Standardizing Estimates of Biomass at Recruitment and Productivity for Fin- and Shellfish in Coastal Habitats

Just Cebrian,Hui Liu,Kristopher Benson,Mary Christman,Deborah French Mccay,Richard Balouskus,Jennifer White,Conor Mcmanus,Scott Friedman,Heather Ballestero,Terill Hollweg

doi:10.1007/s12237-019-00691-2

Abstract

Assessing the biomass and productivity of fin- and shellfish supported by coastal ecosystems is important to develop plans for the conservation and restoration of these ecosystems, but such assessments are not easy to obtain. We developed a protocol that, from density data, quantifies biomass at recruitment for species where information exists to derive life history tables, and productivity where such information does not exist. Our protocol also assesses the variability (i.e., variance) for the calculated biomass and productivity values. For relatively well-reported species, inferences regarding differences among habitats or species can be suggested. For instance, application of our protocol to juvenile pinfish confirms its well-known preference for structured habitats. Mud crabs also seem to reach higher productivity levels in structured than open bottom habitats. For poorly reported species, only a general idea can be gleaned. However, larger data sets of fin- and shellfish density in shallow coastal systems are needed to increase the accuracy, precision, and comprehensiveness of the estimates of biomass at recruitment and productivity generated with our protocol. With such larger data sets and the use of statistical tools such as Bayesian methods, the protocol can significantly help improve our understanding and management of fisheries productivity in coastal systems.

Highlights

Coastal ecosystems lie at the interface between the land and ocean, and include estuaries and other types of coasts that are not at the confluence of rivers and oceans (Valiela 2006)
The productivity estimates include the new biomass generated by all different species’ life cycle stages as they naturally occur in the system. For both types of estimates, we borrow from established methods to build a cohesive construct for their derivation, and importantly we present how to quantify the uncertainty of the estimates
For the estimation of biomass at recruitment, we focus on the first year of life, and the density values used for this estimation must only represent young of the year (YOY)

Summary

Introduction

Coastal ecosystems lie at the interface between the land and ocean, and include estuaries and other types of coasts that are not at the confluence of rivers and oceans (Valiela 2006). Foundational components, such as marshlands, seagrass beds, biogenic reefs, and sediment flats, form these ecosystems. Coastal ecosystems generate many benefits for humankind and wildlife They provide habitat for a plethora of species, including fin- and shellfish, birds, and mammals. They can act as filters of land-derived pollution before it enters the open ocean. Coastal ecosystems can buffer wave energy substantially and protect the coastline against storms (Manis et al 2015, Sharma et al 2016)

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion