= 10.1 kg boatday −1) while the most diverse group was the fish family Serranidae, with Plectropo... more = 10.1 kg boatday −1) while the most diverse group was the fish family Serranidae, with Plectropomus leopardus being the main target species. In conclusion, boat tracking combined with interviews and catch surveys has proven a useful tool to reduce uncertainty in information on spatial resource use, while allowing a high level of participation by fishermen.
Simulation models have a broad potential as decision-support tools for resource management by mec... more Simulation models have a broad potential as decision-support tools for resource management by mechanistically representing and projecting complex ecological processes. In the case of socioeconomically and biologically important coral reef ecosystems, models have been used to address important questions regarding the effects of human impacts on their ecological dynamics and to inform management approaches. However, few of the models integrate benthic and fish dynamics with the influence of external anthropogenic stressors, and virtually none is available as a user-friendly platform for non-scientist managers to easily access. We propose a new ecological model to assess the effects of simultaneous stressors on coral reef ecosystems which includes a dynamic representation of benthic and fish spatial processes, linked by their ecological feedbacks. SEAMANCORE is a two-dimensional model representing the dynamics of local coral reefs which can be used to explore the influence of bleaching, eutrophication, and fishing, including destructive fishing such as bomb and cyanide fishing. The model is coupled with a menu-based interface that allows users with no programming experience to simulate numerous scenarios in specific contexts that can be customized with depth profile maps and initial coral reef conditions of fish and benthos functional group abundance. This study includes SEAMANCORE’s description and shows the model’s sensitivity to its parameters by means of sensitivity analyses. Its utility is exemplified by exploring various scenarios of no stressors, fishing and bleaching regimes in a theoretical coral reef. We expect that linking fish demographics with changing habitat quality will prove insightful for fisheries management.
Pollution, fishing, and outbreaks of predators can heavily impact coastal coral reef ecosystems, ... more Pollution, fishing, and outbreaks of predators can heavily impact coastal coral reef ecosystems, leading to decreased water quality and benthic community shifts. To determine the main environmental drivers of coral reef status in the Spermonde Archipelago, Indonesia, we monitored environmental variables and coral reef benthic community structure along an onto offshore gradient annually from 2012 to 2014. Findings revealed that concentrations of phosphate, chlorophyll alike fluorescence, suspended particulate matter, and light attenuation significantly decreased from onto offshore , while concentrations of dissolved O 2 and values of water pH significantly increased onto offshore. Nitrogen stable isotope signatures of sediment and an exemplary common brown alga were significantly enriched nearshore, identifying wastewater input from the city of Makassar as primary N source. In contrast to the high temporal variability in water quality, coral reef benthic community cover did not show strong temporal, but rather, spatial patterns. Turf algae was the dominant group next to live coral, and was negatively correlated to live coral, crustose coralline algae (CCA), rubble and hard substrate. Variation in benthic cover along the gradient was explained by water quality variables linked to trophic status and physico-chemical variables. As an integrated measure of reef status and structural complexity, the benthic index, based on the ratio of relative cover of live coral and CCA to other coral reef organisms, and reef rugosity were determined. The benthic index was consistently low nearshore and increased offshore, with high variability in the midshelf sites across years. Reef rugosity was also lowest nearshore and increased further offshore. Both indices dropped in 2013, increasing again in 2014, indicating a period of acute disturbance and recovery within the study and suggesting that the mid-shelf reefs are more resilient to disturbance than nearshore reefs. We thus recommend using these two indices with a selected number of environmental variables as an integral part of future reef monitoring.
