Acoustic telemetry in reef fish ecology and conservation: a systematic review of space use by Epinephelidae and Lutjanidae and a case study of the dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus)

• Grant number: 24/12826-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: May 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Fishery Resources and Fishery Engineering - Marine Fishing Resources
• Principal Investigator: Fabio dos Santos Motta
• Grantee: Rafael Romero Munhoz
• Host Institution: Instituto do Mar (IMar). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus Baixada Santista. Santos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The use of acoustic telemetry to monitor marine fishes makes it possible to understand the spatial distribution and habitat use of species of relevant ecological and economic interest. This application to species that have reached unsustainable levels of exploitation and that are vulnerable to fishing pressure due to intrinsic biological characteristics, such as many species of Epinephelidae (groupers) and Lutjanidae (snappers) that have late sexual maturation, slow growth, high longevity and form reproductive aggregations, can provide important information to support effective conservation measures. Despite the proven applicability of acoustic telemetry to contribute to the management of many fish species, there is little use in this regard, with most work focused on generating general movement data. In this context, the present project has the following objectives: i. To systematically review the literature on the ecology of movement and space use by fish species of the families Epinephelidae and Lutjanidae, in order to guide new studies and to collect important subsidies for the conservation of the species, ii. Carry out a case study with the dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) in a protected island system in the southwest Atlantic (Alcatrazes Archipelago Wildlife Refuge and Tupinambás Ecological Station) to describe space use and habitat preference and correlate them with biotic (e.g. size and sex) and abiotic (e.g. depth and temperature) variables. The results of this work will be relevant to support conservation actions for species of these two fish families and provide data that will directly contribute to the management of the two conservation units targeted by the study. (AU)