Spatial Management Strategies Research Articles

Range-wide contrast in management outcomes for transboundary Northeast Pacific sablefish

Sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) of the Northeast Pacific support a highly mobile, valuable fishery resource currently managed as three separate populations. Recent work has shown sablefish to be genetically mixed; have high movement rates; and have synchronous biomass trends, including recent declines. A management strategy evaluation was developed with stakeholders and scientists from three regions to investigate whether spatially-structured management paradigms might result in better conservation and economic outcomes. The management strategy evaluation includes a transboundary operating model to represent spatial population dynamics including movement and a delay-difference estimation method with varying spatial complexities and potential stratifications, and harvest control rules. Mismatches in the spatial scale of management and the underlying biological units pose a crucial risk of localized depletion in the southern U.S. West Coast. This study presents one of the first transboundary, spatially-explicit management strategy evaluations conditioned to actual data. These results underscore the importance of spatial management strategy evaluation tools and implications when regional management is conducted in isolation. Future work should incorporate additional spatial hypotheses and investigate the drivers of recruitment patterns range-wide.

Evidence from interpretable machine learning to inform spatial management of Palau's tuna fisheries

AbstractStatic and dynamic area‐based management tools hold substantial potential to balance socioeconomic benefits derived from fisheries and costs from bycatch mortality of at‐risk species. Palau longline fisheries have high bycatch of at‐risk species including the olive ridley marine turtle and silky and blue sharks. This study analyzed a two decades‐long time series of observer and electronic monitoring datasets from the Palau distant‐water and locally‐based pelagic longline fisheries. An interpretable or explainable machine learning‐based modeling approach was used to derive spatially resolved species‐specific catch rate predictions. These models were conditioned on a suite of potentially informative environmental, bathymetric, ocean‐climate metric, vessel, monitoring system, and set‐specific operational predictors. Overall, there would be limited ecological tradeoffs from focusing fishing effort within primary catch rate hotspots for target bigeye and yellowfin tunas. Mean field prediction surfaces also defined catch rate hotspots for at‐risk species of silky and blue sharks, olive ridley turtle, and pelagic stingray, which did not overlap the hotspots for target species. The predicted target species hotspots, however, overlap olive ridley and pelagic stingray warmspots. Results also identify opportunities for temporally dynamic spatial management to control catch rates of target and bycatch species. Management of fishery operational predictors of fishing depth and soak duration present additional opportunities to balance catch rates of at‐risk bycatch and target species. A transition to employing fleetwide or vessel‐based output controls that effectively constrain the fishery would alter the spatial management strategy to focus on zones with the lowest ratio of at‐risk bycatch to commercial catch. Our findings support evidence‐informed evaluation of spatial management strategies and complementary measures to meet objectives for balancing socioeconomic benefits derived from target species catch with costs to threatened species.

Identifying the Spatial Heterogeneity and Driving Factors of Satellite-Based and Hydrologically Modeled Profile Soil Moisture

Profile soil moisture (PSM), the soil water content in the whole soil layer, directly controls the major processes related to biological interaction, vegetation growth, and runoff generation. Its spatial heterogeneity, which refers to the uneven distribution and complexity in space, influences refined spatial management and decision-making in ecological, agricultural, and hydrological systems. Satellite instruments and hydrological models are two important sources of spatial information on PSM, but there is still a gap in understanding their potential mechanisms that affect spatial heterogeneity. This study is designed to identify the spatial heterogeneity and the driving factors of two PSM datasets; one is preprocessed from a satellite product (European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative, ESA CCI), and the other is simulated from a distributed hydrological model (the DEM-based distributed rainfall-runoff model, DDRM). Three catchments with different climate conditions were chosen as the study area. By considering the scale dependence of spatial heterogeneity, the profile saturation degree (PSD) datasets from different sources (shown as ESA CCI PSD and DDRM PSD, respectively) during 2017 that are matched in terms of spatial scale and physical properties were acquired first based on the calibration data from 2014–2016, and then the spatial heterogeneity of the PSD from different sources was identified by using spatial statistical analysis and the semi-variogram method, followed by the geographic detector method, to investigate the driving factors. The results indicate that (1) ESA CCI and DDRM PSD are similar for seasonal changes and are overall consistent and locally different in terms of the spatial variations in catchment with different climate conditions; (2) based on spatial statistical analysis, the spatial heterogeneity of PSD reduces after spatial rescaling; at the same spatial scale, DDRM PSD shows higher spatial heterogeneity than ESA CCI PSD, and the low-flow period shows higher spatial heterogeneity than the high-flow period; (3) based on the semi-variogram method, both ESA CCI and DDRM PSD show strong spatial heterogeneity in most cases, in which the proportion of C/(C0 + C) is higher than 0.75, and the spatial data in the low-flow period mostly show larger spatial heterogeneity, in which the proportion is higher than 0.9; the spatial heterogeneity of PSD is higher in the semi-arid catchment; (4) the first three driving factors of the spatial heterogeneity of both ESA CCI and DDRM PSD are DEM, precipitation, and soil type in most cases, contributing more than 50% to spatial heterogeneity; (5) precipitation contributes most to ESA CCI PSD in the low-flow period, and there is no obvious high contribution of precipitation to DDRM PSD. The research provides insights into the spatial heterogeneity of PSM, which helps develop refined modeling and spatial management strategies for soil moisture in ecological, agricultural, and hydrological fields.

