Volume 67
Modeling a Yellowfin Grouper (Mycteroperca venenosa) Spawning Aggregation with Passive Acoustic Telemetry on the Grammanik Bank, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
Authors
Jossart, J., R. Nemeth, A. Primack, and R. Stolz Download PDF Open PDF in BrowserOther Information
Date: November, 2014
Pages: 234 - 235
Event: Proceedings of the Sixty seven Annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute
City: Christ Church
Country: Barbados
Abstract
Yellowfin grouper (Mycteroperca venenosa) form transient Fish Spawning Aggregations (FSAs) from January to May on the Grammanik Bank, St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands (USVI). Heavy fishing during spawning led to the creation of a seasonal closure from February 1st to April 30th of a 1.5 km2 area on the Grammanik Bank and of yellowfin grouper in 2005 (Kadison et al. 2011). Diver observations of spawning yellowfin grouper suggests large periods of time are spent outside the Grammanik Bank. The current boundary of the Grammanik Bank seasonal closure is ineffective as the fish are traveling outside of the protected area. If the seasonal ban on the fish is lifted and the current boundary is not redrawn, the yellowfin grouper may be vulnerable. The purpose of this study examines the current boundary of the Grammanik Bank seasonal closure to determine its effectiveness, and proposes management options to increase protection of the yellowfin grouper FSA.