Project Results

About This Project

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

In 2005, the government of Fiji set the progressive goal of protecting 30% of its marine waters by 2020. As of 2013, approximately 17% of habitat within traditional fisheries management areas can be considered effectively protected based on efforts of local communities alone. However, the amount of local management is nearing saturation and these efforts still need to be scaled up significantly if the goal is to be reached.

Establishing a large marine protected area (MPA) network is one way to achieve this essential conservation goal. MPA networks have been shown to increase fish biomass, maintain species diversity, and sustain ecosystem function of the area directly protected, as well as allowing for larval dispersal and the movement of adults into non-protected areas, adding to the productivity of adjacent fishing grounds. One of the most important factors in designing these MPA networks is the degree of adult migration or larval dispersal that happens between separate populations of species targeted for protection.

However, tracking fish larvae or adult individuals through the ocean is extremely difficult and has proven impossible for many reef fish species (larvae are teeeeny tiny things that are too small for tracking devices, and tracking adult coral reef fish would result in me asking for a LOT more money from you guys). As a result, genetic relatedness is often used as a proxy, because rapidly evolving genetic markers provide logistically feasible and temporally relevant information about genetic exchange between populations.

In this study, I will be looking at genetic markers from mitochondrial DNA as well as microsatellite loci in order to determine whether significant genetic differences exist between populations from different areas. I will look at five fishery-targeted reef species - Plectropomus leopardus (Coral Trout), Epinephalus merra (Honeycomb Grouper), Lutjanus fulva (Black Snapper), Naso unicornis (Bluespine Unicornfish), and Chlororus sordidus (Daisy Parrotfish), collecting samples from fish markets as well as from spearfishing on SCUBA.

What is the significance of this project?

Using the genetic techniques described in the Project Context section, I will be able to uncover patterns of dispersal and movement of fishery-targeted coral reef fish within the island group, potentially identifying source/sink dynamics or genetically isolated populations. Source populations are populations that export larvae or adult migrants to other reefs, and are important to protect so that they can essentially "re-seed" other reefs in the event of local disturbance, like an oil spill or a bad storm. Genetically isolated populations, on the other hand, exhibit little to no connectivity to the reefs around them and are very important to protect on the basis of conserving marine biodiversity.

Conservation resources are always limited, and the costs of creating and managing MPA networks are often a factor when determining where and how to implement them. The scientific information that my study provides about connectivity patterns within Fiji will help support local and national decision makers to enhance the effectiveness of their expanding MPA networks while minimizing costs. Additionally, by looking at fishery-targeted species typically used for food in rural areas, my study will help management officials develop a conservation framework that protects both economically and ecologically important biodiversity targets.

What are the goals of the project?

The goals of my research are to:

1) Determine patterns of movement and dispersal of five food species within Fiji

2) Provide these results to conservation officials at the Wildlife Conservation Society Fiji

3) Share my research experience with the rest of the world through blog posts, photos, and videos