Spatial and Temporal Distribution Characteristics of Water Yield in Guangdong Province and Spatial Management Strategies

Water yield is one of the crucial functions of ecosystem services, playing a vital role in regulating and improving watershed water cycles, and closely related to other ecosystem services such as soil conservation, crop production, and biodiversity protection. Studying the spatiotemporal variations and influencing mechanisms of water yield in Guangdong Province is of significant importance for the rational development of water resources and the implementation of watershed ecological governance. In this study, the InVEST model was employed to calculate the water yield in Guangdong Province for the years 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2018. The results indicate irregular fluctuations in the total water yield of Guangdong Province, with annual average values ranging between 233.18 mm and 271.77 mm. Spatially, there is a clear gradient of decreasing water yield from north to south and from east to west. This study provides scientific evidence for water resource management and ecological environmental protection in Guangdong Province.

Seascape genomics of the pink abalone (Haliotis corrugata): An insight into a cross-border species in the northeast Pacific coast.

Seascape genomics gives insight into the geographic and environmental factors shaping local adaptations. It improves the understanding of the potential effects of climate change, which is relevant to provide the basis for the international management of fishery resources. The pink abalone (Haliotis corrugata) is distributed from California, United States to Baja California Sur, Mexico, exposed to a latitudinal environmental gradient in the California Current System. Management of the pink abalone contrasts between Mexico and the United States; Mexico has an active fishery organized in four administrative areas, while the United States has kept the fishery in permanent closure since 1996. However, the impact of environmental factors on genetic variation along the species distribution remains unknown, and understanding this relationship is crucial for effective spatial management strategies. This study aims to investigate the neutral and adaptive genomic structure of H. corrugata. A total of 203 samples from 13 locations were processed using ddRADseq, and covering the species' distribution. Overall, 2,231 neutral, nine potentially adaptive and three genomic-environmental association loci were detected. The neutral structure identified two groups: 1) California, United States and 2) Baja California Peninsula, México. In addition, the adaptive structure analysis also detected two groups with genetic divergence observed at Punta Eugenia. Notably, the seawater temperature significantly correlated with the northern group (temperate) and the southern (warmer) group. This study is a valuable foundation for future research and conservation initiatives, emphasizing the importance of considering neutral and adaptive genetic factors when developing management strategies for marine species.

Urban Spatial Management Strategy: Transforming Slums into Tourist Attractions in Bantarsari Bungursari Village, Tasikmalaya District

Urban Spatial Management Strategy: Transforming Slums into Tourist Attractions in Bantarsari Bungursari Village, Tasikmalaya District

Simulating benefits, costs and trade‐offs of spatial management in marine social‐ecological systems

AbstractDesigning effective spatial management strategies is challenging because marine ecosystems are highly dynamic and opaque, and extractive entities such as fishing fleets respond endogenously to ecosystem changes in ways that depend on ecological and policy context. We present a modelling framework, marlin, that can be used to efficiently simulate the bio‐economic dynamics of marine systems in support of both management and research. We demonstrate marlin's capabilities by focusing on two case studies on the conservation and food production impacts of marine protected areas (MPAs): a coastal coral reef and a pelagic tuna fishery. In the coastal coral reef example, we explore how heterogeneity in species distributions and fleet preferences can affect distributional outcomes of MPAs. In the pelagic case study, we show how our model can be used to assess the climate resilience of different MPA design strategies, as well as the climate sensitivity of different fishing fleets. This paper demonstrates how intermediate complexity simulation of coupled bio‐economic dynamics can help communities predict and potentially manage trade‐offs among conservation, fisheries yields and distributional outcomes of management policies affected by spatial bio‐economic dynamics.

