Abstract
The value of marine reserves to protect threatened and vulnerable species, such as the dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus), is often uncertain because of a lack of knowledge about their ecology and habitat utilisation. To address this issue, a Wireless Communication System for location-based positioning of fish tagged with coded acoustic transmitters was installed to determine site fidelity of juvenile dusky groupers (mean total length = 30.4 cm, range: 20.5–40.0 cm; mean total weight = 470 g, range: 113–950 g) within a marine reserve (Island of Ustica, Sicily, Italy). The system was based on five wireless hydrophones distributed approximately 200 m apart along the coastline of the reserve, each monitoring acoustic signals from transmitters within a reception cell. The hydrophones retransmitted detected signals as a radio signal to a land-based receiver and data logger. Unique identifiers for each hydrophone permitted the identification of the detection cell containing the tagged fish. The wireless hydrophones had partly overlapping detection ranges, dividing the marine reserve into more than five different detection cells. The average detection range was 232 m, but coverage varied from site to site and with time, depending on many factors, such as ambient noise, wave action and signal strength of the transmitters. Despite some limitations, the Wireless Hydrophone System (WHS) combined with manual tracking provided a valuable tool for investigating site fidelity in the dusky grouper. Preliminary home ranges for the fish were estimated by the kernel method (probability level of 95%), based on a limited set of manual tracking data, to be a median 5312 m2 (range 1673–18 626 m2).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Bégout Anras, M. L., S. Kadri, J. E. Juell and T. Hansen, 2000. Measuring individual and group swimming behaviour under production densities: Test of a 3D multiple fish acoustic positioning system in a sea cage. In Moore, A. and I. Russel (eds), Advances in Fish Telemetry, CEFAS, Lowestoft, UK: 75–78.
Bolden, S. K., 2000. Long-distance movement of a Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus) to a spawning aggregation in the central Bahamas. Fish. Bull. 98: 642–645.
Bouain, A. and Y. Siau, 1983. Observations on the female reproduction cycle and fecundity of the species of groupers (Epinephelus) from the southeast Tunisian seashores. Mar. Biol. 73: 211–220.
Bruslé, J., 1985. Exposé synoptique des données biologiques sur les mérous Epinephelus aeneus (Geoffroy Saint Hilaire, 1809) et Epinephelus guaza (Linnaeus, 1758) de Océan Atlantique et de la Mediterranée. FAO Synopsis sur les Pêches 129: 64 pp.
Chauvet. C., 1988. Etude de la croissance du mérou Epinephelus guaza des côtes tunisiennes. Aquat. Living Resour. 1: 277–288.
Chauvet, C., G. Barnabé, J. Bayle Sempere, C. H. Biaconi, J. L. Binche, P. Francour, A. Garcia Rubies, J. G. Harmelin, R. Miniconi, A. Pais and P. Robert, 1991. Recensement due merou Epinephelus guaza (Linnaeus, 1758) dans le reserves et parcs marins des cotes mediterranecnnes francaises. In Boudouresque, C. F., M. Avon and V. Gravez (eds), Les espèces Marines à Protéger en Méditerranée. GIS Posidonie Publ., Fr. 34: 277–290.
Kimley, A. P., F. Voegeli, S. C. Beavers and B. J. LeBoeuf, 1998. Automated listening stations for tagged marine fishes. Mar. Tech. Soc. J. 32: 94–101.
Lacroix, G. L. and F. A. Voegeli, 2000. Development of automated monitoring systems for ultrasonic transmitters. In Moore, A. and I. Russel (eds), Advances in Fish Telemetry, CEFAS, Lowestoft, UK: 37–50.
Lawson, E. J. G. and A. R. Rodgers. 1997. Differences in home-range size computed in commonly used software programs. Wildlife Soc. Bull. 25: 721–729.
Lembo, G., I. A. Fleming, F. Okland, P. Carbonara, S. Ragonese and M. T. Spedicato, 1998. Design of a telemetry study for the dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus, Lowe 1834). Biol. mar. Medit. 5: 1258–1265.
