“Fish juvenile recruitment in coastal habitats of western Indian Ocean”

Supported by WIOMSA through MASMA programme

Project duration: March 2021 – February 2023

A study to test the viability of merging fundamental and applied research methods to address a marine resource use problem in developing countries will be undertaken by a consortium of research institutions.

The consortium is led by Institut Halieutique et des Sciences Marines de l’ Université de Toliara (Madagascar) and includes the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, OCEA Consult (Reunion), University of Liege and Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium), the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development,
the French National Institute for Ocean Science (IFREMER) and the Italian National Research Council (Italy). It is carrying out an interdisciplinary research project to understand recruitment patterns of the shoemaker spinefoot rabbitfish, Siganus Sutor, in critical habitats of the western Indian Ocean and to explore the evidence-based solutions for improving the coastal communities’ welfare and for sustaining the use of the marine resource.

The consortium project is focused S. sutor : WHY ?

Seagrass beds support the productivity of coastal fisheries by, ensuring the survival of juvenile fishes and by securing their recruitment into adult populations. This habitat is mostly targeted by small-scale fishers using mosquito seine nets as observed in south western Madagascar. Unfortunately, this practice may affect the fish population stock because their catches consist mostly of juvenile fish which are predominantly shoemaker spinefoot rabbitfish. This scenario highlights the urgent need for innovative and interdisciplinary research in order to support the sustainable use of marine resources and for improving fishers livelihoods.

Technical team: conducting fish grow-out experiment at Belaza facilities

Objectives

(i) to identify the nursery areas of shoemaker spinefoot rabbitfish:

Involved researchers: Dr. Henitsoa Jaonalison (Post-doctoral researcher); Dr. Jamal Mahafina (IH.SM), Dr. Lantoasinoro Ranivoarivelo (IH.SM), Dr. James Mwaluma (KMFRI), and Dr. Bruno Frédérich (University of Liege)

(ii) to know where the newly settled shoemaker spinefoot rabbitfish within the seagrass habitat comes from through genetic connectivity;

Involved researchers: Dr. Henitsoa Jaonalison (postdoctoral researcher), Dr. Jamal Mahafina (IH.SM), Dr. Jean-Dominique Durand (IRD), Dr. Marco Andrello (CNR Italy), Dr. Celine Reisser (IFREMER), Dr. Filip Volckaert (KU Leuven), Dr. Bruno Frédérich (University of Liege),  James Mwaluma (KMFRI), and Dr. Thoma Mkare (KMFRI).

(iii) to predict the abundance of newly settled shoemaker spinefoot rabbitfish within the seagrass habitat;

Involved researchers: Dr. Henitsoa Jaonalison (postdoctoral researcher), Dr. Jamal Mahafina (IH.SM), and Dr. Bruno Frédérich (University of Liege)

(iv) to characterize the trophic ecology of the newly settled shoemaker spinefoot rabbitfish and conduct fish grow-out experiments.

Involved researchers: Dr. Henitsoa Jaonalison (postdoctoral researcher), Dr. Richard Rasolofonirina (IH.SM) and Dr. Jamal Mahafina (IH.SM), Dr Carole Rougeot (University of Liege), Dr. Gilles Lepoint (University of Liege) and Dr. Bruno Frédérich (University of Liege)