Trends (pp. 34-36) •For your Bookshelf (p. 37) •Howard Freeland takes home Canadian awards (p. 38)

O Processo de Criação da Reserva Biológica do Tinguá: conflitos na constituição de uma Unidade de Conservação, Nova IguaçuRJ (19871989)

Em 1989, após expressiva mobilização social organizada e liderada por ambientalistas e moradores da região, com o apoio de universidades como a UFRRJ e a UFRJ, além de entidades da sociedade civil da Baixada Fluminense, o governo José Sarney, através de um decreto federal datado de 23 de maio de 1989, transformou o Tinguá em Reserva Biológica, cujo objetivo é a proteção de amostra representativa da Mata Atlântica e demais recursos naturais nela contidos, com especial atenção para os recursos hídricos, além de proporcionar o desenvolvimento de pesquisas científicas e educação ambiental. Até aquela data, tais florestas eram consideradas como Florestas Protetoras de Mananciais em razão do potencial hídrico ali existente. As questões postas pelos atores, e que teriam motivado a associação, segundo o relato de moradores participantes do movimento, giram em torno prioritariamente, da proteção da diversidade biológica, a repressão às ações lesivas à preservação, a punição de crimes ambientais, mas acima de tudo partem em principal da ausência do poder público na região para prover serviços básicos de abastecimento de água e saneamento. Nota-se ainda na fala dos moradores do Tinguá a queixa da precariedade dos recursos financeiros, materiais e humanos para implementar ações para a gestão e a atividade de moradores com práticas agrícolas cuja percepção da floresta protegida parece ser a de restrição do uso. Este trabalho pretende compreender a relação entre história socioambiental e conflito a partir da participação dos moradores do Tinguá no processo de debates e de mobilização que contribuiu para institucionalização da Reserva Biológica do Tinguá, buscando desvelar as motivações para a participação por meio da análise das matérias publicadas em dois jornais locais de Nova Iguaçu: O Correio da Lavoura e o Jornal de Hoje, sendo o primeiro um semanário e o outro diário em circulação na Baixada. Além disso, utiliza-se como fonte o relato do vivido, os testemunhos elaborados por moradores locais selecionados, avaliados por meio da metodologia de História Oral, como via importante para a compreensão da leitura elaborada por esses atores sociais marginalizados

A Positive trajectory for corals at Little Cayman Island

Coral reefs are damaged by natural disturbances and local and global anthropogenic stresses. As stresses intensify, so do debates about whether reefs will recover after significant damage. True headway in this debate requires documented temporal trajectories for coral assemblages subjected to various combinations of stresses; therefore, we report relevant changes in coral assemblages at Little Cayman Island. Between 1999 and 2012, spatiotemporal patterns in cover, densities of juveniles and size structure of assemblages were documented inside and outside marine protected areas using transects, quadrats and measurements of maximum diameters. Over five years, bleaching and disease caused live cover to decrease from 26% to 14%, with full recovery seven years later. Juvenile densities varied, reaching a maximum in 2010. Both patterns were consistent within and outside protected areas. In addition, dominant coral species persisted within and outside protected areas although their size frequency distributions varied temporally and spatially. The health of the coral assemblage and the similarity of responses across levels of protection suggested that negligible anthropogenic disturbance at the local scale was a key factor underlying the observed resilience.

Fish consumption by harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) in the San Juan Islands, Washington

The harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) is a large-bodied and abundant predator in the Salish Sea ecosystem, and its population has recovered since the 1970s after passage of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the cessation of bounties. Little is known about how this large predator population may affect the recovery of fish stocks in the Salish Sea, where candidate marine protected areas are being proposed. We used a bioenergetics model to calculate baseline consumption rates in the San Juan Islands, Washington. Salmonids (Oncorhynchus spp.) and herring (Clupeidae) were the 2 most energetically important prey groups for biomass consumed by harbor seals. Estimated consumption of salmonids was 783 (±380 standard deviation [SD]) metric tons (t) in the breeding season and 675 (±388 SD t in the nonbreeding season. Estimated consumption of herring was 646 (±303 SD) t in the breeding season and 2151 (±706 SD) t in the nonbreeding season. Rockfish, a depressed fish stock currently in need of population recovery, composed one of the minor prey groups consumed by harbor seals (84 [±26 SD] t in the nonbreeding season). The variables of seal body mass and proportion of prey in seal diet explained >80% of the total variation in model outputs. Prey groups, such as rockfish, that are targeted for recovery may still be affected by even low levels of predation. This study highlights the importance of salmonids and herring for the seal population and provides a framework for refining consumption estimates and their confidence intervals with future data.

An ecological characterization of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Region: oceanographic, biogeographic, and contaminants assessment

The mission of NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP) is to serve as the trustee for a system of marine protected areas, to conserve, protect, and enhance their biodiversity, ecological integrity, and cultural legacy while facilitating compatible uses. Since 1972, thirteen National Marine Sanctuaries, representing a wide variety of ocean environments, have been established, each with management goals tuned to their unique diversity. Extending from Cape Ann to Cape Cod across the mouth of Massachusetts Bay, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (NMS) encompasses 2,181 square kilometers of highly productive, diverse, and culturally unique Federal waters. As a result of its varied seafloor topography, oceanographic conditions, and high primary productivity, Stellwagen Bank NMS is utilized by diverse assemblages of seabirds, marine mammals, invertebrates, and fish species, as well as containing a number of maritime heritage resources. Furthermore, it is a region of cultural significance, highlighted by the recent discovery of several historic shipwrecks. Officially designated in 1992, Stellwagen Bank became the Nation’s twelfth National Marine Sanctuary in order to protect these and other unique biological, geological, oceanographic, and cultural features of the region. The Stellwagen Bank NMS is in the midst of its first management plan review since designation. The management plan review process, required by law, is designed to evaluate, enhance, and guide the development of future research efforts, education and outreach, and the management approaches used by Sanctuaries. Given the ecological and physical complexity of Stellwagen Bank NMS, burgeoning anthropogenic impacts to the region, and competing human and biological uses, the review process was challenged to assimilate and analyze the wealth of existing scientific knowledge in a framework which could enhance management decision-making. Unquestionably, the Gulf of Maine, Massachusetts Bay, and Stellwagen Bank-proper are extremely well studied systems, and in many regards, the scientific information available greatly exceeds that which is available for other Sanctuaries. However, the propensity of scientific information reinforces the need to utilize a comprehensive analytical approach to synthesize and explore linkages between disparate information on physical, biological, and chemical processes, while identifying topics needing further study. Given this requirement, a partnership was established between NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP) and the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) so as to leverage existing NOAA technical expertise to assist the Sanctuary in developing additional ecological assessment products which would benefit the management plan review process.

A marine biogeographic assessment of the northwestern Hawaiian Islands

The mission of NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) is to serve as the trustee for a system of marine protected areas, to conserve, protect and enhance biodiversity. To assist in accomplishing this mission, the ONMS has developed a partnership with NOAA’s Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment’s Biogeography Branch (CCMA-BB) to conduct biogeographic assessments of marine resources within and adjacent to the marine waters of NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuaries (Kendall and Monaco, 2003). Biogeography is the study of spatial and temporal distributions of organisms, their associated habitats, and the historical and biological factors that influence species’ distributions. Biogeography provides a framework to integrate species distributions and life history data with information on the habitats of a region to characterize and assess living marine resources within a sanctuary. The biogeographic data are integrated in a Geographical Information System (GIS) to enable visualization of species’ spatial and temporal patterns, and to predict changes in abundance that may result from a variety of natural and anthropogenic perturbations or management strategies (Monaco et al., 2005; Battista and Monaco, 2004). Defining biogeographic patterns of living marine resources found throughout the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) was identified as a priority activity at a May 2003 workshop designed to outline scientifi c and management information needs for the NWHI (Alexander et al., 2004). NOAA’s Biogeography Branch and the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument (PMNM) under the direction of the ONMS designed and implemented this biogeographic assessment to directly support the research and management needs of the PMNM by providing a suite of spatially-articulated products in map and tabular formats. The major fi ndings of the biogeographic assessment are organized by chapter and listed below.

