Reduced fish diversity despite increased fish biomass in a Gulf of California Marine Protected Area.

ABSTRACT: Multi-use marine protected areas (MUMPAs) are a commonly applied tool for marine conservation in developing countries, particularly where large no-take reserves are not socially or politically feasible. Although MUMPAs have produced benefits around the world, the persistence of moderate fishing pressure reduces the likelihood of achieving the primary objective of these areas, which is the conservation of ecosystems. In this study we used traditional and functional metrics to evaluate how fish assemblages changed through time in a MUMPA, including shifts in species responses and in ecological processes. We conducted visual censuses of fishes at Espíritu Santo Island, México (MUMPA; N = 320; 24°N, 110°W) from 2005 to 2017 to assess fish richness, size-distribution and density. Three function

SUBMITTER: Ramirez-Ortiz G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7151750 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature