BONEFISH MORTALITY

Project Title: Sources of Mortality for Bonefish in Tropical Ecosystems

Bonefish populations do not reside in isolation. They are both predators and prey in the nearshore marine environment and the dynamics of the interactions among these organisms can have a profound influence on bonefish populations. To better understand and properly manage bonefish, we need a greater knowledge of the role bonefish play in the marine food webs of nearshore ecosystems and the strengths of the interactions among the predators and prey. To develop appropriate management and conservation strategies for bonefish, we also need to better understand their movement, site fidelity, and habitat utilization patterns. This information will also help identify essential bonefish habitat, determine spawning migration timing and routes, and help develop bonefish energetic models to determine population response to fishing and environmental changes. We also need to understand the levels of natural (predators, disease) and fishing-related mortality that are occurring and how these are influenced by various predator and prey densities. This is important for both the wise management and conservation of bonefish throughout the world. The overall goal of this research is to reduce predator-induced mortality of bonefish through a better understanding of predator-prey interactions.

• Total Project Cost: $192,000
• Requested Funds: $192,000