Movements of the western rock lobster (Panulirus cygnus) within shallow coastal waters using acoustic telemetry
L. D. MacArthur A C , R. C. Babcock B and G. A. Hyndes AA Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research, School of Natural Sciences, Edith Cowan University, 100 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia.
B CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Private Bag No. 5, Wembley, WA 6913, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: l.macarthur@ecu.edu.au
Marine and Freshwater Research 59(7) 603-613 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF07239
Submitted: 12 December 2007 Accepted: 13 May 2008 Published: 24 July 2008
Abstract
Understanding the residency and movement patterns of major consumers, such as lobsters, in coastal waters is important for the management of coastal habitats and their fisheries. In the present study, we tagged 34 Panulirus cygnus with acoustic transmitters on a shallow coastal reef in south-western Australia and monitored their movements using fixed and manual receivers between November and May 2005–2006 and 2006–2007. We determined the proportion of ‘white’ (migratory-phase) lobsters emigrating from the reef between November and January and also characterised the large-scale movements of ‘red’ (residential-phase) and white lobsters. We undertook tank experiments to determine the effect of tagging and handling on P. cygnus behaviour. Counter to our expectation, 50% of white lobsters were detected on the reef after the migration period, whereas only a small proportion (13.6%) of white lobsters were tracked leaving the reef and only one individual displayed directional offshore movement. This limited movement indicates that coastal no-take zones may build up legal-sized 4–5+ year old lobsters because many of these are likely to remain resident over the migration season. Laboratory experiments and field observations suggest that tagging and handling affect lobster behaviour and movement for a few days post tagging, potentially confounding conclusions on dispersal and movement patterns in some studies.
Additional keywords: acoustic tracking, population dynamics, spiny lobster.
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to acknowledge the financial support of Edith Cowan University and the Strategic Research Fund for the Marine Environment (SRFME) and the Commonwealth Science and Industry Research Organisation (CSIRO) for access to the acoustic array. Thanks to G. Clapin, J. Eyres and D. Fairclough for assistance in the field and to M. Vanderklift for useful discussion during the study and comments on the manuscript. We gratefully acknowledge comments made by two anonymous reviewers. We also thank the Department of Environment and Conservation, Western Australia and the Department of Fisheries, Western Australia for permits supporting this work.
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