Entanglement of monofilament fishing lines and coral death

• Published in: Biological conservation Vol. 117; no. 5; pp. 557 - 560
• Main Authors: YOSHIKAWA, Tomoko, ASOH, Kazue
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier 01.06.2004
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Marine; Parks, reserves, wildlife conservation. Endangered species: population survey and restocking; Pocillopora meandrina; Hawaii; Polynesia; Oceania; USA, Hawaii, Oahu I; USA, Hawaii; Mortality; Fishing line; Hawaii; Coral reef; Fishing; Coral reef conservation; Fishing gear; Marine environment; Ecological damage; Coelenterata; Coral; Pocillopora meandrina; Cnidaria; Reef degradation; Invertebrata; Environmental protection
• ISSN: 0006-3207; 1873-2917
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2003.09.025

In Oahu, HI, partially or entirely dead coral heads entangled with fishing lines have been observed frequently by SCUBA divers at popular shore fishing sites. At one of the popular cast fishing spots, the extent of damage inflicted by monofilament fishing lines on cauliflower coral Pocillopora meandrina colonies was examined. Within 16 sample squares placed randomly at either side of a reference line, all P. meandrina colonies were examined for the presence or absence of fishing lines, percent area of dead coral surface, and percent area of coral surface with fishing lines. Results showed that 65% of coral colonies had fishing lines on their surface, and the median size of colonies with fishing lines was significantly larger than that of colonies without fishing lines. In total, 80% of colonies were either dead or partially dead, and the percentage was correlated positively with the percentage of colonies entangled with fishing lines.