James McD Mair

Mapping the distribution of coral reefs and associated sublittoral habitats in Pacific Panama: a comparison of optical satellite sensors and classification methodologies

This research compared the ability of Landsat ETM+, Quickbird and three image classification methods for discriminating amongst coral reefs and associated habitats in Pacific Panama. Landsat ETM+ and Quickbird were able to discriminate coarse and intermediate habitat classes, but this was sensitive to classification method. Quickbird was significantly more accurate than Landsat (14% to 17%). Contextual editing was found to improve the users accuracy of important habitats. The integration of object‐oriented classification with non‐spectral information in eCognition produced the most accurate results. This method allowed sufficiently accurate maps to be produced from Landsat, which was not possible using the maximum likelihood classifier. Object‐oriented classification was up to 24% more accurate than the maximum likelihood classifier for Landsat and up to 17% more accurate for Quickbird. The research indicates that classification methodology should be an important consideration in coral reef remote sensing. An object‐oriented approach to image classification shows potential for improving coral reef resource inventory.

Assessment of the aesthetic quality of a selection of beaches in the Firth of Forth, Scotland

The aesthetic quality of fourteen beaches in the Firth of Forth, Scotland was surveyed between May and July 2002 using a protocol designed by the UKs National Aquatic Litter Group (NALG). Local authority beach cleaning regimes influence the amount of litter found on beaches. Frequent and thorough beach cleaning is necessary to maintain high aesthetic standards. Bathing and amenity beaches achieved higher aesthetic quality than non-bathing and non-amenity beaches. The aesthetic quality of rural and urban beaches was very similar. The NALG protocol appears more complicated to use than other beach litter surveys. However, the classification system generates results that are easily interpreted by the general public. Furthermore, the NALG protocol could be combined with coastal zone management plans as a useful environmental performance indicator.

Broadening reef protection across the Marine Conservation Corridor of the Eastern Tropical Pacific: distribution and diversity of reefs in Las Perlas Archipelago, Panama

The protected sites defined under the Marine Conservation Corridor of the Tropical Eastern Pacific (MCCTEP) include most of the endemism and a fraction of the areas of high diversity for reef corals and fishes. Although those areas are connected biologically over distances >600 km, lack of large-scale sampling and attention to taxa other than scleractinian corals has limited the protection of shallow coral reef and coral community habitats in some areas of the Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) region, particularly non-offshore islands in Ecuador, Panama and Costa Rica. The newly created Las Perlas marine protected area (1688 km 2 ), the second largest archipelago in the TEP, fills a regional conservation gap for the protection of reefs and potentially becomes the second highest coral diversity area in the MCCTEP. This study describes the distribution of live coral cover and species alpha-diversity over 307 ha of shallow coral reefs and coral communities in the Las Perlas Archipelago. Nineteen scleractinian and 38 octocorals were observed, including species previously thought to be uncommon. Although coral communities generally had a greater number of species than coral reefs, species richness did not differ between habitats. However, their coral and octocoral composition and benthic makeup (coral cover, macroalgae, sponge, etc.) differed. The reefs had higher live coral cover (61.2%) and lower algal cover (32.5%) than the coral communities (26.0% and 65.7%, respectively). Octocorals were more common in the communities than on the reefs. There was a negative relationship between live coral cover and species richness, low to moderate cover generally coinciding with coral community sites and higher species richness. Areas are recommended for marine reserve zoning within the new Las Perlas marine protected area to ensure the protection of important habitats and maintenance of diversity in the TEP, both highlighting the importance of the southern islands of the archipelago for coral diversity and the northern islands for their high live coral cover. Review of the representativeness of regional coral diversity would facilitate better design of small-scale reserves across the TEP, following comparable survey methods.

The establishment of the invasive alga Sargassum muticum on the west coast of Scotland: a preliminary assessment of community effects

Comparative studies were conducted on intertidal algal and faunal communities associated with Sargassum muticum and native algae on the Isle of Cumbrae, Scotland. Significant differences were detected in the structure and composition of the communities. The abundance of the dominant native algae Dictyota dichotoma was found to be reduced in areas dominated by S. muticum and displacement through competition for substrate or light is inferred. Elevated faunal abundances were associated with S. muticum and evidence indicates that increased detrital input may be a possible contributory factor. Differences in faunal community composition were most pronounced in the sessile epifauna below the S. muticum canopy. Faunal communities associated with S. muticum were less heterogeneous in composition than those associated with native algae at equivalent shore positions. Some of the compositional differences may be coincidental and attributable to factors favouring the establishment of S. muticum rather than to the direct influence of the S. muticum canopy.

