Natural mortality estimates throughout the life history of the sea cucumber Isostichopus Badionotus (Holothuroidea: Aspidochirotida)

PeerJ

Salvador Romero-Gallardo¹  Eduardo Garza-Gisholt¹  Iván Velázquez-Abunader¹  Jorge Alberto López-Rocha² 

[1] Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico;Laboratorio de Análisis Espacial de Zonas Costeras, Unidad Multidisciplinaria de Docencia e Investigación, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Sisal, Yucatan, Mexico;

关键词: Gnomonic intervals;    Natural mortality-at-age;    Isostichopus badionotus;    Sea cucumber;    Stock assessment;    Fishery;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.5235

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The Natural Mortality coefficient (M) is a key parameter for stock assessments. The need to establish age-specific natural mortality coefficients is widely recognized because M decreases rapidly over the early stages of the life cycle until it reaches a stable M value around the age-at-maturity. The aim of this study was to estimate M during the life cycle of the sea cucumber Isostichopus badionotus, a species under heavy fishing exploitation in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Coefficients M at age were estimated using two models: The Gnomonic Interval Model (GIM) and the Chen & Watanabe model. Two different scenarios were simulated considering early and late age-at-maturity. Estimated M values using the GIM model for the early maturity scenario were 2.15 to 2.35 year−1 (interquartile range) for the juvenile stage and 0.39 to 0.43 year−1 for the adult stage; for the late maturity scenario were 0.65 to 0.71 year−1 for the juvenile stage and 0.68 to 0.74 year−1 for the adult stage. The Chen & Watanabe model M estimates for juvenile stage were between 0.85 and 2.23 year−1 and 0.39 and 2.23 year−1 for the early and late maturity scenarios respectively; for adult stage were between 0.97 and 0.21 year−1 and 0.62 and 0.43 year−1 respectively. The GIM estimated high natural mortality rates during larval stages. These estimates provided a higher level of certainty for the population models to more effectively manage a fishery and improve stock assessments.

【 授权许可】

Unknown