50
R.S. Nemeth
Caribbean until aggregation fi shing nearly eliminated it from most locations
throughout its range (Olsen and LaPlace 1978 ; Sadovy 1997 ; Sala et al. 2001 ;
Aguilar-Perera 2006 ) . The importance of this single species for maintaining biological diversity and indirectly structuring food webs (Stallings 2008 ) , potentially
controlling invasive species such as the Indo-Pacifi c lionfi sh (Maljković et al. 2008 )
and (historically) in regional fi sheries, highlights the need to better understand
aggregating species within coral reef ecosystems and the need for their management
under prevailing uncontrolled commercial exploitation.
Acknowledgements The author appreciates the fruitful discussions with the editors which greatly
improved this chapter. Writing of this chapter was supported in part by the University of the Virgin
Islands’ Center for Marine and Environmental Studies, the NSF VI-EPSCoR program (NSF award
# 346483 & 0814417) and Friday Harbor Laboratory’s Helen Riaboff Whiteley Center. This is
contribution # 61 for the Center for Marine and Environmental Studies at UVI.
References
Aguilar-Perera A (2006) Disappearance of a Nassau grouper spawning aggregation off southern
Mexican Caribbean coast. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 327:289–296
Aguilar-Perera A, Aguilar-Davila W (1996) A spawning aggregation of Nassau grouper
Epinephelus striatus (Pisces: Serranidae) in the Mexican Caribbean. Environ Biol Fishes
45:351–361
Appeldoorn RS (2008) Transforming reef fi sheries management: application of an ecosystembased approach in the USA Caribbean. Environ Conser 35:232–241
Ault JS, Smith SG, Luo J, Monaco ME, Appeldoorn RS (2008) Length-based assessment of
sustainability benchmarks for coral reef fi shes in Puerto Rico. Environ Conser 35:221–231
Bailey TG, Robertson DR (1982) Organic and caloric levels of fi sh feces relative to its consumption
by coprophagus reef fi shes. Mar Biol 69:45–50
Beets J, Muehlstein L, Haught K, Schmitges H (2003) Habitat connectivity in coastal environments: patterns and movements of Caribbean coral reef fi shes with emphasis on bluestriped
grunt, Haemulon sciurus . Gulf Caribb Res 14:29–42
Bell LJ, Colin PL (1986) Mass spawning of Caesio teres (Pisces: Caesionidae) at Enewetak Atoll,
Marshall Islands. Environ Biol Fishes 15:69–74
Botsford LW, White JW, Coffroth M-A, Paris CB, Planes S, Shearer TL, Thorrold SR, Jones GP
(2009) Connectivity and resilience of coral reef metapopulations in marine protected areas:
matching empirical efforts to predictive needs. Coral Reefs 28:327–337
Carter HJ, Perrine D (1994) A spawning aggregation of dog snapper, Lutjanus jocu , (Pisces:
Lutjanidae) in Belize, Central America. Bull Mar Sci 55:228–234
Carter JG, Marrow J, Pryor V (1994) Aspects of the ecology and reproduction of Nassau grouper,
Epinephelus striatus , off the coast of Belize, Central America. Proc Gulf Caribb Fish Inst
43:65–111
Cherubin LM, Nemeth RS, Idrisi I (2011) Flow and transport characteristics at an Epinephelus
guttatus (red hind grouper) spawning aggregation site in St. Thomas (US Virgin Islands).
