Initial assessment of coastal benthic communities in the Marine Parks at Robinson Crusoe Island

Montserrat C Rodriguez Ruiz,Alejandro Perez Matus,Sergio A Carrasco,Catherine Gonzalez,Cristina Ruano Chamorro,Catalina S Ruz,Fabian Ramirez,Miguel Andreu Cazenave,Miriam Fernandez

doi:10.3856/vol42-issue4-fulltext-16

Montserrat C Rodriguez Ruiz, Alejandro Perez Matus + Show 7 more

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https://doi.org/10.3856/vol42-issue4-fulltext-16

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Abstract

The National Biodiversity Strategy developed in Chile aims to protect 10% of the surface area of the most relevant marine ecosystems. The waters around the Juan Fernandez Archipelago were not protected until 2014, when a Multiple Use Marine Protected Area was created in the 12 nautical miles around the archipelago, which includes five marine parks in sites of high conservation value. Three of these parks are located around Robinson Crusoe Island. This study aims to define a baseline for monitoring the impact of the marine protected area and provides ecological information to improve the understanding of coastal marine ecosystems around Robinson Crusoe Island. In addition to a characterization of bathymetry and habitats, intertidal and subtidal communities were sampled using transects and quadrats within the marine parks. We quantified species richness and abundances, which were later organized into functional groups for algae and trophic groups for mobile organisms. Although species richness did not vary between sites nor among the habitats sampled, we observed important differences in species abundance and composition as well as in functional and trophic groups both between sites and habitats. Among our results, we highlight: a) the dominance of endemic algae in intertidal and subtidal (mainly corticated and corticated foliose) habitats, b) high abundances of macroinvertebrate herbivores in intertidal habitats and detrivores in subtidal habitats, c) dominance of invertivorous fish in the subtidal, which are the primary predators of mobile benthic organisms. This characterization includes both the inter and subtidal coastal communities of the Juan Fernandez Archipelago.

Highlights

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a conservation tool that can preserve ocean biodiversity and foster ecosystem services (Allison et al, 1998; Lester et al, 2009)
The number and size of MPAs has increased in response to the evident decrease in abundances of exploited marine stocks, the failure of traditional strategies, and widespread habitat degradation (Worm et al, 2006; Guarderas et al, 2008)
The most restrictive type of area, and the one with the greatest potential for conflict, is the Marine Park (Fernández & Castilla, 2005; Tognelli et al, 2009). These have been implemented in remote areas, where social resistance is minimal (e.g., Francisco Coloane and Motu Motiro Hiva Marine Parks)

Summary

Introduction

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a conservation tool that can preserve ocean biodiversity and foster ecosystem services (Allison et al, 1998; Lester et al, 2009). A range of MPAs types, allowing different levels of human uses, have been developed (Guarderas et al, 2008) Chile has followed this international trend, increasing the level of marine protection in the last decade through various conservation tools. The most restrictive type of area, and the one with the greatest potential for conflict, is the Marine Park (Fernández & Castilla, 2005; Tognelli et al, 2009). These have been implemented in remote areas, where social resistance is minimal (e.g., Francisco Coloane and Motu Motiro Hiva Marine Parks). It is important to emphasize that Chile’s meager investment in the conservation of biodiversity (Waldron et al, 2013) is fundamentally focused on terrestrial habitats, while administrative plans or effective mechanisms of control and monitoring have not yet been implemented for the majority of MPAs (Fernández & Castilla, 2005)

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