
@article {133185,
	title = {Tolerance to aerial exposure influences distributional patterns in multi-species intertidal seagrass meadows.},
	journal = {Mar Environ Res},
	volume = {191},
	year = {2023},
	month = {2023 Aug 19},
	pages = {106146},
	abstract = {<p>Multi-specific seagrass meadow assemblages dominate most tropical intertidal regions but the relative role of environmental stress in determining distribution patterns is still uncertain. Here we combine observational and experimental approaches to examine aerial exposure as a factor driving species occurrence patterns in intertidal meadows of the Andaman archipelago, where up to 6 seagrass species co-occur. In the studied meadow, patterns of exposure did not map onto distance from the coast, instead creating a patchy matrix of exposure, based on fine-scale bathymetric differences. Distributional surveys showed that seagrass species were similarly patchy, often tracking the degree of aerial exposure during low tide. While some species (Halophila ovalis, Halophila minor, and Thalassia hemprichii) frequently occurred in submerged or subtidal areas and were rarely found in completely exposed areas, other species (Cymodocea rotundata, Halophila beccarii, and Halodule uninervis) also occupied areas that were subject to partial or complete aerial exposure during low tide. To confirm this pattern, we used field-based transplant experiments, employing a natural gradient of tidal exposure to subject six seagrass species to different desiccation exposure times. After a month, H. beccarii and H. uninervis transplants survived in areas that sustained more than 3\&nbsp;h of aerial tidal exposure without significant mortality, compared with other species (H. ovalis, H. minor, T. hemprichii, C. rotundata) that showed dramatic shoot mortality at the same exposure regimes. For all species, 4\&nbsp;h represented the upper limit of exposure, in both experimental and distributional studies. However, despite their wider tolerance of exposure to air, H. beccarii and H. uninervis did not dominate the entire meadow. This could be a result either of their poor tolerance to other environmental factors or their lower competitive abilities among other mechanisms. This suggests that in tropical multi-specific meadows, strong environmental filters could override clear intertidal zonation to create patchy matrices based on species tolerances.</p>
},
	issn = {1879-0291},
	doi = {10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106146},
	author = {Rao, Rachana and Alcoverro, Teresa and Kongari, Phoolmani and Yoayela, Saw and Arthur, Rohan and D{\textquoteright}Souza, Elrika}
}
@article {11609,
	title = { For traditional island communities in the Nicobar archipelago, complete no-go areas are the most effective form of marine management },
	journal = { OCEAN \& COASTAL MANAGEMENT },
	volume = {133},
	year = {2016},
	month = {12/2016},
	pages = {53-63},
	abstract = {<p>The ability of local communities to sustainably manage natural resource harvests in coral reefs ecosystem depends heavily on the strength of traditional institutions. Coastal communities have evolved a suite of restrictive practices to control marine offtake and there is considerable recent evidence of their effectiveness in protecting and enhancing resource stocks. However, traditionally imposed restrictions can vary considerably in their complexity and in their functional effectiveness. The indigenous communities of the Nicobar Islands are dependent on marine resources for sustenance, managing them with a range of traditionally imposed restrictions. These include limited entry to certain locations, closed seasons and areas, and restrictions on species, size-classes of fish and fishing methods. We tested the relative effectiveness of protection in areas managed under different traditional control regimes by comparing the abundance and biomass of targeted fish groups in managed and unmanaged areas. Our results indicate that reef sites with the strictest form of restriction essentially no-go areas had significantly higher abundance and biomass values of most functional groups of fishes compared with partially protected and control locations. In contrast, targeted food fish stocks did not differ from control locations in partially protected sites managed with even complex forms of traditional management. Ensuring that traditional harvest rules are complied is critical to the success of any management system, and our results suggest that they can be most strictly enforced in traditional no-go areas. Our work highlights the importance of critically evaluating the factors influencing traditional management systems to strengthen their ability to protect these reefs from unsustainable overharvest. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.</p>
},
	doi = {10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2016.09.003},
	author = {Patankar, Vardhan and D{\textquoteright}Souza, Elrika and Alcoverro, Teresa and Arthur, Rohan}
}