Lembo, G., I. A. Fleming, F. Okland, P. Carbonara and M. T. Spedicato, 1999a. Homing behaviour and site fidelity of Epinephelus marginatus around the island of Ustica: preliminary results from a telemetry study. Biol. mar. Medit. 6: 90–99.
Lembo, G., I. A. Fleming, F. Okland, P. Carbonara and M. T. Spedicato. 1999b. Site fidelity of the dusky grouper, Epinephelus marginatus (Lowe, 1834 ), studied by hydroacoustic telemetry. Mar. Life 9: 37–43.
Marino, G., E. Azzurro, A. Massari, M. G. Finoia and A. Man-dich, 2001. Reproduction in the dusky grouper from the southern Mediterranean. J. Fish Biol. 58: 909–927.
Neill, J. R., 1967. Observations on the behaviour of the grouper species Epinephelus guaza and Epinephelus alexandrinus (Serranidae). Underwat. Assoc. Rep. 1966–1967: 101–106.
Okland, F., B. Finstad, R. S. McKinley, E. B. Thorstad and R. K. Booth, 1997. Radio-transmitted electromyogram signals as indicators of physical activity in Atlantic salmon. J. Fish Biol. 51: 476–488.
Okland, F., E. Thorstad, G. Lembo, S. Ragonese and M. T. Spedicato, 1999. Surgery procedures for implanting telemetry transmitters into the body cavity of Epinephelus marginatus (Lowe, 1834). Biol. mar. Medit. 6: 139–143.
Palumbi, S. R., 2001. The ecology of marine protected areas. In Bertness, M. D., S. D. Gaines and M. E. Hay (eds), Marine Community Ecology. Sinauer, Sunderland, MA, USA: 509–530.
Priede, I. G. and S. M. Swift, 1992. Wildlife Telemetry: Remote Monitoring and Tracking of Animals. Ellis Horwood Ltd., New York: 708 pp.
Roberts, C. M., 1997. Ecological advice for the global fisheries crisis. Trends Ecol. Evol. 12: 35–38.
Seaman, D. E. and R. A. Powell, 1996. An evaluation of the accuracy of kernel density estimators for home range analysis. Ecology 77: 2075–2085.
Stasko, A. B. and D. E. Pincock, 1977. Review of underwater biotelemetry with emphasis on ultrasonic techniques. J. Fish Res. Bd Can. 34: 1262–1285.
Thorstad, E. B., F. (Aland, D. Rowsell and R. S. McKinley, 2000. A new system for automatic recording of fish tagged with coded acoustic transmitters. Fish. Manage. Ecol. 7: 281–294.
Vacchi, M., S. Bussotti, P. Guidetti and G. La Mesa, 1999. Le cernie della riserva marina di Ustica: osservazioni preliminari sulla struttura delle popolazioni e comportamento sociale. Biol. mar. Medit. 6: 278–280.
Worton, B. J., 1989. Kernel methods for estimating the utilization distribution in home range studies. Ecology 70: 164–168.
Zabala, M., P. Louisy, A. Gracia-Rubies and V. Gracia, 1997. Socio-behavioural context of reproduction in the Mediterranean dusky grouper Epinephelus marginatus (Lowe, 1834 ) (Pisces, Serranidae) in the Medes Islands Marine Reserve ( NW Mediterranean, Spain). Sci. Mar. 61: 79–89.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2002 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Lembo, G. et al. (2002). A wireless communication system for determining site fidelity of juvenile dusky groupers Epinephelus marginatus (Lowe, 1834) using coded acoustic transmitters. In: Thorstad, E.B., Fleming, I.A., Næsje, T.F. (eds) Aquatic Telemetry. Developments in Hydrobiology, vol 165. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-0771-8_29
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-0771-8_29
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-90-481-6124-9
Online ISBN: 978-94-017-0771-8
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive