Buck Island Reef National Monument Lobster Population Study [Final Summary Report]

Cox, Carrollyn; Zito, Adrianna; Bertelsen, Rodney; Hunt, John

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) was contracted by Buck Island Reef National Monument (BUIS) to conduct a baseline study of an important fisheries species, the Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) inside and adjacent to BUIS. Field research took place between April of 2004 and April 2007 and included five separate expeditions by FWC biologists to BUIS. There were several research objectives/directives during the course of the study. 1) Compare lobster populations inside and outside the protected area of BUIS in order to evaluate its effectiveness as a reserve and also to determine if select features (the haystacks) were lobster habitat. 2) Examine population breeding metrics to determine reproductive activity in and around BUIS. 3) Measure postlarval lobster abundance and identify suitable juvenile settlement habitat adjacent to BUIS to understand the ontogeny of the population. 4) Visually inspect spiny lobsters for the virus PAV1 to determine whether the virus, found in the Florida spiny lobster population, is also present in St. Croix. 5) Finally, we were asked to recommend a protocol for monitoring the lobster population in and adjacent to BUIS through time.