Lecture 13 (Reef Fisheries and Reef Aquaculture)

Question 1

Benefits of artisanal fisheries

Answer 1

1) Sustainable (their equipment doesn’t have the capabilities to capture entire schools of fish)
2) Important sources of protein for fishing communities
3) Historical and cultural significance

Question 2

Inverted fd pyramid/chain for aquatic ecosystems

Answer 2

1) Biomass is much larger for predators (carnivores like sharks, dolphins); vulnerable due to spawning aggregates
2) Small biomass for producers
3) Herbivores in the middle

Question 3

Effects of Overfishing

Answer 3

1) Removal of large apex predators (decrease in diversity)
2) Growth overfishing (removal of small individuals)
3) Recruitment overfishing (removing large, reproducing fish)
4) Ecosystem overfishing (targeting one species, then another)

Question 4

Effects of overfishing on corals

Answer 4

1) Reduction in herbivores
2) Unchecked urchin populations cause increased bioerosion
3) Upset balance