Document: LOU-3-8-12

Theory of marine reserves.

BOTSFORD, L.W.* and A.HASTINGS

University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA ¹

Abstract:
Marine reserves have been proposed as a tool for increasing fishery yields and preserving marine biodiversity, however their implementation raises general questions such as how much of the coastline needs to be in reserves, and whether they are better than classical fishery management, as well as specific design questions regarding the size, spacing and location of reserves. Modeling efforts, primarily over the last decade, have resolved some of these issues. Fishery management by marine reserves is in many ways similar to classical management by control of size limits and effort. The addition of reserves increases yield when the stock would otherwise be recruitment overfished. Reserves work best in a fishery context for species with intermediate rates of adult movement, while in a biodiversity context low rates are preferred. Consideration of larval dispersal implies that about 40 percent of the coast is required for persistence of all species, while less is needed for low distance dispersers. To preserve biodiversity, large single reserves may be adequate, while to maximize fishery yields, smaller reserves covering equal area would be preferred. Marine reserves also present advantages and disadvantages regarding uncertainty.

Keywords: Marine reserves, fisheries, marine biodiversity, population models

This abstract is being presented at: 1:45 PM in session:
Symposium # 18: The Role of Theoretical Ecology in Biodiversity Conservation and Management.