Resource Library – Big Fish Initiative

Long-lived Reef Fishes: The Grouper-Snapper Complex (Scientific Paper)

Inheriting wisdom: transfer of traditional, scientific, and ecological knowledge in fishing communities in Mexico (Scientific Paper)

Evidence for protection of targeted reef fish on the largest marine reserve in the Caribbean (Scientific Paper)

Fishing Regulations Turks and Caicos Islands (Infographic)

Loss of suitable ocean habitat and phenological shifts among grouper and snapper spawning aggregations in the Greater Caribbean under climate change (Scientific Paper)

Who pays for sustainability in the small-scale fisheries in the global south? (Scientific Paper)

Diel movements and space use of Lutjanus analis at a spawning aggregation site, examined to evaluate the efficacy of a seasonal closed area for management (Scientific Paper)

Session 1: Fish Spawning Aggregations and Fishers’ Knowledge

Summary: Welcome! This session provides an introduction and overview of the workshop focusing on examples of where fishers’ knowledge (FK) and leadership have led to fish spawning aggregation (FSA) conservation…

Session 2: Spawning Aggregation Ecology: Snappers and Associated Families

Summary: This session provides overviews of the six families and over 560 species in the SSG SG in terms of biology and spawning aggregations. These species can use habitats from…

Session 3: Applied Research – Designing Your Approach

Summary: In this session, we cover some of the practical “how to questions” for FSA research and provide guidance on designing research and conservation programs for FSAs. Fishers’ can play…

Session 4: Policy and Management Actions & The Role of Fisher Knowledge

Summary: In this session, we consider the why, what, and how of fishers’ knowledge (FK) and its application to fisheries policy and management using examples of best practices. We assess…

Recreational diver willingness to pay for goliath grouper encounters during the months of their spawning aggregation off eastern Florida, USA (Scientific Paper)

Grouper and Spawning Aggregations (Book)

La Cherna A Contrarreloj (Video)

Este cortometraje celebra a un gran pez, que es vital para la salud de los arrecifes del Gran Caribe y, es alimento clave para la población local: el mero cherna,…

Nassau Grouper Against the Clock (Video)

This short-film is a call to action to protect the critically endangered Nassau Grouper, a vital species for the health of Caribbean reefs, and a key food for local people.…

Le Mérou de Nassau Course Contre la Montre (Video)

Ce court métrage est un appel à l'action pour protéger le mérou de Nassau, une espèce en danger critique d'extinction, vitale pour la santé des récifs des Caraïbes et un…

Pêchez Intelligemment (Video)

Ce film est un appel à l'action lancé par les pêcheurs à leurs collègues dans la région élargie des Caraïbes. Il montre le comportement fascinant des espèces qui se rassemblent…

Pesca Inteligente: Consejo de Pescador a Pescador (Video)

Pesca Inteligente es un video de cuatro minutos para la comunidad pesquera del Caribe. Es una llamada a la acción –de pescador a pescador- a liderar el proceso de recuperación…

Fish Smart: Fisher to Fisher Advice (Video)

This 4-min film is a call to action from fishers to their colleagues in the Wider Caribbean. It includes the behavior of fish spawning aggregations, and the reasons why it’s…

Grouper’s Dilemma (Comic)

The Good Fisher (Comic)

Respect Closed Seasons (Comic)

Coastal Oceans Research and Development in the Indian Ocean (Protocol)

Reef Fish Spawning Aggregation in Aceh Sumatra (Protocol)

Spawning aggregations of groupers and Napoleon wrasse in the Komodo National Park Monitoring Report (Protocol)

Spawning aggregation closures for the live reef fish fishery in Solomon Islands (Protocol)

Biophysical connectivity of snapper spawning aggregations and marine protected area management alternatives in Cuba (Scientific Paper)

Historical Processes and Contemporary Anthropogenic Activities Influence Genetic Population Dynamics of Nassau Grouper within The Bahamas (Scientific Paper)

Mainstream Fish Spawning Aggregations into Fishery Management Calls for a Precautionary Approach (Scientific Paper)

Red Hind Vocal Repertoire Characterization, Behavior, and Temporal Patterns (Scientific Paper)

Nassau Grouper PSA

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1osm4ku9XjiQk4dDexaXRA?si=9m6EgGglRWWJaj9TDxNPzg This public service announcement (PSA) promotes the regional closed season for Nassau grouper from December through March throughout the Caribbean.Produced by BelugaSmile Productions in collaboration with Perry Institute for…

Mutton Snapper PSA

https://open.spotify.com/episode/18IFKiiqHQQHWMz9SNpIB7?si=wmisfu7tTP2UTrtjEhg_pQ This public service announcement (PSA) promotes the regional closed season for Mutton snapper from April through July. To ensure the next generation of fish, it is critical not to…

The Secret Language of Nassau Grouper – Podcast

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2jTapnXB5j1EoBVzy8i53x?si=sgMm9eTiStaoAPCtxMzzGQ Narrator Leah Eneas guides the audience through the natural history of Nassau grouper, emphasizing their unique reproductive behavior. This podcast relies on underwater acoustics ---fish calls of courtship and…

Fish Smart – Podcast

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5gcGhSi8Cmb26vbUiwimjl?si=DuGyfmmbQnSatuBnFA3iKw Dive into a conversation between fishers and managers as they connect the dots for what’s at stake, the benefits of protecting spawning aggregations, and the downside of fishing species…

RAD-Seq Analysis and in situ Monitoring of Nassau Grouper Reveal Fine-Scale Population Structure and Origins of Aggregating Fish (Scientific Paper)

Marine Conservation Outcomes are More Likely when Fishers Participate as Citzien Scientists: Case Studies from the Mexican Mesoamerican Reef (Scientific Paper)

Institutional amnesia pushes fish spawning aggregations towards extirpation (Scientific Paper)

Status Report World’s Fish Aggregations (Scientific Paper)

Reef Fish Spawning Aggregations in the Western Indian Ocean: Research for Management (Scientific Paper)

Impact of historical warming on marine fisheries production (Scientific Papers)

Fishery and biological implications of fishing spawning aggregations, and the social and economic importance of aggregating fishes (Scientific Paper)

Fish Spawning Aggregations: Where Well Placed Management Actions Can Yield Big Benefits for Fisheries and Conservation (Scientific Paper)

Benefits of the Paris Agreement to ocean life, economies, and people (Scientific Paper)

A Global Baseline for Spawning Aggregations of Reef Fishes (Scientific Paper)

Acoustic telemetry provides insights for improving conservation and management at spawning aggregation site of the endangered Nassau grouper (Scientific Paper)

Timing and locations of reef fish spawning off the southeastern United States (Scientific Paper)

Fish Spawning aggregations in the southeast Florida Coral Reef ecosystem conservation area: A case study Synthese of user reports, literature, and field validation efforts (Scientific Paper)

Fisheries Economics of the United States 2015 (Scientific Paper)

Let Them Come to You: Reinventing Management of the Snapper-Grouper Complex in the Western Atlantic: A Contribution to the Data Poor Fisheries Management Synopsium (Scientific Paper)

Informe de estado sobre las agregaciones reproductivas de peces en el Arrecife Mesoamericano (Scientific Paper)

A case for redefining the boundaries of the mesoamerican reef ecoregion (Scientific Paper)

Mesoamerican reef report card / reporte del arricife mesoamericano (Scientific Paper)

Policy Brief on Fish Spawning Aggregations (Scientific Paper)

Status Report on Fish Spawning Aggregation in the Mesoamerican Reef (Scientific Paper)

Biophysial Principles for Designing a Network of Replenishment Zones for the Mesoamerican Reef System (Scientific Paper)

From Fish Spawning Aggregations to Effective Marine Protected Areas in Brazil (Scientific Paper)

