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Trajectories and magnitude of change in coral reef fish populations in Philippine marine reserves: a meta-analysis

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Abstract

Marine reserves are widely implemented worldwide to meet both conservation and fisheries management goals. This study examines the efficacy of Philippine marine reserves using meta-analysis by comparing variations in fish density (1) between reserves and adjacent fished reefs (spatial comparison), (2) within reserves before establishment relative to years following the establishment (temporal comparison), and (3) among reserves classified based on size, age, and enforcement capacity. A grand (total) mean of nineteen 22.3 ha coral reef reserves, protected for a mean duration of 8.2 years, were included in the meta-analyses. The overall density of fishes was higher in the reserves compared with the fished reefs and this difference was largely accounted for by exploited fishes. However, the overall density of fishes within the same reserves remained similar from the period before its establishment to several years following its establishment. Only the density of nonexploited fishes increased significantly during years subsequent to the establishment of the reserves. Neither age nor size of reserves correlated with pattern of change in fish density following the establishment of the reserves; however, fish density was consistently higher in larger and older reserves relative to smaller and younger reserves in the spatial comparison. Furthermore, well-enforced reserves had higher density of exploited fishes relative to less-enforced reserves in both spatial and temporal comparisons. In general, the magnitude and trajectory of change in fish density following the establishment of Philippine marine reserves are influenced by (1) functional groups of fishes under consideration, (2) size and age of the reserve, and (3) level of enforcement of the regulatory mechanisms necessary to sustain a marine reserve.

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Acknowledgments

R. J. Maliao and A. P. Maypa are supported by the Fulbright-Philippines Agriculture Scholarship Program. Key persons contributing to the Saving Philippine Reefs project annual coral reef monitoring expeditions of the CCEF are A. P. Maypa, B. Stockwell, S. Tesch, A. Meneses, E. White, and the volunteer divers that have supported the expeditions. Thanks to A. Uychiaoco, M. Vergara, and T. Dacles for providing copies of the reports from Reefs Through Time, a biennial report on the status of Philippine coral reefs. Comments of R. van Woesik, J. Lin, E. Webb, B. Polohan, J. Kerfoot, and M. Wittenrich on earlier drafts of this manuscript are gratefully acknowledged. We are thankful to the four anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and recommendations to improve the quality of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, 150 West University Blvd., Melbourne, FL, 32901-6975, USA

    R. J. Maliao & R. G. Turingan

  2. Asia-Pacific Program, The Nature Conservancy, 923 Nu’uanu Avenue, Honolulu, HI, 96817-1539, USA

    A. T. White

  3. Coastal Conservation Education Foundation, Inc. (CCEF), 6200 Banilad, Cebu City, Philippines

    A. T. White & A. P. Maypa

  4. Zoology Department, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2538 McCarthy Mall Edmondson 152, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA

    A. P. Maypa

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  1. R. J. Maliao
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Maliao, R.J., White, A.T., Maypa, A.P. et al. Trajectories and magnitude of change in coral reef fish populations in Philippine marine reserves: a meta-analysis. Coral Reefs 28, 809–822 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-009-0532-6

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