CNH-L: Multiscale Dynamics of Coral Reef Fisheries: Feedbacks Between Fishing Practices, Livelihood Strategies, and Shifting Dominance of Coral and Algae

University Of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara CA

Investigators

Abstract

This project will address the role that fishing practices play in coral reef ecosystems. It will consist of an integrated social, ecological, and modeling research program centered on an island coral reef fishery. The investigators will engage with fishers in their local communities to document the species that are fished and the underlying social and economic drivers of the decisions fishers make about where and when to fish and what to catch. Ecological studies will document spatial distribution and abundance of key fish species as well as the condition of the reefs using both direct field work and satellite derived observations. Overall the research will contribute greatly to the understanding of factors that influence the health of coral reefs. Integrative training will be provided for six graduate students, two post-doctoral researchers and numerous undergraduates who will gain experience in ecology, social science, and modeling. Graduate students and post-doctoral researchers will attend and participate in fisher community workshops. K-12 outreach activities will involve partnerships with teachers, and multilingual curricula for elementary schools in the United States and Pacific Islands will be developed. Collaborations with citizen scientists will increase public awareness of the effects of fishing on the reefs. The research findings will be of direct value to coral reef conservation and management practitioners, yielding insights into sustainably managing similar systems across the Pacific region and into the processes that determine the spatial dynamics of coral reefs worldwide. Millions of coastal dwellers rely on coral reef fisheries for food, income, and their personal and cultural identities, yet reefs are under threat worldwide as corals are increasingly lost and replaced by seaweeds. For a variety of reasons, fishing on tropical reefs often targets species of fish that eat seaweeds, and it is thought that reductions in these species can result in growth of seaweeds that eventually replace live coral. The factors that drive fishing behavior are poorly understood, and can include available livelihood opportunities to fishers as well as their knowledge of and access to fishery resources. Understanding feedbacks between these components requires accounting for the spatial dynamics of ecological interactions and human behavior. By capitalizing on recent advances in satellite technology, inexpensive smartphones, and innovative ecological, social network, and modeling techniques this research program will reveal how fishing links the physical landscape with the landscape of social interactions, and it will provide unique insights into the dynamic interrelations of the coral reef system.