Study of a Mediterranean reef fish assemblage. Comparisons of population distributions between depths in protected and unprotected areas over one decade

Abstract

Differences in Mediterranean fish communities of two rocky coastal areas, one inside an integral marine reserve and the second outside the reserve, near Banyuls-sur-Mer were compared using underwater visual census after a 12-year interval. Water depth affected the relative abundance of fish communities and the number of species was roughly maintained in both sites. The abundance of species has decreased in the integral reserve whereas it has been maintained outside the reserve; Nine species are more abundant in the integral reserve and nine others are more abundant outside the reserve. Among the species vulnerable to fishing, such as Labrus merula, Symphodus tinca, Mullus surmuletus, Diplodus sargus, Diplodus vulgaris, Scorpaena porcus, Oblada melanura, 6 of the them are more abundant outside the integral reserve and 4 others are more abundant outside. These results stress the need for a more regular and more extensive survey of the fish assemblage in and around the marine reserve of Cerbere-Banyuls