Marine reserves: Fish life history and ecological traits matter
Authors
Claudet, J. (Joachim); Osenberg, C. (Craig W.); Domenici, P. (Paolo); Badalamenti, F. (Fabio); Milazzo, M. (Marco); Falcón, J.M. (Jesús); Bertocci, I. (Iacopo); Benedetti-Cecchi, L. (Lisandro); García-Charton, J.A. (José Antonio); Goñi, R. (Raquel); Borg, J.A. (Joseph A.); Forcada, A. (Aitor); de-Lucia, G.A. (Giuseppe Andrea); Pérez-Ruzafa, A. (Ángel); Afonso, P. (Pedro); Brito, A. (Alberto); Guala, I. (Iván); Le-Diréach, L. (Laurence); Sánchez-Jerez, P. (Pablo); Somerfield, P.J. (Paul J.); Planes, S. (Serge)Editor's version
http://www.esajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1890/08-2131.1Date
2010Type
research articleKeywords
body sizebycatch
habitat
home range
life history traits
marine protected area
marine reserve age
marine reserve design
schooling behavior
species mobility
territoriality
weighted meta-analysis
Abstract
Marine reserves are assumed to protect a wide range of species from deleterious effects stemming from exploitation. However, some species, due to their ecological characteristics, may not respond positively to protection. Very little is known about the effects of life history and ecological traits (e.g., mobility, growth, and habitat) on responses of fish species to marine reserves. Using 40 data sets from 12 European marine reserves, we show that there is significant variation in the response of different species of fish to protection and that this heterogeneity can be explained, in part, by differences in their traits. Densities of targeted size-classes of commercial species were greater in protected than unprotected areas. This effect of protection increased as the maximum body size of the targeted species increased, and it was greater for species that were not obligate schoolers. However, contrary to previous theoretical findings, even mobile species with wide home ranges benefited ...