Effects of Climate and Land-Use Change on the Supply and Demand Relationship of Water Provision Services in the Yellow River Basin

The Yellow River Basin (YRB) has undergone profound climate and land-use change. These transformations are anticipated to affect the availability of water resources, potentially causing substantial perturbations to the equilibrium between water availability and societal needs. Consequently, research is warranted to explore the ramifications of climate and land-use change on the water provision service, particularly their impacts on the delicate equilibrium between supply and demand. To quantify the water supply–demand relationship, this study introduces the water supply and demand index (WSDR). This study examines the impacts of climate and land-use change on the actual evapotranspiration, water yield, and WSDR in the YRB from 1995 to 2019. According to the results, the YRB experienced an increase in forest land by 4.72%, grassland by 1.71%, and a substantial surge of 595.36% in construction land; however, cropland witnessed a decrease of 5.95%. The climate exhibited a discernible wetting trend (3.38 mm/year, p < 0.01). The actual evapotranspiration significantly increased by 2.45 mm/year (p < 0.01), but this increase was not substantial enough to result in a decline in the water yield, since precipitation also increased. The annual water demand depth demonstrated a statistically significant increasing trend (0.13 mm/year, p < 0.01), but this increase was not sufficient to cause a decrease in the WSDR, since the water yield also increased (0.94 mm/year). Land use had a significantly negative effect on the water yield and WSDR, but this negative effect was offset by the positive effects of climate variability. At the basin scale, there exists a surplus of water resources (WSDR > 0). Nevertheless, regions grappling with water resource deficits (WSDR < 0) have witnessed an increase from 18% in 1995 to 26% in 2019. This indicates that the primary water resource problem in the YRB is the uneven spatial distribution of water resources. Hence, implementing spatial management strategies at larger scales may be instrumental in mitigating water scarcity in the region. These findings can serve as a valuable reference for the management of water resources, as well as for basin planning and construction.

From blocks to cities: Morphology structure rooted in 3D patterns and forming clusters at the block level

This article proposes a 35D form index system to quantitatively describe the 3D form of urban blocks. Utilizing the T-distributed stochastic neighbor (TSNE) embedding algorithm for cluster analysis, the visually complex and disordered urban 3D texture is translated into distinct form clusters, enabling the recognition of the overall urban form structure from the block perspective. The research methodology includes experiments conducted in the central area of Nanjing and comparative analysis in three neighboring cities: Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Suzhou. Results demonstrate the efficacy of form parameters and cluster analysis in achieving sound recognition. The four cities differ remarkably in the number and distribution structure of clusters. Shanghai has the fewest types of clusters with a compact distribution, Suzhou has the most types with a dispersed distribution, and Hangzhou and Nanjing exhibit similar characteristics, located between Shanghai and Suzhou. Correlation analysis reveals a negative relationship between the number of cluster types and the level of urban socioeconomic development in similar areas. This research implies that governments and urban planners can exploit neighborhood morphological types to devise customized spatial management and renewal strategies. The overall urban structure can be improved by strategically minimizing the quantity and distribution of neighborhood morphological types, fostering socioeconomic development.

Exploring morphometric frontiers: A comprehensive study of otolith growth patterns in brown comber Serranus hepatus (Linnaeus, 1758).

Otoliths are widely employed in marine sciences to gain insights into fish growth, age, migrations, and population structure. This study investigates the relationships between morphometric measurements, otolith characteristics, and length size patterns in the brown comber (Serranus hepatus) from the Gulf of Cádiz, a species discarded in artisanal trawl fisheries. Our findings reveal significant changes in otolith shape indices as fish grow, with symmetry observed between left and right otolith measurements. Otolith size is found to be related to fish size, supporting its use in estimating body length at different life stages. Otolith shape analysis has potential applications in stock identification, detecting catch misreporting, and studying marine predator diets. Combining otolith shape analysis with other data types can clarify relationships among taxa and inform spatial management strategies, contributing to the long-term sustainability of fish populations and the assessment of the impact of management strategies on fish size and growth. This study enhances our understanding of the broader implications of morphometric and otolith analyses in fisheries research and supports the development of more sustainable fisheries management practices.

