Document Type
Poster
Publication Title
Northrop Grumman Engineering & Science Student Design Showcase
Abstract
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are subsets of traditional fishing grounds that are typically closed to fishing, serving as a key component of fisheries management and sustainability programs worldwide. It is hypothesized that MPAs help sustain exploited stocks by one or both mechanisms: (1) larvae spawned in the MPAs recruit into the Adjacent Fished Reefs (AFRs), and (2) juveniles and adults migrate from MPAs into AFRs. Evidence shows that (1) while fish density is higher in MPAs than in AFRs during a specific sampling period, overall reef-wide fish density either increases or remains stable over time, and (2) large-bodied fish become more abundant in AFRs as time progresses. These results suggest that MPAs promote beneficial shifts in fish population structure across the entire reef systems after a few years of protection rather than simply maintaining stable populations within their borders.
Advisor
Ralph Turingan
Publication Date
4-25-2025
Recommended Citation
Vega, Allyah, "Response of Coral-Reef Fish to Fishing Pressure" (2025). Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications. 78.
https://repository.fit.edu/oems_student/78