People’s livelihoods in tropical small-island developing states are greatly dependent on marine e... more People’s livelihoods in tropical small-island developing states are greatly dependent on marine ecosystem services. Yet services such as fisheries and coastal buffering are being degraded at an alarming rate, thus making people increasing vulnerable to protracted and sudden environmental changes. In the context of the occurrences of extreme events such as earthquakes and tsunamis, it is vital to uncover the processes that make people in these island states resilient, or not, to environmental disruptions. This paper compares people’s perceptions of social and environmental impacts after an extreme event in the Western Solomon Islands (11 different villages on 8 different islands) to better understand how knowledge systems influence the coupling of human and natural systems. We examine the factors that contributed to perceptions of respective recovery in the environmental versus the social domains across communities with different traditional governance and modernization characteristics in a tsunami impact gradient. First, we separately assessed, at the community and individual level, the potential determinants of perceived recovery in the environmental and social domains. At the community level, the average values of the perceived environmental and social recovery were calculated for each community (1 year after the tsunami), and at the individual level, normally distributed environmental and social recovery variables (based on the difference in perceptions immediately and 1 year after the tsunami) were used as dependent variables in two General Linear Models. Results suggest that environmental and social resilience are not always coupled correspondingly and, less unexpectedly, that asymmetries during recovery can occur as a result of the underlying social and ecological context and existing adaptive capacity. More generally, the study shows how by evaluating post-disturbance perceptional data in tsunami-affected communities, we can better understand how subjective perceptions of change can affect the (de)-coupling of human and natural systems.
Patron-client systems are ubiquitous in small-scale fisheries and are thought to have an importan... more Patron-client systems are ubiquitous in small-scale fisheries and are thought to have an important role on the way marine resources are exploited. With the aim of identifying key differences between fishermen with a patron and independent fishermen, questionnaires were used to obtain individual socio-demographic characteristics and perceptions of fishing behaviour of fishermen in Spermonde (Indonesia). Catch assessments of landings were carried out and differences between dependent and independent fishermen evaluated. Fishermen with patrons had more valuable catch with a higher portion of live fish while independent fishermen were more engaged in subsistence fishing. Fishermen with patrons had higher turnovers than independent fishermen, but this result was contested after accounting for additional costs resulting from their indebtedness. Comparison between perceived and empirically measured data showed that fishermen with patrons underestimated their expected daily catch. The results suggest that belonging to the patron-client system affects fishing behaviour by making fishermen use less diversified gears and increase their focus on commercial fishing. The consequence of this is an apparent reduced amount of seafood provision for the household and possibly greater ecological impact due to the use of cyanide, a destructive fishing method. While the patron-client system has gained attention as a potential institution to promote sustainable exploitation practices, the data analysed here suggest that the patron-client relationship indirectly causes a worse environmental impact by encouraging higher exploitation rates. The implications are that bringing the patron-client system on board sustainable fishing policies may require context-dependent considerations of cultural obstacles and social complexities.
Small-scale fisheries have been associated with
the subjective well-being of coastal communities ... more Small-scale fisheries have been associated with the subjective well-being of coastal communities through their links with culture, identity, and social cohesion. But although fish catches are usually considered the primary ecosystem service that benefits fishers, little is known about how subjective well-being is influenced by the fishing activity itself. Here, we applied the experience sampling method in two small-scale fisheries in Bangladesh to assess the effects of fishing on fishers’ occurrence of positive and negative affect, two measures of subjective well-being. We found that fishing activities were not directly associated with increased momentary affect and that the frequency of positive affect actually decreased as the fishing trip progressed. Furthermore, although very low catches were associated with less positive affect, the highest frequency of positive affect was achieved with relatively small catches. Our results imply that the benefits provided by small-scale fisheries to the momentary subjective wellbeing of fishers are not strongly related to the actual catching of fish.
= 10.1 kg boatday −1) while the most diverse group was the fish family Serranidae, with Plectropo... more = 10.1 kg boatday −1) while the most diverse group was the fish family Serranidae, with Plectropomus leopardus being the main target species. In conclusion, boat tracking combined with interviews and catch surveys has proven a useful tool to reduce uncertainty in information on spatial resource use, while allowing a high level of participation by fishermen.