Fish movement patterns in Virgin Islands National Park, Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument and adjacent waters

NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)-Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment’s (CCMA) Biogeography Branch, National Park Service (NPS), US Geological Survey, and the University of Hawaii used acoustic telemetry to quantify spatial patterns and habitat affinities of reef fishes around the island of St. John, US Virgin Islands. The objective of the study was to define the movements of reef fishes among habitats within and between the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument (VICRNM), the Virgin Islands National Park (VIIS), and Territorial waters surrounding St. John. In order to better understand species’ habitat utilization patterns among management regimes, we deployed an array of hydroacoustic receivers and acoustically tagged reef fishes. Thirty six receivers were deployed in shallow near-shore bays and across the shelf to depths of approximately 30 m. One hundred eighty four individual fishes were tagged representing 19 species from 10 different families with VEMCO V9-2L-R64K transmitters. The array provides fish movement information at fine (e.g., day-night and 100s meters within a bay) to broad spatial and temporal scales (multiple years and 1000s meters across the shelf). The long term multi-year tracking project provides direct evidence of connectivity across habitat types in the seascape and among management units. An important finding for management was that a number of individuals moved among management units (VICRNM, VINP, Territorial waters) and several snapper moved from near-shore protected areas to offshore shelf-edge spawning aggregations. However, most individuals spent the majority of their time with VIIS and VICRNM, with only a few wide-ranging species moving outside the management units. Five species of snappers (Lutjanidae) accounted for 31% of all individuals tagged, followed by three species of grunts (Haemulidae) accounting for an additional 23% of the total. No other family had more than a single species represented in the study. Bluestripe grunt (Haemulon sciurus) comprised 22% of all individuals tagged, followed by lane snappers (Lutjanus synagris) at 21%, bar jack (Carangoides ruber) at 11%, and saucereye porgy (Calamus calamus) at 10%. The largest individual tagged was a 70 cm TL nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum), followed by a 65 cm mutton snapper (Lutjanus analis), a 47 cm bar jack, and a 41 cm dog snapper (Lutjanus jocu). The smallest individuals tagged were a 19 cm blue tang (Acanthurus coeruleus) and a 19.2 cm doctorfish (Acanthurus chirurgus). Of the 40 bluestriped grunt acoustically tagged, 73% were detected on the receiver array. The average days at large (DAL) was 249 (just over 8 months), with one individual detected for 930 days (over two and a half years). Lane snapper were the next most abundant species tagged (N = 38) with 89% detected on the array. The average days at large (DAL) was 221 with one individual detected for 351 days. Seventy-one percent of the bar jacks (N = 21) were detected on the array with the average DALs at 47 days. All of the mutton snapper (N = 12) were detected on the array with an average DAL of 273 and the longest at 784. The average maximum distance travelled (MDT) was ca. 2 km with large variations among species. Grunts, snappers, jacks, and porgies showed the greatest movements. Among all individuals across species, there was a positive and significant correlation between size of individuals and MDT and between DAL and MDT.

