Developmental patterns within a multispecies reef fishery: Management applications for essential fish habitats and protected areas

Diverse information sets and regulatory mechanisms are necessary for the ma nagement of essential fish habitats (EFH) and protected areas involving mul tispecies fisheries. We therefore identified key pelagic and demersal devel opmental patterns among the 73 species of the snapper-grouper complex of th e South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. Twenty-two potential spawning aggregation sites for eight snapper species near the Dry Tortugas and Key W est were identified by commercial fishermen. Mean larval duration estimates were available for 15 species and ranged from 14 to 75 d. Larval durations for grunts, snappers, and groupers are within the residence times of some gyres. Settlement areas are depth stratified and settlers often use shallow er habitats than adults. Demersal stages of at least 50 species showed some degree of ontogenetic migration across the shelf, but most evidence sugges ts that strict estuary dependence is a rare life-history strategy among the species in the complex; facultative use of estuaries is more common. Inclu ding key nursery habitats in protected areas may not safeguard early life s tages affected by coastal construction projects unless the design process i s coordinated among agencies responsible for water quality and habitat prot ection through tools such as EFH. Sites that consistently support spawning aggregations for multiple species require management both as EFH-Habitat Ar eas of Particular Concern and, potentially, as no-take protected areas. The most important known snapper spawning aggregation site in the lower Florid a Keys is Riley's Hump. Despite a site closure in May and June, aggregation s of several other snapper species are heavily fished later in the year. A year-round closure to protect both fish stocks and remaining habitat integr ity is warranted.