Abstract

There has been much interest recently in the use of marine reserves to conserve fish stocks, particularly those species such as groupers, which are long-lived and slow growing and in many cases aggregate to spawn. Marine reserves may benefit fish stocks in several ways, including protection of spawning stock biomass and the maintenance of undisturbed fish habitat. Studies on the habitat preferences of Turks & Caicos grouper indicate that grouper occupy a wide range of habitats. Coney (Epinephelus fulvus) and adult Nassau grouper accuper (E. striatus) were mos abundant on high-relief shelf-edge bank reefs. Studies of the effects of protection on grouper in the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and the Florida Keys have shown increased density and biomass of groupers in protected areas. However, recent research in the Turks & Caicos Islands shows no effect of marine reserves on grouper abundance or distribution. Fishing pressure on grouper in the Turks & Caicos Islands may be insufficient to cause differences in density or biomass between fished and protected areas. Several species of grouper, such as Nassau grouper and gag (Mycteroperca microlepis) undertake seasonal spawning migrations of up to several hundred kilometers. During these migrations, grouper may leave the boundaries of marine reserves and may be subject to fishing mortality. More information is needed on the habitat preferences and migratory habits of groupers in order to design more effective reserves

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