Simulation models have a broad potential as decision-support tools for resource management by mec... more Simulation models have a broad potential as decision-support tools for resource management by mechanistically representing and projecting complex ecological processes. In the case of socioeconomically and biologically important coral reef ecosystems, models have been used to address important questions regarding the effects of human impacts on their ecological dynamics and to inform management approaches. However, few of the models integrate benthic and fish dynamics with the influence of external anthropogenic stressors, and virtually none is available as a user-friendly platform for non-scientist managers to easily access. We propose a new ecological model to assess the effects of simultaneous stressors on coral reef ecosystems which includes a dynamic representation of benthic and fish spatial processes, linked by their ecological feedbacks. SEAMANCORE is a two-dimensional model representing the dynamics of local coral reefs which can be used to explore the influence of bleaching, eutrophication, and fishing, including destructive fishing such as bomb and cyanide fishing. The model is coupled with a menu-based interface that allows users with no programming experience to simulate numerous scenarios in specific contexts that can be customized with depth profile maps and initial coral reef conditions of fish and benthos functional group abundance. This study includes SEAMANCORE’s description and shows the model’s sensitivity to its parameters by means of sensitivity analyses. Its utility is exemplified by exploring various scenarios of no stressors, fishing and bleaching regimes in a theoretical coral reef. We expect that linking fish demographics with changing habitat quality will prove insightful for fisheries management.
Pollution, fishing, and outbreaks of predators can heavily impact coastal coral reef ecosystems, ... more Pollution, fishing, and outbreaks of predators can heavily impact coastal coral reef ecosystems, leading to decreased water quality and benthic community shifts. To determine the main environmental drivers of coral reef status in the Spermonde Archipelago, Indonesia, we monitored environmental variables and coral reef benthic community structure along an onto offshore gradient annually from 2012 to 2014. Findings revealed that concentrations of phosphate, chlorophyll alike fluorescence, suspended particulate matter, and light attenuation significantly decreased from onto offshore , while concentrations of dissolved O 2 and values of water pH significantly increased onto offshore. Nitrogen stable isotope signatures of sediment and an exemplary common brown alga were significantly enriched nearshore, identifying wastewater input from the city of Makassar as primary N source. In contrast to the high temporal variability in water quality, coral reef benthic community cover did not show strong temporal, but rather, spatial patterns. Turf algae was the dominant group next to live coral, and was negatively correlated to live coral, crustose coralline algae (CCA), rubble and hard substrate. Variation in benthic cover along the gradient was explained by water quality variables linked to trophic status and physico-chemical variables. As an integrated measure of reef status and structural complexity, the benthic index, based on the ratio of relative cover of live coral and CCA to other coral reef organisms, and reef rugosity were determined. The benthic index was consistently low nearshore and increased offshore, with high variability in the midshelf sites across years. Reef rugosity was also lowest nearshore and increased further offshore. Both indices dropped in 2013, increasing again in 2014, indicating a period of acute disturbance and recovery within the study and suggesting that the mid-shelf reefs are more resilient to disturbance than nearshore reefs. We thus recommend using these two indices with a selected number of environmental variables as an integral part of future reef monitoring.
People’s livelihoods in tropical small-island developing states are greatly dependent on marine e... more People’s livelihoods in tropical small-island developing states are greatly dependent on marine ecosystem services. Yet services such as fisheries and coastal buffering are being degraded at an alarming rate, thus making people increasing vulnerable to protracted and sudden environmental changes. In the context of the occurrences of extreme events such as earthquakes and tsunamis, it is vital to uncover the processes that make people in these island states resilient, or not, to environmental disruptions. This paper compares people’s perceptions of social and environmental impacts after an extreme event in the Western Solomon Islands (11 different villages on 8 different islands) to better understand how knowledge systems influence the coupling of human and natural systems. We examine the factors that contributed to perceptions of respective recovery in the environmental versus the social domains across communities with different traditional governance and modernization characteristics in a tsunami impact gradient. First, we separately assessed, at the community and individual level, the potential determinants of perceived recovery in the environmental and social domains. At the community level, the average values of the perceived environmental and social recovery were calculated for each community (1 year after the tsunami), and at the individual level, normally distributed environmental and social recovery variables (based on the difference in perceptions immediately and 1 year after the tsunami) were used as dependent variables in two General Linear Models. Results suggest that environmental and social resilience are not always coupled correspondingly and, less unexpectedly, that asymmetries during recovery can occur as a result of the underlying social and ecological context and existing adaptive capacity. More generally, the study shows how by evaluating post-disturbance perceptional data in tsunami-affected communities, we can better understand how subjective perceptions of change can affect the (de)-coupling of human and natural systems.
