title: First record of a spawning aggregation for the tropical eastern Pacific endemic grouper Mycteroperca olfax in the Galapagos Marine Reserve.
abstract: This study provides direct and indirect evidence of temporally and spatially consistent spawning aggregations for the grouper Mycteroperca olfax. Recently reported declines in population numbers, probably related to the direct targeting of aggregations by artisanal fishermen, highlight the urgent need for species-specific management actions in the Galapagos Marine Reserve, such as minimum and maximum landing sizes, and the importance of protecting key aggregation sites with the declaration of no-take areas and the establishment of total fishing bans during the reproductive season.
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Sciences, Charles Darwin Research Station, Av Charles Darwin s/n, Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Salinas-de-León
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Sciences, Charles Darwin Research Station, Av Charles Darwin s/n, Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rastoin
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Sciences, Charles Darwin Research Station, Av Charles Darwin s/n, Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Acuña-Marrero
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004484:Ecuador; D062312:Islands; D010473:Perciformes / Q000502:physiology*; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology*; D012621:Seasons; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D062211:Spatio-Temporal Analysis
keywords: Epinephelidae; Galapagos Islands; marine protected areas; reproduction