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Could spatial management of sea urchins increase fishery profits?

Photo: CINMS. Photo: J. Maassen. Could spatial management of sea urchins increase fishery profits?. Sarah Teck, Nick Shears, Sarah Rathbone, Steve Gaines Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara. Background. red sea urchin fishery:

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Could spatial management of sea urchins increase fishery profits?

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  1. Photo: CINMS Photo: J. Maassen Could spatial management of sea urchins increase fishery profits? Sarah Teck, Nick Shears, Sarah Rathbone, Steve Gaines Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara

  2. Background • red sea urchin fishery: • California ~11.2 million lbs. ~$6.1 million • N. Channel Islands ~66% • Port of Santa Barbara ~52% • 90% western end Santa Barbara San Miguel Santa Cruz Santa Rosa Anacapa Image: www.incabrain.com

  3. Background • seasonal variability in gonad quality influences price • ($0.39/lb vs >$1.00/lb) • fishermen race to harvest year-round vs. waiting for optimal quality • (how much more $ would they make, if they waited?) • delaying harvest through spatial property rights, • TURF’s (Territorial Use Rights in Fisheries)  • fishermen’s profits • (also would save time, no need to survey area to fish during suboptimal conditions, just wait for optimal quality)

  4. Background • with fished species need to wait for • individuals and population growth • with urchins also need to wait for • seasonal gonad quality • first, we need to understand more detailed ecological information on temporal and spatial variability of gonad quality

  5. Background • with fished species need to wait for individuals and population growth • with urchins also need to wait for • seasonal gonad quality • first, we need to understand more detailed ecological information on temporal and spatial variability of gonad quality

  6. Channel Island field sampling Santa Barbara San Miguel Santa Cruz Santa Rosa Anacapa

  7. Red urchin gonad variability over space gonad: somatic index (GSI) Santa Barbara San Miguel Santa Cruz Santa Rosa Anacapa

  8. Santa Barbara Port sampling

  9. Red urchin gonad variability over time gonad: somatic index (GSI) Oct ‘08 Dec Feb ‘09 Mar May Jul Aug Oct

  10. Red urchin gonad variability over time gonad: somatic index (GSI) Oct ‘08 Dec Feb ‘09 Mar May Jul Aug Oct

  11. Red urchin gonad variability over time gonad: somatic index (GSI) Oct ‘08 Dec Feb ‘09 Mar May Jul Aug Oct

  12. Red urchin gonad variability over time gonad: somatic index (GSI) Oct ‘08 Dec Feb ‘09 Mar May Jul Aug Oct

  13. Red urchin gonad variability over time gonad: somatic index (GSI) Oct ‘08 Dec Feb ‘09 Mar May Jul Aug Oct

  14. Red urchin landings 1985-2005 Purple urchin abundance 2007

  15. purple sea urchin • purples compete with reds for kelp • not commercially harvested (smaller) • form persistent urchin barrens (mostly in the east) • long-term monitoring sites deforested by purples ~33% of the time—mostly in the east

  16. manipulate ecology of a managed area to increase profits • kelp restoration

  17. Long-term (1985-2007) Variation in Kelp and Urchin kelp Density (m-2) purple urchins Density (m-2) red urchins Biomass (gm-2) NPS—KFM data (eastern SCI and Anacapa Island)

  18. Long-term (1985-2007) Variation in Kelp and Urchin kelp Density (m-2) purple urchins Density (m-2) red urchins Biomass (gm-2) NPS—KFM data (eastern SCI and Anacapa Island)

  19. Long-term (1985-2007) Variation in Kelp and Urchin kelp Density (m-2) • Red urchins have persistently higher biomass inside of the reserves. • Reproductive output is ~4 times higher in kelp forests versus urchin barrens purple urchins Density (m-2) red urchins Biomass (gm-2) NPS—KFM data (eastern SCI and Anacapa Island)

  20. ecological restoration & economic revitalization

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