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Assessing fish communities in a multiple-use marine protected area using an underwater drone (Aegean Sea, Greece)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 March 2022

Melina Nalmpanti
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Ichthyology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
Androniki Pardalou
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Ichthyology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
Athanassios C. Tsikliras
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Ichthyology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
Donna Dimarchopoulou*
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Ichthyology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece Department of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, College of the Environment and Life Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA
*
Author for correspondence: Donna Dimarchopoulou, E-mail: ddimarch@bio.auth.gr

Abstract

Marine protected areas (MPAs) have been demonstrated to positively affect various aspects of their ecosystems and communities. In the present study, the effectiveness of varying protection levels on the coastal fish populations within a multiple-use marine park in Greece was assessed through community-level metrics using a non-destructive underwater recording method (underwater drone/mini remotely operated vehicle). Two factors were examined, i.e. protection level (fully, partially and least protected area) and time period (early and late summer: beginning and towards the end of the fishing and touristic season). Our study demonstrated some first results that protection benefited both the commercial species and the entire fish community as a whole, in terms of diversity, abundance and richness, while non-commercial species did not differ among the studied protection levels. This finding, along with the fact that the prevailing conditions (water temperature, depth, habitat type) were similar in all three studied areas, that corresponded to different protection levels, and in both sampling periods, indicated that the observed results may be attributed to the varying protection levels. The studied fish communities did not seem to be affected by the more intense fishing and touristic period over the summer. In conclusion, protection from fishing seems to positively affect the studied coastal fish community as a whole and particularly the commercially important species that find a refuge within core areas of the Alonissos marine park.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom

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