Global hotspots of shark interactions with industrial longline fisheries

Sharks are susceptible to industrial longline fishing due to their slow life histories and association with targeted tuna stocks. Identifying fished areas with high shark interaction risk is vital to protect threatened species. We harmonize shark catch records from global tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (tRFMOs) from 2012–2020 and use machine learning to identify where sharks are most threatened by longline fishing. We find shark catch risk hotspots in all ocean basins, with notable high-risk areas off Southwest Africa and in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. These patterns are mostly driven by more common species such as blue sharks, though risk areas for less common, Endangered and Critically Endangered species are also identified. Clear spatial patterns of shark fishing risk identified here can be leveraged to develop spatial management strategies for threatened populations. Our results also highlight the need for coordination in data collection and dissemination by tRFMOs for effective shark management.

From policy to practice: Addressing bycatch for marine species-at-risk in Canada

Unintended bycatch of depleted or vulnerable marine species is an unsolved conservation issue that undermines the sustainability of fisheries worldwide. In Canada, policy incentives to address bycatch of vulnerable species-at-risk have become more prominent in recent years. Yet bycatch risk has been difficult to quantify and mitigate, in part due to large data gaps in fisheries observation and monitoring. Here we suggest the use of novel modelling frameworks to optimize spatial management strategies for bycatch mitigation. We utilize spatiotemporal modeling of fisheries-independent survey data to predict high-risk regions for three at-risk skates (family Rajidae) in Atlantic Canada. We use these identified regions to evaluate the relative reduction in bycatch risk that can be expected by closing targeted bycatch-protection zones on the western Scotian Shelf to bottom-trawl fishing, and further examine the relative costs to the fishing industry that such closures may impose. We show that when closures are precisely targeted on high-bycatch risk areas, relative costs to industry are minimal by affected fishing area (1.25 ± 0.62 % total area) or displaced landings (0.28 ± 0.14 % by weight of catch). To reduce bycatch risk by 50 % for all three vulnerable skates, less than 10 % of landed catch weight is displaced. These results can be used to reduce bycatch encounters for any endangered, threatened or protected species through spatially targeted conservation measures. We conclude that new approaches to the analysis and mitigation of spatial-temporal bycatch patterns can help to meet regulatory or market-driven requirements for bycatch reduction at low cost.

Important marine areas for endangered African penguins before and after the crucial stage of moulting.

The population of the Endangered African penguin Spheniscus demersus has decreased by > 65% in the last 20 years. A major driver of this decrease has been the reduced availability of their principal prey, sardine Sardinops sagax and anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus. To date, conservation efforts to improve prey availability have focused on spatial management strategies to reduce resource competition with purse-seine fisheries during the breeding season. However, penguins also undergo an annual catastrophic moult when they are unable to feed for several weeks. Before moulting they must accumulate sufficient energy stores to survive this critical life-history stage. Using GPS tracking data collected between 2012 and 2019, we identify important foraging areas for pre- and post-moult African penguins at three of their major colonies in South Africa: Dassen Island and Stony Point (Western Cape) and Bird Island (Eastern Cape). The foraging ranges of pre- and post-moult adult African penguins (c. 600 km from colony) was far greater than that previously observed for breeding penguins (c. 50 km from colony) and varied considerably between sites, years and pre- and post-moult stages. Despite their more extensive range during the non-breeding season, waters within 20 and 50 km of their breeding colonies were used intensively and represent important foraging areas to pre- and post-moult penguins. Furthermore, penguins in the Western Cape travelled significantly further than those in the Eastern Cape which is likely a reflection of the poor prey availability along the west coast of South Africa. Our findings identify important marine areas for pre- and post-moult African penguins and support for the expansion of fisheries-related spatio-temporal management strategies to help conserve African penguins outside the breeding season.

Spatio-Temporal Distribution of Juvenile Oceanic Whitetip Shark Incidental Catch in the Western Indian Ocean

Oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) is an important top predator in pelagic ecosystems currently classified as globally Critically Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. This species is incidentally caught by fisheries targeting highly migratory tunas and billfishes throughout the Indian Ocean. Understanding the temporal, spatial and environmental factors influencing the capture of this species is essential to reduce incidental catches. In this study, we used generalized additive models to analyze the spatio-temporal distributions of the juvenile oceanic whitetip shark catches and the environmental conditions in the western Indian Ocean using observer data from 2010 to 2020 of the European Union and associated flags purse seine fishery. We found sea surface temperature and nitrate concentration to be the most important environmental variables predicting the probability of catching an oceanic whitetip shark. A higher probability of capture was predicted in areas where sea surface temperature was below 24°C and with low nitrate concentrations close to zero and intermediate values (1.5-2.5 mmol.m-3). We also found a higher probability of capture in sets on fish aggregating devices than in sets on free schools of tuna. The Kenya and Somalia basin was identified to have higher probabilities of capture during the summer monsoon (June to September) when upwelling of deep cold waters occurs. We provide the first prediction maps of capture probabilities and insights into the environmental preferences of oceanic whitetip shark in the western Indian Ocean. However, the causal mechanisms behind these insights should be explored in future studies before they can be used to design spatial management and conservation strategies, such as time-area closures, for bycatch avoidance.