A comparison of coral reef and coral community fish assemblages in Pacific Panama and environmental factors governing their structure

We compared the reef fish assemblages of two habitats, coral reefs and coral communities (rocky substratum with coral colonies), in the Las Perlas Archipelago in Pacific Panama and attempted to determine associations with habitat variables. We used a modified Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGRRA) survey to record fish species and quadrat transects to determine benthic composition. Multivariate non-parametric multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) ordinations were performed in PRIMER and univariate correlations were used to determine relationships. The reef fish of coral communities were significantly more diverse and species rich than those of coral reefs. The two habitats had significantly different species and size composition, but trophic and family groups overlapped between habitats. Topography, exposure, and the percentage cover of branching and massive corals correlated significantly with differences in fish parameters. The reef fish assemblages of this region appear to be determined more by the larger scale structural features that characterize the two habitats than by features that vary over small scales within the habitats.

The sea pens Virgularia mirabilis , Pennatula phosphorea and Funiculina quadrangularis : distribution and conservation issues in Scottish waters

The distributions of the pennatulid anthozoans (sea pens) Virgularia mirabilis , Pennatula phosphorea and Funiculina quadrangularis in Scottish waters have previously only been extensively documented in sea lochs, by the Marine Nature Conservation Review (MNCR) surveys. Funiculina quadrangularis in particular was thought to be restricted to the deep basins of sea lochs and is classified as a nationally uncommon species. Sea pens are characterizing species in seven biotopes found in Scottish waters and are protected under the ‘Mud in Deep Water Habitat Action Plan’ of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UKBAP) and are also recorded in several Special Areas of Conservation. The present study has extended the existing information available on sea pens in Scottish waters. The distribution and abundance of the three sea pen species were mapped using GIS (Geographical Information System) by utilizing data from Nephrops norvegicus stock assessment video surveys carried out by Fisheries Research Services (FRS) Marine Laboratory. Distribution was shown to be aggregated for all species. Funiculina quadrangularis was present in areas outside the sea lochs, such as the South Minch and the outer mouths of most sea lochs. This study demonstrates that analysis of video footage derived from Nephrops stock assessment surveys can significantly extend our knowledge of sea pen distribution and population density. Future management of Nephrops stocks can be expected to consider impacts of fishing on non-commercial species such as sea pens as a part of the ‘ecosystem approach’ to management.

Failed recovery of a collapsed scallop (Argopecten ventricosus) fishery in Las Perlas Archipelago, Panamá

Abstract The scallop Argopecten ventricosus (Sowerby II 1842) supported an important fishery in the Gulf of Panama (Pacific Panama) during 1981–1990, but the fishery essentially collapsed in 1991. To determine if the A. ventricosus population in one major fishing ground, Las Perlas Archipelago, has recovered almost 15 years after that collapse, we interviewed fishermen, reviewed historical data about scallop export markets and fishing grounds, and assessed the state of the scallop population using traditional local trawling methods. During four expeditions (2000–2004), we intensively surveyed 183 trawling stations, which included the major shallow fishery sites as well as other deeper areas within the archipelago. We collected hundreds of relic adult and juvenile scallop shells, but we retrieved only 30 live individuals. This suggests that minimal recruitment has occurred in the archipelago and that the fishery remains collapsed. We argue that this populations failure to recover may be because of a lack of suitable available habitats for juveniles, predation and variation in local oceanographic conditions, as previously suggested. Further studies are needed to fully determine why the scallop population has failed to recover. Application of mariculture techniques may be required to restore the stock and repopulate A. ventricosus natural banks in Las Perlas Archipelago.

The known and unknown about Marine Biodiversity in Ecuador (Continental and Insular)

