Figure 1.
Location of reserve network, monitored fishing areas, and observations of regional currents.
The three diagrams in the center represent: track and velocity of a surface drifter (in black), progressive vector diagram (PVD) from velocity measured 15 m above the bottom at ADCP (Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler) site (in blue, bottom at 25 m), and the PVD from velocity measured 15 m above the bottom at ADP (Acoustic Doppler Profiler) site (in red, bottom at 18 m). Both PVDs have been shifted west for clarity. These three diagrams are made with hourly-mean data for the period 19:00:00 (UT) July 12 to 00:10:00 July 16 2006. The black arrows close to the 20 m isobath represent interpolated half-hourly data from a drifter drogued at 15 m, from 03:00 to 22:30, July 7 2006. The most offshore arrows are 6-hourly drifter data from the same drifter, from 18:00 June 24 to 12:00 June 25 2006 (see Fig. S1 and S2 for additional drifter trajectories and PVDs).
Figure 2.
Final position of particles 1–4 weeks after having been released in (a) the nearest rocky reef located south of the marine reserve network, and (b) the network's southern boundary (San Jorge Island).
Panels on right show cumulative percentages of particles as a function of distance 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks after release.
Figure 3.
Modeled larval settlement (as relative percentages) within coastal reserves (Las Conchas, Sandy) and fishing areas (Los Tanques, La Cholla) as a function of the day larvae are competent to settle.
Model larvae were released every kilometer in the region of interest, from San Jorge Island to La Cholla. Earlier results suggested that there was no source of larvae to the south of the network. No sources were used to the north because models showed that larvae released to the north of the reserve network would be transported away from the network. The model assumed that larvae settled on the day of competency. If that assumption is relaxed, the difference in settlement between northern (Sandy/La Cholla) and southern (Las Conchas/Los Tanques) sites increases.
Figure 4.
Differences in densities (S.E. bars included) of juvenile rock scallops (a) and black murex snails (b) in southern and northern sites before (summer 2002) and after (summer 2004) reserve establishment.