BIO

My name is Alex Swann, and I am a sophomore at FSU majoring in Biological Sciences, with a focus in Marine Biology. I'm from Bozeman, Montana, and despite how landlocked my hometown is, have always had a fascination for the ocean. With respect to research interests, I am incredibly interested in any research pertaining to marine biology/ecology, oceanography, or really anything that has to do with the ocean.

The Effects of Varying Levels of Fishing Pressure On Ctenochaetus striatus and Chlorurus spilurus Behaviors ​

Abstract

Fishing has been a practice for thousands of years on coral reefs; however, the pressure it causes on reef organisms is not yet fully understood. While much research has been done on how fishing can alter assemblages of targeted species, relatively little attention has been given to changes in fish behavior. In order to better understand how small-scale fishing practices (e.g., spearfishing) impacts fish behavior, we collected data at 12 sites in Moorea, French Polynesia that varied in their degree of fishing pressure. At each site, we conducted video recorded fish follows of two focal species (1) Chlorurus spilurus, a heavily fished parrotfish, and, (2) Ctenochaetus striatus, a less fished surgeonfish. Each video was annotated to classify foraging and grouping behavior. Preliminary results show no significant difference in foraging behaviors of either species between sites, regardless of fishing pressure. There were differences in behavior between the targeted and untargeted species, with the non-targeted species spending more time foraging and less time spent in groups. Our results suggest that the level of fishing pressure does not seem to impact fish behavior. While contradictory to the growing evidence of differences in wariness behavior of targeted fishes inside and outside of marine protected areas, it should be noted that no area in Moorea is exclusively protected from fishing. Further, behavior may have been influenced historically in areas where currently there is little fishing or that there are spillover effects from high pressure fishing areas into low pressure fishing areas.

Keywords: Fishing pressure, Fish behavior, Ctenochaetus striatus, Chlorurus sordidus