New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts
Distribution and abundance of recruits of the eastern rock lobster (Jasus
verreauxi) along the coast of New South Wales, Australia
S. S. Montgomery*
J. R. Craig
NSW Fisheries
Cronulla Fisheries Centre
P.O. Box 21, Cronulla
NSW 2230, Australia
email: montgoms@fisheries.nsw.gov.au
and
*Centre for Research on the Ecological Impacts of Coastal
Cities
Marine Ecology Laboratories, A11
University of Sydney
NSW 2006, Australia
Abstract In the mid 1990s, the New South Wales government
introduced management measures to increase the size of the population of
the eastern rock (spiny) lobster, Jasus verreauxi. A fully orthogonal
sampling design was begun in July 1995 to test, amongst others, the hypothesis
that the relative abundance of recruits (stages of peuruli to early juveniles
combined) to the eastern rock lobster population will change over space and
time. In the design for the full sampling strategy were the factors of Year
(eight levels) and Location (four levels). Three replicate collectors at
each of three sites at each location were sampled during the first quarter
of each lunar month between August and January between 1995-96 and 2002-03
(inclusive). Recruits occurred on collectors between September and January
each year. Results of the two-factor ANOVA showed a significant interaction
between Year and Location, meaning that differences in mean relative abundance
of recruits between years will depend upon the location. Comparison of means
(SNK test) show that in each year the relative abundance of recruits was
greatest at the southern locations, but no pattern in mean relative abundance
between years for each location was apparent. Management measures introduced
in the mid 1990s to increase population size have not to date resulted in
increasing levels of recruitment. Considering this, levels of recruitment
to the population appear to be influenced most by variation in environmental
factors rather than levels of egg production from the stock.
Keywords lobster; recruitment; distribution; abundance
M04026; Online publication date 8 June 2005 Received 9 February 2004;
accepted 12 May 2004
New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2005, Vol. 39:
619-628
0028-8330/05/3903-0619 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2005
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