Ecological Modelling In Press (doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2011.05.031)
Claro R, Garcia-Arteaga JP (2001) Growth patterns of fi shes of the Cuban shelf. In: Claro R,
Lindeman K, Parenti LR (eds) Ecology of the marine fi shes of Cuba. Smithsonian Institution
Press, Washington, DC
Claro R, Lindeman KC (2003) Spawning aggregation sites of snapper and grouper species
(Lutjandidae and Serranidae) on the insular shelf of Cuba. Gulf Caribb Res 14:91–106
R.S. Nemeth
Caribbean until aggregation fi shing nearly eliminated it from most locations
throughout its range (Olsen and LaPlace 1978 ; Sadovy 1997 ; Sala et al. 2001 ;
Aguilar-Perera 2006 ) . The importance of this single species for maintaining biological diversity and indirectly structuring food webs (Stallings 2008 ) , potentially
controlling invasive species such as the Indo-Pacifi c lionfi sh (Maljković et al. 2008 )
and (historically) in regional fi sheries, highlights the need to better understand
aggregating species within coral reef ecosystems and the need for their management
under prevailing uncontrolled commercial exploitation.
Acknowledgements The author appreciates the fruitful discussions with the editors which greatly
improved this chapter. Writing of this chapter was supported in part by the University of the Virgin
Islands’ Center for Marine and Environmental Studies, the NSF VI-EPSCoR program (NSF award
# 346483 & 0814417) and Friday Harbor Laboratory’s Helen Riaboff Whiteley Center. This is
contribution # 61 for the Center for Marine and Environmental Studies at UVI.
References
Aguilar-Perera A (2006) Disappearance of a Nassau grouper spawning aggregation off southern
Mexican Caribbean coast. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 327:289–296
Aguilar-Perera A, Aguilar-Davila W (1996) A spawning aggregation of Nassau grouper
Epinephelus striatus (Pisces: Serranidae) in the Mexican Caribbean. Environ Biol Fishes
45:351–361
Appeldoorn RS (2008) Transforming reef fi sheries management: application of an ecosystembased approach in the USA Caribbean. Environ Conser 35:232–241
Ault JS, Smith SG, Luo J, Monaco ME, Appeldoorn RS (2008) Length-based assessment of
sustainability benchmarks for coral reef fi shes in Puerto Rico. Environ Conser 35:221–231
Bailey TG, Robertson DR (1982) Organic and caloric levels of fi sh feces relative to its consumption
by coprophagus reef fi shes. Mar Biol 69:45–50
Beets J, Muehlstein L, Haught K, Schmitges H (2003) Habitat connectivity in coastal environments: patterns and movements of Caribbean coral reef fi shes with emphasis on bluestriped
grunt, Haemulon sciurus . Gulf Caribb Res 14:29–42
Bell LJ, Colin PL (1986) Mass spawning of Caesio teres (Pisces: Caesionidae) at Enewetak Atoll,
Marshall Islands. Environ Biol Fishes 15:69–74
Botsford LW, White JW, Coffroth M-A, Paris CB, Planes S, Shearer TL, Thorrold SR, Jones GP
(2009) Connectivity and resilience of coral reef metapopulations in marine protected areas:
matching empirical efforts to predictive needs. Coral Reefs 28:327–337
Carter HJ, Perrine D (1994) A spawning aggregation of dog snapper, Lutjanus jocu , (Pisces:
Lutjanidae) in Belize, Central America. Bull Mar Sci 55:228–234
Carter JG, Marrow J, Pryor V (1994) Aspects of the ecology and reproduction of Nassau grouper,
Epinephelus striatus , off the coast of Belize, Central America. Proc Gulf Caribb Fish Inst
43:65–111
Cherubin LM, Nemeth RS, Idrisi I (2011) Flow and transport characteristics at an Epinephelus
guttatus (red hind grouper) spawning aggregation site in St. Thomas (US Virgin Islands).
Ecological Modelling In Press (doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2011.05.031)
Claro R, Garcia-Arteaga JP (2001) Growth patterns of fi shes of the Cuban shelf. In: Claro R,
Lindeman K, Parenti LR (eds) Ecology of the marine fi shes of Cuba. Smithsonian Institution
Press, Washington, DC
Claro R, Lindeman KC (2003) Spawning aggregation sites of snapper and grouper species
(Lutjandidae and Serranidae) on the insular shelf of Cuba. Gulf Caribb Res 14:91–106