Using historical fisheries data to predict tuna distribution within the British Indian Ocean Territory marine protected area, and implications for its management
File(s)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Dunn, Nicholas
Curnick, David
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
1. Recently, several large marine protected areas (MPAs) have been established globally and it is hoped that they will aid the recovery of populations of highly-mobile, large pelagic species. Understanding the distribution of these species within MPAs is key to delivering effective management but monitoring can be challenging over such vast areas of open ocean. 2. Historical fisheries data, collected prior to reserve establishment, can provide an insight into the past distributions of target species. We investigated the 10spatial and temporal distribution of yellowfin (Thunnus albacares) and skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis) tuna catch using logbook data from the purse seine fishery in British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) from 1996 to 2010, before it was established as an MPA in April 2010. 3. Generalized additive models (GAMs) were used to predict tuna presence and relative abundance from fishing records in relation to temporal and environmental variables. Significant variables included sea salinity, temperature and water velocity. 4. Predictions from the models identified a distinct hotspot for large yellowfin tuna within the MPA, and areas of high predicted relative abundance of skipjack tuna. We recommend that these areas are used as focal points from which populations can be monitored and investigations into tuna residency time can occur, so that the effectiveness of the MPA in conserving highly-mobile pelagic fish can be determined.
Date Issued
2019-12
Date Acceptance
2019-07-11
Citation
Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 2019, 29 (12), pp.2057-2070
ISSN
1052-7613
Publisher
Wiley
Start Page
2057
End Page
2070
Journal / Book Title
Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems
Volume
29
Issue
12
Copyright Statement
© 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. This is the accepted version of the following article: Dunn, N, Curnick, D. Using historical fisheries data to predict tuna distribution within the British Indian Ocean Territory Marine Protected Area, and implications for its management. Aquatic Conserv: Mar Freshw Ecosyst. 2019; 29: 2057– 2070, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.3204
Identifier
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/aqc.3204
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Physical Sciences
Environmental Sciences
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Water Resources
Environmental Sciences & Ecology
generalised additive models
marine reserve
purse seine
skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis)
yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares)
AGGREGATING DEVICES DFADS
BIGEYE THUNNUS-OBESUS
PURSE-SEINE FISHERIES
REMOTE-SENSING DATA
IN-SITU
SKIPJACK TUNA
ENVIRONMENTAL PREFERENCES
KATSUWONUS-PELAMIS
ATLANTIC-OCEAN
FISH
Marine Biology & Hydrobiology
07 Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences
05 Environmental Sciences
06 Biological Sciences
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2019-08-28