Carolina V Minte-Vera | Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (original) (raw)

Papers by Carolina V Minte-Vera

ICES Journal of Marine Science, 2021

Integrated models (IMs) for stock assessment are simultaneously fit to diverse data sets to estim... more Integrated models (IMs) for stock assessment are simultaneously fit to diverse data sets to estimate parameters related to biological and fishery processes. Model misspecification may appear as contradictory signals in the data about these processes and may bias the estimate of quantities of interest. Auxiliary diagnostic analyses may be used to detect model misspecification and highlight potential solutions, but no set of good practices on what to use exist yet. In this study, we illustrate how to use auxiliary diagnostic analyses not only to identify model misspecification, but also to understand what data components provided information about abundance. The diagnostic tools included likelihood component profiles on the scaling parameter, age-structured production models, catch-curve analyses, and two novel analyses: empirical selectivity and monthly depletion models. While the likelihood profile indicated model misspecification, subsequent analyses were required to indicate the c...

Fisheries Research, 2020

Delineating the stock structure of highly-mobile, wide-ranging fishes subject to exploitation is ... more Delineating the stock structure of highly-mobile, wide-ranging fishes subject to exploitation is a challenging task, yet one that is fundamental to optimal fisheries management. A case in point are stocks of skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis), yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) and albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) in the Pacific Ocean, which support important commercial, artisanal, subsistence, and recreational fisheries, and contribute roughly 70 % of global commercial tuna catches. Although some spatial and temporal structuring is recognised within these stocks, growing evidence from a range of approaches suggests that the stock structure of each tuna species is more complex than is currently assumed in both stock assessment and climate change models, and in management regimes. In a move towards improving understanding of the stock structure of skipjack, yellowfin, bigeye and South Pacific albacore tunas in the Pacific Ocean, an

Benthic cover data for the study sites between 2003-200

Coastal Management, 2009

... FILHO,4 H ´ELIO DE CASTRO LIMA RODRIGUES,5 GUILHERME FRAGA DUTRA,1 ... Chuenpagdee, Danilo Ar... more ... FILHO,4 H ´ELIO DE CASTRO LIMA RODRIGUES,5 GUILHERME FRAGA DUTRA,1 ... Chuenpagdee, Danilo Araújo, Renata Melao, Tuca Monteiro, Fernanda Stori, Tiago Bucci, Alexandre ... Conceiçao, John Cordell, Ademi Januário, Les Kaufman, Luis Fernando Brutto, Luis ...

This publication major objectives are to recommend an approach to evaluate the performance of eco... more This publication major objectives are to recommend an approach to evaluate the performance of ecological indicators applicable to the monitoring of the ecosystem impacts of fisheries in data-poor areas, and to evaluate the results of a stock assessment method (biomass-fleet dynamics model) previously proposed for fisheries in situations where only catch data is available.

Biological Invasions, 2010

Biodiversity in Wetlands: Assessment, Function and Conservation. Backhuys, Leiden, The Netherlands, 2000

Despite being the most regulated river in the world, the high Parana River in Brazil supports a g... more Despite being the most regulated river in the world, the high Parana River in Brazil supports a great wealth of biological diversity. An extensive region of floodplain habitat remains within the high Parana River between the Porto Primavera and Itaipu reservoirs, but it now experiences a modified flood regime due to the influence of the upstream reservoirs. Annual flooding and drying of the floodplain occurs, and this regime is greatly influenced by tributary rivers, especially the Ivinheima River which enters from the west. Most groups of aquatic organisms show high species diversity and strong patterns of ecological dynamics in response to habitat heterogeneity and water level fluctuations. Physicochemical attributes and primary production show high spatiotemporal variation in both river and floodplain habitats. In general, the floodpulse reduces phytoplankton densities, promotes periphyton and aquatic invertebrate production in the floodplain which supports juvenile fish feeding, growth, and development. Most fishes of the region are stimulated to spawn during the early stages of the annual flood pulse but some fishes reproduce over extended periods. The abundance of most species is positively associated with the timing and duration of the flood, and this is especially the case for migratory species with high fecundity. Several important iliophagous, herbivorous, and omnivorous fishes are among those showing evidence of enhanced recruitment during very high flood years. Some brood-guarding and piscivorous fishes show patterns of increased abundance in association with low flood years. We demonstrate how the integrity of the river-floodplain ecosystem of the high Parana is dependent on the maintenance of some degree of annual flooding. Several conservation areas have been established to protect the biological diversity supported by the floodplain region that remains in a relatively natural condition.

Brazilian Journal of Biology, 2006

The income of small-scale fisheries of two urban reservoirs in Brazil: Represa Billings (127 km²)... more The income of small-scale fisheries of two urban reservoirs in Brazil: Represa Billings (127 km²) located in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, the capital city of the state of São Paulo and Lago Paranoá (38 km²) located in Brasília (DF), the capital city of Brazil were calculated and compared. Both fisheries are mainly based on the alien Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (more than 80% of the total catch). Although these reservoirs are nearly 900 km apart, their native fish fauna belong to the Upper Paraná Province. The Represa Billings fishers have, on average, a daily profit of R$ 15.8 (U$ 8.4 mostly employing gill nets) and Lago Paranoá fishers R$ 46.6 (U$ 24.9, mostly employing cast nets), which is a statistically significant difference (P < 0.001). The profit of the fisheries is explained by the factor "reservoir" and covariate "days of fishing". Due to the increasing violence in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, the Represa Billings fishery is v...

