370
This chapter present methods and techniques of six lines of research currently in
progress, which can be used for other threatened species in Latin America: the
knowledge from traditional populations, the use of submarine photography and
video for photo-identification, reproductive biology, captive breeding, genetic, and
the study of stable isotopes.
The last part of this chapter is a brief of the exchange experience with the Florida
State University, a partner of the Projeto Meros do Brasil, bringing to Brazil, welldeveloped techniques already used for Goliath Grouper population’s studies in the
USA. Such techniques are already being used along the Brazilian coast.
14.3 Methods & Techniques to Study the E. itajara in Latin
America and in Brazil
14.3.1 The Study of Traditional Knowledge as Subsidy
to Conservation of the E. itajara in Brazil
In the past three decades, the study of indigenous people knowledge systems has
been gaining increasing recognition. This tendency can be observed in the fields of
knowledge of ichthyology, marine conservation, and fisheries management
(Johannes 2002; Begossi 2010; Leite and Gasalla 2013).
Many of the studies that deal with the nature of the relationships between human
beings and ecosystems, including their elements, have their origin in the
Ethnoecology. Defined as the field of knowledge that develops the scientific study
behind the traditional ecological knowledge (Marques 2001), the investigation in
Ethnoecology has become an important instrument in marine conservation. When
working with different knowledge systems, the researcher aims to understand the
structure or the components of nature and their classifications; patterns, processes,
and relationships among the elements, and the natural events and the use of objects
and resources by indigenous people (Toledo and Barrera-Bassols 2009).
Part of Ethnoecology is Ethnoichthyology, aiming to investigate specifically the
traditional knowledge that indigenous people have regarding fish (Marques 1991;
Begossi 1993; Diegues 2000). Generally, studies in Ethnoichthyology try to record
the knowledge that traditional and/or indigenous people have relative to morphology, habitat, spatio-temporal distributions, behavior, trophic interactions, feeding,
reproduction/spawning, and taxonomy of fish species (Marques 2001; Pinheiro
2004; Mourão and Nordi 2006; Begossi 2010).
The first studies in Ethnoichthyology that provided the knowledge of fishermen
regarding the Goliath Grouper, Epinephelus itajara, in Brazil started early in the
1990s. As a result of these surveys, clear evidences of the decrease in abundance
and size of the species in the Northeastern Brazilian coast was observed (Ferreira
and Maida 1995).
M. Hostim-Silva et al.
This chapter present methods and techniques of six lines of research currently in
progress, which can be used for other threatened species in Latin America: the
knowledge from traditional populations, the use of submarine photography and
video for photo-identification, reproductive biology, captive breeding, genetic, and
the study of stable isotopes.
The last part of this chapter is a brief of the exchange experience with the Florida
State University, a partner of the Projeto Meros do Brasil, bringing to Brazil, welldeveloped techniques already used for Goliath Grouper population’s studies in the
USA. Such techniques are already being used along the Brazilian coast.
14.3 Methods & Techniques to Study the E. itajara in Latin
America and in Brazil
14.3.1 The Study of Traditional Knowledge as Subsidy
to Conservation of the E. itajara in Brazil
In the past three decades, the study of indigenous people knowledge systems has
been gaining increasing recognition. This tendency can be observed in the fields of
knowledge of ichthyology, marine conservation, and fisheries management
(Johannes 2002; Begossi 2010; Leite and Gasalla 2013).
Many of the studies that deal with the nature of the relationships between human
beings and ecosystems, including their elements, have their origin in the
Ethnoecology. Defined as the field of knowledge that develops the scientific study
behind the traditional ecological knowledge (Marques 2001), the investigation in
Ethnoecology has become an important instrument in marine conservation. When
working with different knowledge systems, the researcher aims to understand the
structure or the components of nature and their classifications; patterns, processes,
and relationships among the elements, and the natural events and the use of objects
and resources by indigenous people (Toledo and Barrera-Bassols 2009).
Part of Ethnoecology is Ethnoichthyology, aiming to investigate specifically the
traditional knowledge that indigenous people have regarding fish (Marques 1991;
Begossi 1993; Diegues 2000). Generally, studies in Ethnoichthyology try to record
the knowledge that traditional and/or indigenous people have relative to morphology, habitat, spatio-temporal distributions, behavior, trophic interactions, feeding,
reproduction/spawning, and taxonomy of fish species (Marques 2001; Pinheiro
2004; Mourão and Nordi 2006; Begossi 2010).
The first studies in Ethnoichthyology that provided the knowledge of fishermen
regarding the Goliath Grouper, Epinephelus itajara, in Brazil started early in the
1990s. As a result of these surveys, clear evidences of the decrease in abundance
and size of the species in the Northeastern Brazilian coast was observed (Ferreira
and Maida 1995).
M. Hostim-Silva et al.