Free Standard AU & NZ Shipping For All Book Orders Over $80!
Register      Login
Marine and Freshwater Research Marine and Freshwater Research Society
Advances in the aquatic sciences
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > MF > MF06204
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 58(3)

Increased density, biomass and egg production in an unfished population of Western Rock Lobster (Panulirus cygnus) at Rottnest Island, Western Australia

R. C. Babcock A B , J. C. Phillips A , M. Lourey A and G. Clapin A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A CSIRO Marine Research, Private Bag No. 5, Wembley 6913, WA, Australia.

B Corresponding author. Email: russ.babcock@csiro.au

Marine and Freshwater Research 58(3) 286-292 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF06204
Submitted: 1 November 2006  Accepted: 10 January 2007   Published: 27 March 2007

Abstract

Surveys of spiny lobster (Panulirus cygnus) populations in shallow waters surrounding Rottnest Island in Western Australia revealed much higher levels of density, biomass and egg production in no-take than in fished areas. Density of lobsters was ~34 times higher in the sanctuary, and density of lobsters above minimum legal size around 50 times higher than in other areas around the island where recreational fishing is allowed. Mean carapace length (CL), total biomass and egg production of lobsters in the sanctuary zone were significantly higher than in adjacent fished areas. Large individuals (≥100 mm CL), especially large males, were found almost exclusively within the sanctuary. The abundance of mature animals in these shallow waters indicates that not all P. cygnus migrate to deep water and that shallow water habitats may currently be well below carrying capacity in terms of biomass and egg production. If implemented in a systematic way, unfished areas such as the Kingston Reefs could also provide a useful fisheries-independent tool for assessing trophic interactions and the structure and density of unfished populations, and for estimating parameters such as growth of larger individuals that may be rare or absent in more widely fished populations.

Additional keywords: effects of fishing, marine reserve, population structure.


Acknowledgements

We wish to thank the Rottnest Island Authority, particularly Harriet Davie, Claire Wright and Keith Shadbolt for their support of this work. Trevor Willis, Yemin Ye and two anonymous reviewers helped improve earlier drafts. Thanks to Allison Sampey and Nicole Murphy for assistance in the field.


References

Acosta, C. A. (2002). Spatially explicit dispersal dynamics and equilibrium population sizes in marine harvest refuges. ICES Journal of Marine Science 59, 458–468.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Chubb C. F. (1994). Reproductive biology: issues for management. In ‘Spiny Lobster Management’. (Eds B. F. Phillips, J. S. Cobb and J. Kittaka.) pp. 181–212. (Blackwell Scientific Publications: London.)

Chubb C. F., and Barker E. H. (2003). ‘The Western Rock Lobster Fishery 1997/98 to 1998/99.’ Fisheries Research Report No. 140. (Western Australia Department of Fisheries: North Beach, WA.)

Chubb C. F., and Barker E. H. (2005). ‘The Western Rock Lobster Fishery 2001/2002 to 2002/2003.’ Fisheries Research Report No. 149. (Western Australia Department of Fisheries: North Beach, WA.)

Chubb C. F., Rossbach M., Melville-Smith R., and Cheng Y. W. (1999). ‘Mortality, Growth and Movement of the Western Rock Lobster (Panulirus cygnus).’ Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Final Report Project No. 95/020. (Fisheries Research and Development Corporation: Canberra.)

Edgar, G. J. , and Barrett, N. S. (1999). Effects of the declaration of marine reserves on Tasmanian reef fishes, invertebrates and plants. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 242, 107–144.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Hall N., Cao L., Chubb C., Caputi N., Cheng H., Melville-Smith R., and Shanks S. (2000). ‘Modelling to Explore Management Strategies to Optimize the Value of the Rock Lobster Fishery of Western Australia.’ Fisheries Research Development Corporation Final Report Project No 97/104. (Fisheries Research and Development Corporation: Canberra.)

IRC Environment (2003). ‘Western Rock Lobster Ecological Risk Assessment.’ (Department of Fisheries Western Australia: Perth.)

Kelly, S. , Scott, D. , Macdiarmid, A. B. , and Babcock, R. C. (2000). Spiny lobster, Jasus edwardsii, recovery in New Zealand marine reserves. Biological Conservation 92, 359–369.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Lafferty K. D., and Kushner D. (2000). Population regulation of the purple sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, at the California Channel Islands. In ‘Fifth California Islands Symposium’. (Eds D. R. Brown, K. L. Mitchell and H. W. Chang.) pp. 379–381. (Minerals Management Service: Santa Barbara, CA.)

Littell R. C., Milliken G. A., Stroup W. W., and Wolfinger R. D. (1996). ‘SAS System for Mixed Models.’ (SAS Institute: Cary, NC.)

MacDiarmid, A. B. (1991). Seasonal changes in depth distribution, sex ratio and size frequency of spiny lobster Jasus edwardsii on a coastal reef in northern New Zealand. Marine Ecology Progress Series 70, 129–141.
McGarvey R. (2003). ‘Assessing the Impact of Proposed Marine Protected Areas on South Australian Rock Lobster Catches.’ Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Final Report Project No 2000/195. (Fisheries Research and Development Corporation: Canberra.)

Millar, R. B. , and Willis, T. J. (1999). Estimating the relative density of snapper in and around a marine reserve using a log-linear mixed effects model. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Statistics 41, 383–394.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Russ G. R. (2002). Marine reserves as reef fisheries management tools: yet another review. In ‘Coral Reef Fishes: Dynamics and Diversity in a Complex System’. (Ed. P. F. Sale.) pp. 421–443. (Academic Press: New York.)

Willis, T. J. , Millar, R. B. , and Babcock, R. C. (2000). Detection of spatial variability in relative density of fishes: comparison of visual census, angling, and baited underwater video. Marine Ecology Progress Series 198, 249–260.


Willis, T. J. , Millar, R. B. , Babcock, R. C. , and Tolimieri, N. (2003). Burdens of evidence and the benefits of marine reserves: putting Descartes before des horse? Environmental Conservation 30, 97–103.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |