Assessing the size adequacy of a small no-take marine protected area (MPA) for Mediterranean moray and European conger

Abstract

In 2011, several type I marine protected areas (no-take MPAs) were establishedinside the Sudoeste Alentejano and Costa Vicentina Marine Park, located along the southwesterncoast of Portugal. This study quantified the home range, movement patterns and activity levels of19 moray Muraena helena and 6 conger Conger conger eels to assess if the size of one of theseMPAs (Pessegueiro Island) is adequate to protect these heavily fished species. Individuals werecaptured inside and outside of the no-take MPA, tagged with acoustic transmitters and monitoredfor 2 mo during the summer of 2013. Morays and congers showed a mean residency index of 0.48and home ranges of 19.4 and 34.4 ha, respectively, corresponding to 4 and 8% of the MPA. Moraysand congers were active for 3.3 and 12.0% of the time, respectively, mainly at night and duringquarter lunar phases. Morays moved <1 km d−1 around reefs near the island, while congers roamedmore widely. Results highlight the importance of this no-take MPA as a refuge and feeding areafor both species, at least during the summer period, and suggest that its size is adequate for protectingthese species against fishing activity. Ultimately, the present study provides evidence thatsmall no-take MPAs can be adequate for protecting species with small home ranges.