Patron-client systems are ubiquitous in small-scale fisheries and are thought to have an importan... more Patron-client systems are ubiquitous in small-scale fisheries and are thought to have an important role on the way marine resources are exploited. With the aim of identifying key differences between fishermen with a patron and independent fishermen, questionnaires were used to obtain individual socio-demographic characteristics and perceptions of fishing behaviour of fishermen in Spermonde (Indonesia). Catch assessments of landings were carried out and differences between dependent and independent fishermen evaluated. Fishermen with patrons had more valuable catch with a higher portion of live fish while independent fishermen were more engaged in subsistence fishing. Fishermen with patrons had higher turnovers than independent fishermen, but this result was contested after accounting for additional costs resulting from their indebtedness. Comparison between perceived and empirically measured data showed that fishermen with patrons underestimated their expected daily catch. The results suggest that belonging to the patron-client system affects fishing behaviour by making fishermen use less diversified gears and increase their focus on commercial fishing. The consequence of this is an apparent reduced amount of seafood provision for the household and possibly greater ecological impact due to the use of cyanide, a destructive fishing method. While the patron-client system has gained attention as a potential institution to promote sustainable exploitation practices, the data analysed here suggest that the patron-client relationship indirectly causes a worse environmental impact by encouraging higher exploitation rates. The implications are that bringing the patron-client system on board sustainable fishing policies may require context-dependent considerations of cultural obstacles and social complexities.
Small-scale fisheries have been associated with
the subjective well-being of coastal communities ... more Small-scale fisheries have been associated with the subjective well-being of coastal communities through their links with culture, identity, and social cohesion. But although fish catches are usually considered the primary ecosystem service that benefits fishers, little is known about how subjective well-being is influenced by the fishing activity itself. Here, we applied the experience sampling method in two small-scale fisheries in Bangladesh to assess the effects of fishing on fishers’ occurrence of positive and negative affect, two measures of subjective well-being. We found that fishing activities were not directly associated with increased momentary affect and that the frequency of positive affect actually decreased as the fishing trip progressed. Furthermore, although very low catches were associated with less positive affect, the highest frequency of positive affect was achieved with relatively small catches. Our results imply that the benefits provided by small-scale fisheries to the momentary subjective wellbeing of fishers are not strongly related to the actual catching of fish.
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Papers by Sara Miñarro
the subjective well-being of coastal communities through
their links with culture, identity, and social cohesion. But
although fish catches are usually considered the primary
ecosystem service that benefits fishers, little is known about
how subjective well-being is influenced by the fishing
activity itself. Here, we applied the experience sampling
method in two small-scale fisheries in Bangladesh to assess
the effects of fishing on fishers’ occurrence of positive and
negative affect, two measures of subjective well-being. We
found that fishing activities were not directly associated
with increased momentary affect and that the frequency of
positive affect actually decreased as the fishing trip
progressed. Furthermore, although very low catches were
associated with less positive affect, the highest frequency
of positive affect was achieved with relatively small
catches. Our results imply that the benefits provided by
small-scale fisheries to the momentary subjective wellbeing of fishers are not strongly related to the actual
catching of fish.
the subjective well-being of coastal communities through
their links with culture, identity, and social cohesion. But
although fish catches are usually considered the primary
ecosystem service that benefits fishers, little is known about
how subjective well-being is influenced by the fishing
activity itself. Here, we applied the experience sampling
method in two small-scale fisheries in Bangladesh to assess
the effects of fishing on fishers’ occurrence of positive and
negative affect, two measures of subjective well-being. We
found that fishing activities were not directly associated
with increased momentary affect and that the frequency of
positive affect actually decreased as the fishing trip
progressed. Furthermore, although very low catches were
associated with less positive affect, the highest frequency
of positive affect was achieved with relatively small
catches. Our results imply that the benefits provided by
small-scale fisheries to the momentary subjective wellbeing of fishers are not strongly related to the actual
catching of fish.