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🐠 New paper!! Our BRUVS study in São Tomé and Príncipe has just been published! This study is the first BRUVS survey in this data-poor archipelago, with 400+ deployments in two years! Open access paper available at https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0312849 Summary of key findings ⬇️ 🐠 WHERE? São Tomé and Príncipe is a small archipelago in the Gulf of Guinea and it is considered one of the most fisheries-dependent countries in the world! 🐠 WHY IS THIS STUDY IMPORTANT? The lack of ecological data on marine fish communities in the archipelago hinders the design of effective management measures. 🐠 WE AIMED TO: (1) Characterise fish species composition in São Tomé and Príncipe, and (2) Understand the effect of environmental variables relevant for marine planning on fish communities. 🐠 HOW? We deployed 400+ benthic Baited Remote Underwater Video Systems (BRUVS) a low-cost, non-invasive monitoring technique. 🐠 WE FOUND: (1) All environmental variables contributed to overall species richness (highlighting the need of protecting habitat mosaics); (2) However, rocky reefs and maerl were particularly important for management, having higher abundance of species important for artisanal fisheries. (3) Additionally, we observed potential effects of fishing impacts in São Tomé, with a much lower abundance of species targeted by artisanal fisheries. 🐠 This study was a collaborative effort between national and international organisations, aiming to establish a network of MPAs in the country. Learn more about it in https://rede-ampstp.com !
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