2. There is uncertainty about recent and future levels of recruitment and biomass. There may have... more 2. There is uncertainty about recent and future levels of recruitment and biomass. There may have been three different recruitment productivity regimes since 1975, and the levels of maximum sustainable yield (MSY) and the biomasses corresponding to the MSY (BMSY, SMSY) may differ among the regimes. The recruitment was below average until 1982, mostly above average from 1983 to 2002, and then mostly below average until 2014. The annual recruitments for 2015 and 2016 were estimated to be at or above average, as is the annual recruitment for 2017. The spawning biomass ratio (SBR) was at or below the MSY level from 2005 through 2017, except during 2008-2010. However, at the start of 2018 it was above the MSY level, following the large recruitments of 2015 and 2016. Under the current (2015-2017 average) fishing mortality, the SBR is predicted to increase in the next two years, and level off at about the MSY level if recruitment is average.

Patterns of dominance and rarity of fish assemblage in the Itaipu Reservoir were evaluated and re... more Patterns of dominance and rarity of fish assemblage in the Itaipu Reservoir were evaluated and related to a longitudinal or river-dam gradient (composed of riverine, transitional and lacustrine zones) and to a transversal or upstream- downstream gradients of the tributaries (composed of lotic and lentic stretches of tributaries and reservoir shores). Thirteen sampling stations were sampled quarterly during 2 years. Patterns of species dominance were investigated using Whittaker plots and patterns of rarity using analysis of variance. A total of 85 fish species were caught. In the reservoir shores of riverine zone, the dominant species was the migratory Prochilodontidae curimba Prochilodus lineatus that uses the upstream floodplain as a spawning and nursery area. In the reservoir shores of transitional and lacustrine zones (i.e. close to the dam) the dominant species was the introduced Sciaenidae curvina Plagioscion squamosissimus. Loricarids dominated the tributaries. The proportion...

PeerJ, Aug 30, 2019

The Brazilian-endemic greenbeack parrotfish, Scarus trispinosus Valenciennes, 1840, is the larges... more The Brazilian-endemic greenbeack parrotfish, Scarus trispinosus Valenciennes, 1840, is the largest herbivorous reef fish in the South Atlantic. Following the sharp decline of large carnivorous reef fishes, parrotfishes (Labridae: Scarinae) were progressively targeted by commercial fisheries in Brazil, resulting in a global population decline of 50% for S. trispinosus. Most of its remnant population is concentrated in the Abrolhos Bank, where the present study was conducted. We present novel information on age, growth and the reproductive cycle of S. trispinosus, based on 814 individuals obtained from commercial fisheries' landings and scientific collections, between 2010 and 2013. Sex ratio was biased toward females (1:8), and spawning occurred yearround with discrete peaks in February-March and June-December. Increment analysis indicated annual deposition of growth rings in otoliths, which presented 1-22 rings. The asymptotic length at which growth is zero (L ∞) was estimated from a Bayesian logistic regression at 85.28 cm, growth rate (K) at 0.14 year −1 , and the theoretical age at zero size (t 0) at 0.16. Subregional demographic structuring was detected, with predominance of slower-growing individuals in shallower inshore reefs and predominance of faster-growing and older individuals in deeper offshore sites. We demonstrate that S. trispinosus is highly vulnerable to over-exploitation due to its large size, long live and slow-growth, and review the management measures proposed since its Red List assessment in 2012.

Marine and Freshwater Research, 2016

In this study we tested the basic premise that fishers’ knowledge provides similar perceptions ab... more In this study we tested the basic premise that fishers’ knowledge provides similar perceptions about exploited stocks to data gathered by standardised monitoring in a small-scale commercial fishery. To that end, we compared temporal trends in catch and individual size for fish species between data obtained from interviews with fishers and a 25-year dataset from a landing monitoring program in the Itaipu Reservoir (Brazil). Fishers described with accuracy changes in species composition of the catches, from large migratory species of high commercial value (common before impoundment) to migratory species of low commercial value and sedentary species following damming. Temporal trends in catches reported by fishers and documented in the landing data matched for most species. Histories diverge when absolute values are involved, such as when fishers were asked to recall their largest catch. Fishers were homogeneous in their reports, indicating that instead of individual opinions, they rev...

Acta Ichthyologica Et Piscatoria

Background. The goliath grouper, Epinephelus itajara (Lichtenstein, 1822), is the largest Atlanti... more Background. The goliath grouper, Epinephelus itajara (Lichtenstein, 1822), is the largest Atlantic grouper. It has been the first marine fish subjected to a fishing moratorium in Brazil (since 2002). The aim of this study was to investigate basic biological aspects, particularly the diet and reproduction of this endangered species. We believe that our results, together with information already available in the literature, may be a foundation for new management and conservation strategies for this grouper in Brazil. Materials and Methods. Specimens were obtained from an artisanal fish landings collaborative monitoring program in the cities of Caravelas and Alcobaça, Abrolhos Bank, eastern Brazil. Because of the fishing moratorium, we relied on sporadic incidental captures from fishermen or donation from the law enforcement agencies. Diet and reproduction of the goliath grouper was evaluated based on 34 specimens obtained between May 2005 and September 2010. Results. Body size of 32 f...

Viability and Sustainability of Small-Scale Fisheries in Latin America and The Caribbean