Impacts of trophic interactions on the prediction of spatio-temporal distribution of mid-trophic level fishes

Habitat models have gradually become important tools for assessing and predicting the spatio-temporal distribution of marine organisms. Species are closely associated with each other through biological processes such as predation, competition and mutualism. Neglecting the interaction between species might lead to biased prediction of species distributions, especially for the mid-trophic level species. In this study, the performance of three different kinds of habitat models, i.e., single species distribution model (Generalized linear regression, GLM), ensemble species distribution model (ESDM), and joint species distribution model (JSDM), were evaluated and compared to investigate how trophic interactions will impact the spatio-temporal distributions of mid-trophic fish species in the central and southern Yellow Sea. Potential variations in the distribution and abundance of five mid-trophic level fishes in the central and southern Yellow Sea under climate changes were also analyzed. Results showed that mutually associations derived from food web could explain a large proportion of the positive interactions among species. It was proved that JSDMs could reduce the bias in the estimation of abundance for mid-trophic level fishes by incorporating species trophic interactions, especially for species with low prevalence. The geographic center of gravity of five fishes showed a northward shift of less than 20 km under ocean warming scenarios. Ignoring species trophic interactions would result to overestimate or underestimate abundance of species under climate changes. The abundance of one species (Big head croaker Collichthys lucidus) would decrease, while the other four species would increase because of their different response to climate changes. This study is expected to improve our understanding of the importance of species interactions in predicting the spatio-temporal distribution of species, and will provide guidance for the spatial management strategies of fisheries resources under future climate changes.

Geostatistical tools to assess shifts in recreational fishing

The use of geostatistical indices to examine fishery-dependent data over time is novel. We assess the value of a range of these indices for describing trends in boat-based recreational fishing in Western Australia and areas of high effort and catches for two demersal species with varying biological characteristics, life histories and distributions. The number of blocks (10- × 10-nautical mile (~19- × 19-km) area) visited decreased by 40%, while the number of fishing trips with demersal species catch increased by 15%. Spatial indices showed a south-easterly shift in demersal catch per unit effort (CPUE) across survey years. The southerly shift of West Australian dhufish (Glaucosoma herbraicum) CPUE and subsequent return to the north likely to reflect the response of this temperate species to a marine heatwave. In comparison, CPUE of retained Baldchin groper (Choerodon rubescens) shifted north, whereas released catches shifted south with high probabilities of hotspots present associated with habitat structure. We identified hotspots of retained and released CPUE, highlighting potential areas where species experience high post-release mortality through barotrauma, and targeted spatial management strategies. Spatial indices allow quantitative definition of the structure of the fishery, identify high catch areas, and assess changes over time at a broader scale to sustainably manage multispecies fisheries.

Economic valuation of the snapper recruitment effect from a well-established temperate no-take marine reserve on adjacent fisheries

The global exhaustion of marine fishery resources has triggered worldwide demands for sustainable utilization of marine resources and Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM). Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a long-term spatial management strategy in the EBM toolbox. MPAs demonstrate ecological and economic benefits. While MPAs’ ecological benefits are well researched, there are only a few studies that estimate the economic benefits of MPAs to the adjacent fisheries. Currently, methodologies for measuring the economic benefits flowing from MPAs are underdeveloped. Our research builds on a recent assessment of the economic contribution of a small, temperate, no-take marine reserve in New Zealand to rejuvenating depleted snapper (Sparidae: Chrysophrys auratus) stocks. Empirical evidence shows that 10.6% of newly settled juvenile snappers sampled up to 55 km outside of the MPA were the offspring of adult snappers from the MPA. This suggests a significant boost to the commercial fishery of $NZ 1.49 million catch landing value per annum and $NZ 3.21 million added from recreational fishing activity associated spending per annum. These values all come from the recruitment effects associated with one species, from only 0.08% of the marine space in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand. The economic valuation of this marine reserve’s snapper recruitment effect demonstrated $NZ 9.64 million in total spending accruing to recreational fishing per annum and $NZ 4.89 million in total output to commercial fisheries annually. This study is the first estimation of the economic valuation of the recruitment effects from a well-established temperate no-take MPA. It represents an important step forward for quantifying the economic benefits of marine reserves and how marine reserves could have positive influence on EBM and marine sustainability.