A biogeographic assessment of the Samoan Archipelago

This report examines the marine biogeography of the Samoan Archipelago (~14º S latitude along the international date-line) with a focus on regional ocean climate, connectivity among islands due to larval transport, distributions of reef fish and coral communities, and the extent of existing marine protected areas. Management decisions and prior assessments in the archipelago have typically been split along the international political boundary between the islands of Samoa and those of American Samoa despite their close proximity and shared resources. A key goal in this assessment was to compile data from both jurisdictions and to conduct the characterization across the entire archipelago. The report builds upon earlier assessments by re-analyzing and interpreting many pre-existing datasets, adding more recent biogeographic data sources, and by combining earlier findings into a multidisciplinary summary of marine biogeography. The assessment is divided into 5 chapters and supporting appendices. Each chapter was written and reviewed in collaboration with subject matter specialists and local experts. In Chapter 1, a short introduction to the overall scope and approach of the report is provided. In Chapter 2, regional ocean climate is characterized using remote sensing datasets and discussed in the context of local observations. In Chapter 3, regional ocean currents and transport of coral and fish larvae are investigated among the islands of the archipelago and surrounding island nations. In Chapter 4, distinct reef fish and coral communities across the archipelago are quantified on the basis of overall biodiversity, abundance, and community structure. In Chapter 5, the existing network of MPAs in American Samoa is evaluated based on the habitats, reef fish, and coral communities that are encompassed. Appendices provide analytical details omitted from some chapters for brevity as well as supplemental datasets needed as inputs for the main chapters in the assessment. Appendices include an inventory of regional seamounts, a description of shore to shelf edge benthic maps produced for Tutuila, analytical details of reef fish and coral datasets, and supplemental information on the many marine protected areas in American Samoa.

Integrating remote sensing products and GIS tools to support marine spatial management in West Hawai'i

Marine protected areas (MPAs) represent a form of spatial management, and geospatial information on living marine resources and associated habitat is extremely important to support best management practices in a spatially discrete MPA. Benthic habitat maps provide georeferenced information on the geomorphic structure and biological cover types in the marine environment. This information supports an enhanced understanding of ecosystem function and species habitat utilization patterns. Benthic habitat maps are most useful for marine management and spatial planning purposes when they are created at a scale that is relevant to management actions. We sought to improve the resolution of existing benthic habitat maps created during a regional mapping effort in Hawai`i. Our results complemented these existing regional maps and provided more detailed, finer-scale habitat maps for a network of MPAs in West Hawai`i. The map products created during this study allow local planners and managers to extract information at a spatial scale relevant to the discrete management units, and appropriate for local marine management efforts on the Kona Coast. The resultant benthic habitat maps were integrated in a geographic information system (GIS) that also included aerial imagery, underwater video, MPA regulations, summarized ecological data and other relevant and spatially explicit information. The integration of the benthic habitat maps with additional “value added” geospatial information into a dynamic GIS provide a decision support tool with pertinent marine resource information available in one central location and support the application of a spatial approach to the management of marine resources. Further, this work can serve as a case study to demonstrate the integration of remote sensing products and GIS tools at a fine spatial scale relevant to local-level marine spatial planning and management efforts.

Diel movements of fishes linked to benthic seascape structure in a Caribbean coral reef ecosystem

Many common fishes associated with Caribbean coral reef ecosystems use resources from more than 1 patch type during routine daily foraging activities. Few studies have provided direct evidence of connectivity across seascapes, and the importance of benthic seascape structure on movement behavior is poorly known. To address this knowledge gap, we coupled hydro-acoustic technology to track fish with seafloor mapping and pattern analysis techniques from landscape ecology to quantify seascape structure. Bluestriped grunts Haemulon sciurus and schoolmaster snapper Lutjanus apodus were tracked over 24 h periods using boat-based acoustic telemetry. Movement pathways, and day and night activity spaces were mapped using geographical information system (GIS) tools, and seafloor structure within activity spaces was mapped from high-resolution aerial photography and quantified using spatial pattern metrics. For both fish species, night activity spaces were significantly larger than day activity spaces. Fish exhibited a daytime preference for seascapes with aggregate coral reef and colonized bedrock, then shifted to night activity spaces with lower complexity soft sediment including sand, seagrass, and scattered coral/rock. Movement path complexity was negatively correlated with seascape complexity. This demonstrates direct connectivity across multiple patch types and represents the first study to apply quantitative landscape ecology techniques to examine the movement ecology of marine fish. The spatially explicit approach facilitates understanding to the linkages between biological processes and the heterogeneity of the landscape. Such studies are essential for identifying ecologically relevant spatial scales, delineating essential fish habitat and designing marine protected areas.