Nassau grouper migration patterns during full moon suggest collapsed historic fish spawning aggregation and evidence of undocumented aggregation (Scientific Paper)

Spatial and temporal dynamics of Nassau grouper fish spawning aggregation located in an isolated seamount in Puerto Rico (Scientific Paper)

In Situ Tagging of Nassau Grouper using closed-circuit rebreathers at spawning aggregation in Puerto Rico (Scientific Paper)

Multiyear Tracking of Nassau Grouper Spawning Migrations (Scientific Paper)

Home range, space use, and vertical distribution of Nassau grouper during non-spawning times in Western Puerto Rico (Scientific Paper)

A climate vulnerability assessment for Caribbean recreational fisheries (Scientific Paper)

Detection and localization of Goliath grouper using low-frequency pulse sounds (Scientific Paper)

Passive acoustics as a tool to quantify/characterize vessel activity at spawning aggregation sites (Scientific Paper)

Researchers track endangered Nassau grouper eggs with underwater microscope (Scientific Paper)

Protecting fish spawning aggregations as self-replenishing reservoirs for regional recovery (Scientific Paper)

Migratory behavior of aggregating male Tiger Grouper in the Little Cayman (Scientific Paper)

Ciencia de Big Fish

Big Fish Science

Big Fish Ciencia

Big Fish Cientifica Destacada: Krista Sherman

Big Fish Scientist Spotlight: Krista Sherman

Big Fish Science: Nicanor Requena

Qué Saber: Designación de Hábitat Crítico del Mero Cherna de la NOAA

What do Know: NOAA’s Nassau Grouper Critical Habitat Designation

Sobrepesca de Reclutamiento

Las Presas del Pargo Criollo

Recruitment Overfishing

Ecosystem Overfishing

Spawning aggregations of checkered snapper and blackspot snapper; seasonality, lunar-phase periodicity and spatial distribution within spawning ground (Scientific Paper)

Does a spatio-temporal closure to fishing Chrysophrys auratus spawning aggregations also protect individuals during migration (Scientific Paper)

Regional patterns in reproductive biology of Lethrinus miniatus on the Great Barrier Reef (Scientific Paper)

Report on current status and exploitation history of reef fish spawning aggregations in Palau (Scientific Paper)

Spawning Aggregations of fish in Cabo Delgado, Northern Mozambique: An interview-based survey of artisanal fishers (Scientific Paper)

Quantifying the largest aggregation of giant trevally on record: implications for management (Scientific Paper)

Spawning aggregation sites of snapper and grouper species and the insular shelf of Cuba (Scientific Paper)

Decadal analysis of larval connectivity from Cuban snapper spawning aggregations based on biophysical modeling (Scientific Paper)

IUCN Guidelines: Gathering of Fishers’ Knowledge for Policy Development and Applied Use (Protocol)

Prioritizing monitoring and conservation of efforts for fish spawning aggregations in the US Gulf of Mexico (Scientific Paper)

Spawning migration movements of Mutton Snapper in Tortugas Florida: Spatial dynamics within marine reserve network (Scientific Paper)

Timing and locations for reef fish spawning off the southeastern United States (Scientific Paper)

Data Collection and Finding in Spawning Special Management Zones (Presentation)

Marine Protected Area Success in the Pacific Islands (Video)

A case study in the Pacific Ocean reveals the health of coral reefs within and outside of marine protected areas.

Alternative Livelihoods for Fishers (Video)

Fisher, Eloy Cuevas, discusses the benefits of alternative livelihood programs for fishers in Southern Belize.

Connectivity & Coral Reefs (Video)

Dr. Will Heyman discusses the importance of connectivity for global coral reef research and management.

Characteristics of Spawning Sites (Video)

Dr. Will Heyman dives into the common geomorphological characteristics shared by 17 spawning sites in Belize.

Belize: A Case Study (Video)

This video documents the incredible partnership between decision-makers, marine scientists, and local fishers in Belize as they unite to manage and protect spawning aggregation sites.