Scientific Papers

State indicators, e.g., mean size and trophic level of the fish assemblage, can provide importantinsights into the effects of fishing on ecosystems and the resource potential of the fishery. On coral reefs, few studies have examined the relative effects of fishing and other drivers, such as habitat, on these indicators.In light of habitat heterogeneity and increasing habitat degradation, this lack of understanding limits the usefulness of indicators for monitoring the effect of fishery management actions. Identifying thresholds or nonlinearities in relationships between fishing pressure and state indicators has been suggested as a basis for biomass-based targets to support management efforts in low research capacity contexts.

Following the removal of an introduced species, island restoration can follow two general approaches: passive, where no further intervention occurs and the island is assumed to recover naturally, and; active, where recovery of key taxa (e.g. seabirds) is enhanced by manipulating movement and demography. ...We summarize the advantages of incorporating these analyses of past restoration results as an initial step in the decision-making process. We illustrate this process using lessons learned from the restoration of seabird-driven island ecosystems after introduced vertebrate eradication in New Zealand.

(Rachel T. Buxton1, Christopher J. Jones, Philip O’Brien Lyver, David R. Towns4 and Stephanie B. Borrelle)

 

This study assesses the biogeographic classification of the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) on the basis of the species diversity and distribution of reef-building corals. Twenty one locations were sampled between 2002 and 2011.

This study assesses the biogeographic classification of the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) on the basis of the species diversity and distribution of reef-building corals. Twenty one locations were sampled between 2002 and 2011

Effective conservation of the critically endangered hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) in the western Indian Ocean is hindered by a lack of basic ecological information about its diet and habitat requirements. This study utilised stomach samples from dead turtles and oesophageal lavage, together with in-water observations of foraging turtles, to identify the relative importance of species contributing to the diet of hawksbill turtles at five localities in the Republic of Seychelles