GREATER BIOMASS AND VALUE OF TARGET CORAL-REEF FISHES IN 2 SMALL CARIBBEAN MARINE RESERVES

We studied the coral-reef fish communities of Saba Marine Park (Nether lands Antilles) and Hol Chan Marine Reserve (Ambergris Caye, Belize) i n the Caribbean to assess differences between them and adjacent ecolog ically similar sites after 4 yr of protection from fishing. Forty-five percent of target species commonly recorded in visual censuses in Bel ize (23 % of all recorded target species), and 59 % at Saba (22 %), sh owed greater abundance, size or biomass in shallow protected sites. Th ese differences are considered primarily to reflect increased survivor ship with the cessation of fishing mortality. The greatest estimated b iomasses were observed in locally protected snapper (Lutjanidae) in Be lize and Saba, and grunt (Haemulidae) at Saba. In both protected areas the local stock of visible demersal target fishes was 1.9 to 2.0 time s greater in biomass and 2.2 to 3.5 times greater in commercial value than in fished sites. Larger local stock of many target species is lik ely to support higher egg output from the protected areas, while large r predator biomass will mean more intense predation at the protected s ites.