Bright spots as climate‐smart marine spatial planning tools for conservation and blue growth

Marine spatial planning that addresses ocean climate‐driven change (‘climate‐smart MSP’) is a global aspiration to support economic growth, food security and ecosystem sustainability. Ocean climate change (‘CC’) modelling may become a key decision‐support tool for MSP, but traditional modelling analysis and communication challenges prevent their broad uptake. We employed MSP‐specific ocean climate modelling analyses to inform a real‐life MSP process; addressing how nature conservation and fisheries could be adapted to CC. We found that the currently planned distribution of these activities may become unsustainable during the policy's implementation due to CC, leading to a shortfall in its sustainability and blue growth targets. Significant, climate‐driven ecosystem‐level shifts in ocean components underpinning designated sites and fishing activity were estimated, reflecting different magnitudes of shifts in benthic versus pelagic, and inshore versus offshore habitats. Supporting adaptation, we then identified: CC refugia (areas where the ecosystem remains within the boundaries of its present state); CC hotspots (where climate drives the ecosystem towards a new state, inconsistent with each sectors’ present use distribution); and for the first time, identified bright spots (areas where oceanographic processes drive range expansion opportunities that may support sustainable growth in the medium term). We thus create the means to: identify where sector‐relevant ecosystem change is attributable to CC; incorporate resilient delivery of conservation and sustainable ecosystem management aims into MSP; and to harness opportunities for blue growth where they exist. Capturing CC bright spots alongside refugia within protected areas may present important opportunities to meet sustainability targets while helping support the fishing sector in a changing climate. By capitalizing on the natural distribution of climate resilience within ocean ecosystems, such climate‐adaptive spatial management strategies could be seen as nature‐based solutions to limit the impact of CC on ocean ecosystems and dependent blue economy sectors, paving the way for climate‐smart MSP.

Optimal spatial management in a multiuse marine habitat: Balancing fisheries and tourism

Marine fisheries are an important source of food supply and play an important economic role in many regions worldwide. However, due to aggressive fishing practices they are increasingly overexploited. Marine reserves have the potential to alleviate this problem and moreover, they also provide a physical area where an alternative economic activity can exist without being in conflict with fishing gear. Here we explore the idea of combining multiple economic activities in a marine ecosystem, namely: fishing and tourism. We use a model in which the fish population evolves according to a reaction-diffusion partial differential equation, and we consider the interactions between fishing and tourism. We use optimal control theory to find, depending on the model parameters, the optimal management strategy. The results show that, subject to certain conditions, it is possible to have two different revenue streams in the same habitat in contrast with the classical view of competing uses. We also corroborate that marine reserves emerge as the optimal strategy and that the presence of visitors in these areas generates larger profits than if only fishing was considered. Recommendations for Resource Managers • Several economic activities in the same marine ecosystem can be more profitable than single use habitats (e.g., fisheries), and appropriate management can have important consequences for conservation. • Marine reserves have the potential to solve the overexploitation problem in many fisheries, and they provide a physical area where tourism and fishing are not in direct spatial conflict. • Habitat economic and ecological features should be adequately examined when designing a spatial management strategy.

Using Opportunistic Datasets to Infer Spatial Management Strategies of Local Fisheries in the U.S. Caribbean Region

As an initial step towards the implementation of an ecosystem‐based approach to management, the Caribbean Fishery Management Council has recently ratified three island‐based fishery management plans that will supplant the existing regional plans. The newly formed management plans account for nuances among the island platforms in the U.S. Caribbean, including ecological, cultural, and social considerations. The island‐based approach represents a novel strategy among the eight fishery management councils in the United States and therefore remains an untested technique. This study evaluated the decision to separate fishery management among the island platforms by comparing fish assemblages through time in the region. The results suggest that the structure and function of fish communities are spatially driven, with little temporal influence. Combined with the ecological, cultural, and social differences among the islands, the spatial nature of the fish community data support the Caribbean Fishery Management Council decision to transition to island‐based management plans.