Bonefish (Albula vulpes) home range to spawning site linkages support a marine protected area designation

Abstract

Abstract A spatial approach to coastal management, such as marine protected areas, is being increasingly used to address biodiversity and fishery declines resulting from habitat loss, degradation, and overfishing. This approach is especially applicable in regions and fisheries that are data poor, and which often lack regulations and adequate capacity for enforcement. In data‐poor situations, species that have economic, cultural, and charismatic value can provide leverage for ecosystem protection. In this study, acoustic telemetry was used to confirm a pre‐spawning aggregation site, acting as critical information for protection of essential habitat for bonefish. Additionally, data sharing with an acoustic telemetry study on smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) documented linkages between the pre‐spawning aggregation site and bonefish home ranges ≥70 km distant, thus providing an estimate of the catchment area. These data provided post hoc support for a marine national park designated in 2002, and demonstrate that the park is of the appropriate spatial scale.