Abstract

Marine Fisheries Reserves (MFRs) are a potentially valuable andincreasingly popular tool for managing reef fisheries. In theory, MFRs should,in part, offset loss to the fishery due to closure with increased catch rates around the borders due to emigration of fishes from the reserve. Many reef fishes, exemplified by the white grunt (Haemulidae), undergo ontogenetic migrations from inshore nursery areas to deeper offshore habitats, a process that could result in emigration from a MFR. In grunts, these migrations appear to be linked to habitat shifts and are to some degree related to fish size. Thus, the distances and directions travelled during any shift will be related to the distribution and availability of the required habitats.

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