A Basis for long-term monitoring of fish and shellfish species in the Virgin Islands National Park
Boulon RH. 1987. A Basis for long-term monitoring of fish and shellfish species in the Virgin Islands National Park. Biosphere Reserve Research Report No. 22. Virgin Islands National Park and Virgin Islands Resource Management Cooperative. St. Thomas, USVI
A long-term monitoring program was initiated for fish and invertebrate species of commercial importance within the Virgin Isl ends National Park/Biosphere Reserve. Additionally. generally surveys were made for lobsters and conch. Hopefully. the data obtained will begin to fulfill the need for quantitative baseline data to assess and manage these resources adequately. A one-year study indicates that; 1) some species of reef fish may have seasonal trends in numbers; 2) the inshore spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) population shows summer and winter peaks at Fish Bay but not Reef Bay. where numbers are very low; 3) conch (Strombus gigas) show a definite seasonal trend in deeper water with low numbers during the summer reproductive season; 4) whelk (Cittarium pica) at one study site show a large annual cohort of juveniles decreasing in abundance with increasing size. Few adults are present due to natural mortality. General surveys for conch and lobster demonstrate that the populations are of low abundance and highly dispersed. These data will be useful to assess population trends in the absence or presence of management actions on the species or species groups. Recommendations for monitoring methodologies and management actions are discussed.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Boulon, Ralf
- Date of Issue
- 1987-08
- Publisher
- Virgin Islands National Park and Virgin Islands Resource Management Cooperative
- Units
- VIIS
- Keywords
- Animal Studies, Distribution, Fish, Monitoring, Population, queen conch (Strombus gigas), Reefs, Seasonality, spotted spiny lobster (Panulirus guttatus), St. John US Virgin Islands, West Indian topsnail (Cittarium pica), West Indies Spiny Lobster (Panulirus argus)