Ecuador tiene una diversidad alta de ecosistemas en todo su territorio marino-costero donde las playas, bahias, estuarios, acantilados, lagunas costeras y las costas rocosas son los de mayor representatividad. Hay un total de 1.859 especies marinas que han sido identificadas para Ecuador, que incluye especies comerciales y no comerciales. Se conoce que 1.380 especies de invertebrados y vertebrados marinos no comerciales pertenecen a 8 Phyla, los cuales han sido reportados para el Pacifico ecuatoriano, distribuidos en 25 grupos o clases de organismos que son: Protozoos: 9 grupos: Diatomeas oceanicas y estuarinas, Cyanophyta, Chlorophytas, Dinoflagelados, Coccolitophorida, Silicoflagelados, Euglenophyta, Tintinnidos, Foraminiferos planctonicos y bentonicos, Cnidaria, 2 clases: Hydromedusas y Scyphomedusas; Mollusca, 5 clases: Bivalvos (Bentonicos, perforadores de maderas y rocas), Gasteropods (Pteropodos, Thecosomados y Heteropodos), Poliplacophora, Scaphopoda y Cephalopoda; Annelida, 1 grupo: Poliquetos bentonicos; Arthropoda, 1 clase: Crustacea: (Cirripedia, Anomura, Brachyuran, Euphausiacea); Chaetognatha, 1 grupo; Echinodermata, 4 clases: Asteroidea, Ophiuroidea, Echinoidea y Holothuroidea; Chordata, 2 clases: Mamiferos y aves. Las 479 especies demersales registradas se agruparon en cuatro Phylum (Chordata, Arthropoda, Mollusca y Echinodermata): 258 generos, 143 familias y 41 ordenes. El Phylum (Chordata) representado por los peces es el grupo mas diverso en la costa con 270 especies, agrupadas en 142 generos, 63 familias y 22 ordenes, siendo el orden Perciformes el mas representativo con 143 especie. El registro de 479 especies para cuatro subareas permitio determinar la presencia de cada especie, asi como el de los generos, familias, y ordenes para el phylum en cada subarea. De los cuatro phyla considerados en este estudio, los peces y los moluscos corresponden a los grupos mejor representados en la costa del Ecuador, con una riqueza de 270 y 110 especies, respectivamente. En general la biodiversidad mas grande de especies se encuentra en el Golfo de Guayaquil, el estuario principal del Ecuador. Sin embargo es necesario indicar que este ecosistema ha sido el mas estudiado en relacion con los otros, razon por la que, probablemente, subestime a los otros ecosistemas.

Mapping benthic faunal communities in the shallow and deep sediments of Las Perlas Archipelago, Pacific Panama.

Las Perlas Archipelago (LPA) is located off the Pacific Coast of Panama and was designated as a marine protected area (MPA) in 2007. This baseline study of the shallow and deeper sedimentary habitats of the islands partly informed the MPA designation. Ninety-two grab stations and twenty trawl stations were sampled. Sediment grab sample results were interpolated to produce a map that showed the area to be dominated by mud (1246 km2, 40%) and sand/shell sediments (780 km2, 25%). A total of 201 taxa were recorded and over 5800 individual specimens were processed, revealing that the sediments hold varying community compositions, with annelids being the dominant group (73%) followed by crustaceans (14%). Relationships were evident between community, feeding guilds, and sediment types, which give an indication of communities that can be expected in similar sediments in other areas of the Tropical Eastern Pacific. A study of this scale and level of detail is rare for this biogeographic region and provides a valuable, comprehensive appreciation of the LPAs benthos.

POPULATION ASSESSMENT OF THE PACIFIC GREEN SPINY LOBSTER PANULIRUS GRACILIS IN PACIFIC PANAMA

Abstract Populations of the green spiny lobster Panulirus gracilis (Streets 1871) have sustained increasing harvesting pressure in Pacific Panama for decades, but basic information about their biology and ecology in the region is scarce. This study provides baseline data for the densities and biometrics of P. gracilis in Las Perlas and Coiba Archipelagos. The number of surveyed lobsters in both archipelagos was surprisingly low (85 in Las Perlas and 67 in Coiba), and average densities were dismal (4.1 ± 8.8 ind. ha−1 and 5.3 ± 7.6 ind. ha−1, respectively). Saboga and San Jose Islands had the highest relative densities of P. gracilis in Las Perlas, whereas intermediate relative densities were found only on Coiba Island in the Coiba Archipelago. Lobster density was not associated with either substrate or depth. In Las Perlas, female carapace length (CL) was 40–95 mm and that of males was 25–100 mm; in Coiba, female CL was 45–124 mm and male CL was 45–121 mm. In Las Perlas, the smallest lobster with eggs had a CL = 65 mm and a tail length (TL) = 120 mm, whereas the smallest in Coiba had a CL = 60 mm and a TL = 81–115 mm. We recommend implementing: (1) the minimum capture CL as the average carapace length at which half of the lobster population from Coiba is adult (CL = 84 mm; TL = 112–155 mm); (2) a fishing season no longer than 6 mo; (3) management decisions involving local fishermen and native peoples; (4) marine reserves or no-take areas (NTA); and (5) long-term monitoring plans, as the best current options to insure the survival of P. gracilis in the region.