Abstract

What factors whether natural, biotic, abiotic, the composite marine habitats or the geographic location, determine the abundance, density and species composition of near shore fish populations around Antigua? This is the question we tried to answer using four contrasting sites around the island. We also tried to use the data collected to come up with preliminary estimates of productivity at each site. The sites chosen were located along the north, north east, south west and south east coasts of the island. Each of these sites faces different levels of development and fishing pressure. In addition, the current regime, and composite habitats have markedly different characteristics among the sites. We conducted visual surveys and fisher interviews, documented the level of coastal development at each site and employed nets and fish traps with the hope of isolating the factors having the greatest influence on the populations of fish observed. Additionally, habitat maps were used to characterize the sites by size, geomorphology and habitat composition. Although in some areas fishing pressure seemed to play an apparent role, because many of our surveys were conducted fairly close to shore and fishers generally fish at sites much further out to sea, this impact was not always an important determinant. Overall, we were able to show that the composite marine habitats in an area were the primary factor determining the structure of fish populations at our selected sites

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