A new study found that Queen conch populations are not mixing across the Caribbean suggesting that there are multiple distinct populations. These findings have implications for management of conch fisheries and suggest that local management of populations may be crucial! Check out a popular news article featuring this work here and a link to the original research […]
We’ve shared posts about conch populations before but a new study led by Dr. Kough from Shedd Aquarium found that the conch population declined 71% in 2016 compared to a 2011 survey in the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. View the full study here and a popular news article here.
“Let’s think about tomorrow, there are some simple rules to follow: preservation, moderation, we need some Conchservation. Conch Gone!”
Under the direction of Lavado Stubbs, ConchBoy films, with several musicians, a new music video came out today to help the conservation of conch for The Bahamas (article here). A widespread effort between entertainers and several conservation and management organizations […]
A new study from Turks and Caicos finds that the total local consumption of conch equals approximately the total allowable catch without export amounts factored in from 1950-2012. See research summary below and full paper here.
The Turks and Caicos Islands’ total marine fisheries catches were estimated for 1950–2012 using a catch reconstruction approach, estimating all removals, including reported catch […]
A new paper from a human dimensions study on Andros. Here is the Abstract:
Fisheries resources in the Caribbean suffer intense pressure from overharvesting. Some of the most valuable fisheries in The Bahamas, such as queen conch (Strombus gigas), spiny lobster (Panulirus argus), and Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus), are overexploited and require additional protection. Despite these pressures, we currently know […]
A report authored by Craig Dahlgren and commissioned by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) reviews the benefits of no-take marine reserves (LINK to .pdf). This comprehensive report titled: Belize’s Lobster, Conch, and Fish Populations Rebuild in No-Take Zones, focuses on Belizian reefs, but I imagine these data are very useful for the Bahamas as well. The report is long, ~90 pages, […]
Figure 1. Growth of Strombus pugilis, and measures of size and maturity used in this study. (g) is an example of a large mature animal from contemporary populations, while (h) is one of the larger animals from Prehuman populations, exemplifying the shift in size due to human […]