Applications of Marine Refugia to Coastal Fisheries Management

Abstract

Marine fisheries refugia, unaltered areas that serve as sources of replenishment, can potentially compensate for recruitment and ecosystem overfishing and enhance fishery yields for some coastal stocks. The efficacy of refugia in fisheries management is virtually untested, despite the existence of many marine parks and reserves. Evidence from existing marine reserves indicates that increased abundance, individual size, reproductive output, and species diversity occurred in a variety of marine species in refuges of various sizes, shapes, and histories in communities ranging from coral reefs to temperate kelp forests. Fishery yield enhancement in areas surrounding refuges occurred in the few studies where yields were examined. The export of propagules required to enhance fisheries in areas surrounding refugia adds a level of complexity to the design of fishery refugia beyond that of terrestrial reserves. Fishery refugia design should consider species life histories, oceanographic regimes, habitat quality, and socioeconomic factors. Further evaluation of existing marine refuges and the investigation of experimental refugia over appropriate time spans will help resolve questions of optimal sizes, shapes, and distribution of fishery refugia.