THE ROLE OF BENTHIC HABITAT, OCEANOGRAPHY, AND FISHING ON THE POPULATION-DYNAMICS OF THE SPINY LOBSTER, PANULIRUS-MARGINATUS (DECAPODA, PALINURIDAE), IN THE HAWAIIAN ARCHIPELAGO
Jj. Polovina et al., THE ROLE OF BENTHIC HABITAT, OCEANOGRAPHY, AND FISHING ON THE POPULATION-DYNAMICS OF THE SPINY LOBSTER, PANULIRUS-MARGINATUS (DECAPODA, PALINURIDAE), IN THE HAWAIIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Crustaceana, 68, 1995, pp. 203-212
Temporal and spacial variation in relative abundance and production of
spiny lobster Panulirus marginatus in the northwestern Hawaiian islan
ds has been documented from commercial catch-and-effort and research t
rapping data. Data on benthic habitat collected from scuba transects a
nd data on oceanography, and the pelagic distribution of larval lobste
rs are used to explain adult lobster temporal and spatial variation. W
e find the amount of 5-30 cm vertical relief and the height of bank su
mmits explain considerable spatial variation in lobster abundance. Con
siderable interannual variation in lobster production at the northwest
ern portion of the fishing grounds is explained by the sea level gradi
ent along the archipelago which appears to measure the strength of the
Subtropical Counter Current, Evidence of a 50% drop in recruitment to
the fishery has been observed since 1989. Recruitment overfishing and
a decadal climate event may be responsible for this recruitment decli
ne.