2. In general, very little information about plankton ecology is available over in
Ecuador. There is a lack of information on echinoderm larval ecology, dispersion, and its development along the mainland Ecuador and the Galápagos
Islands. This field of research must be developed, because it is important for the
future. Key life history traits of stenotopic species need to be known in order to
determine their capacity to respond to extreme changes in temperature and
salinity in their environments. Additionally, samples of plankton and larvae of
echinoderms in the Reference Collections are not being well maintained. There
is a need to create a GIS-Database not only for biological but also for oceanographic data.
3. Studies on meiobenthos on the mainland of Ecuador and Galápagos should be
continued. However it is necessary to carefully choose study sites for long-term
research to monitor changes in biodiversity.
4. As suggested by Okey et al. (2004) for the Galápagos Islands, mass-balanced
trophic models (Ecopath/Ecosim/Ecospace) for primary and secondary production for rocky reefs, sandy and muddy beaches, and estuaries environments
along the mainland of Ecuador should be constructed. This is necessary to
detect those habitats that may act as sinks for oceanic plankton, because reef
systems and estuarine environments may be strongly coupled with physical
oceanographic conditions. This information should be available for the early
life stages of different species of echinoderms in Ecuador.
6.6.3 Fisheries
1. Although several factors contribute to variability in communities of algae,
fishes, lobsters, sea urchins, sea urchins parasites, and crabs, in Galápagos,
evidence suggests that artisanal fishing has both direct and cascading effects
throughout the community (Sonnenholzner et al. 2009, 2011; Edgar et al.
2010). Nonetheless, the magnitude, rate and severity of these changes are still
unknown for echinoderms (Sonnenholzner et al. 2011), and community structure (Ruttenberg 2001) because most studies have been observational. More
experimental work is needed in order to understand top-down control in the
Galápagos.
2. Capture-recapture studies for the sea urchin T. depressus (tagged specimens)
should be conducted to estimate basic population parameters, such as, age,
growth rate, natural mortality, and movement patterns (Sonnenholzner 2011).
These studies, combined with other population surveys, should provide baseline
data to develop an adequate strategy of coastal management for a potential
planned fishery of T. depressus in the mainland and the Galápagos Islands.
222
J. Sonnenholzner et al.
Ecuador. There is a lack of information on echinoderm larval ecology, dispersion, and its development along the mainland Ecuador and the Galápagos
Islands. This field of research must be developed, because it is important for the
future. Key life history traits of stenotopic species need to be known in order to
determine their capacity to respond to extreme changes in temperature and
salinity in their environments. Additionally, samples of plankton and larvae of
echinoderms in the Reference Collections are not being well maintained. There
is a need to create a GIS-Database not only for biological but also for oceanographic data.
3. Studies on meiobenthos on the mainland of Ecuador and Galápagos should be
continued. However it is necessary to carefully choose study sites for long-term
research to monitor changes in biodiversity.
4. As suggested by Okey et al. (2004) for the Galápagos Islands, mass-balanced
trophic models (Ecopath/Ecosim/Ecospace) for primary and secondary production for rocky reefs, sandy and muddy beaches, and estuaries environments
along the mainland of Ecuador should be constructed. This is necessary to
detect those habitats that may act as sinks for oceanic plankton, because reef
systems and estuarine environments may be strongly coupled with physical
oceanographic conditions. This information should be available for the early
life stages of different species of echinoderms in Ecuador.
6.6.3 Fisheries
1. Although several factors contribute to variability in communities of algae,
fishes, lobsters, sea urchins, sea urchins parasites, and crabs, in Galápagos,
evidence suggests that artisanal fishing has both direct and cascading effects
throughout the community (Sonnenholzner et al. 2009, 2011; Edgar et al.
2010). Nonetheless, the magnitude, rate and severity of these changes are still
unknown for echinoderms (Sonnenholzner et al. 2011), and community structure (Ruttenberg 2001) because most studies have been observational. More
experimental work is needed in order to understand top-down control in the
Galápagos.
2. Capture-recapture studies for the sea urchin T. depressus (tagged specimens)
should be conducted to estimate basic population parameters, such as, age,
growth rate, natural mortality, and movement patterns (Sonnenholzner 2011).
These studies, combined with other population surveys, should provide baseline
data to develop an adequate strategy of coastal management for a potential
planned fishery of T. depressus in the mainland and the Galápagos Islands.
222
J. Sonnenholzner et al.