Abstract

Nassau (Epinephelus striatus) and yellowfin (Mycteroperca venenosa) grouper form temporally and spatially predictable spawning aggregations that have historically been susceptible to overfishing (Sadovy and Domeier 2005, Sadovy de Mitcheson et al. 2012). In response to degraded spawning aggregations, seasonal and permanent fisheries closures in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) have been developed to protect reproductive periods and locations. As both species produce courtship-associated sounds (CAS) at spawning aggregations (Schärer et al. 2012a, 2012b), passive acoustic and acoustic telemetry methods were combined to determine temporal patterns of reproductive activity, site usage, and fish movements in order to evaluate current protections at two marine protected areas (MPA) in the USVI: the Gram-manik Bank (GB) and Hind Bank Marine Conservation District (MCD, Figure 1). Passive acoustic recorders were placed at the GB spawning site and MCD non-spawning site for both species. Additionally, five acoustic receivers were deployed: one at the GB, one at the MCD, and three at the eastern boundary of the MCD to record tag detections from the 25 Nassau grouper and 21 yellowfin grouper that were tagged in this study.

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