Blue Marine Foundation Lyme
Bay Potting Experiment
Prof Martin J Attrill
Director, Plymouth University Marine Institute
Lyme Bay Monitoring Programme
• PUMI been monitoring recovery of reefs for last 5 years
Change in fishing activity recorded
• Socioeconomic
analysis led by
PML
Towed Gear
Static Gear
• What is the impact of
increased static gear fishing
effort?
• Set maximum levels to
allow survival of local small
boat fishermen?
The Lyme Bay experimental potting study
• Marine Institute partnering BMF to deliver
research component of project
– 3.5 year programme to investigate impact of
potting density on seabed biodiversity and target
species
– Investigated by setting up sixteen 500x500m
experimental areas across the MPA within which
fishermen will maintain set levels of fishing
activity
The Lyme Bay experimental potting study
• Four treatments (rocky reef, similar depth):
No potting
5-10 pots
“lobster refuge”
20 pots
50 pots
The Lyme Bay experimental potting study
• Fishermen in each of the 4 ports within the
MPA will be responsible for 1 set of replicates
Lead researcher
– Adam Rees
Data collection
• Towed HD video surveys
– For large seabed
organisms of
conservation importance
• Baited remote
underwater video surveys
– Enumerate mobile fish and
invertebrates
Data collection
• Experimental
quantitative potting
– undertaken by
fishermen using
standard pots and time
• Spillover analysis (later
in study)
– Assess whether any
evidence of spillover
from control areas
Hypothetical results at survey end
Threshold
Thank you
mattrill@plymouth.ac.uk
@mjattrill
www.plymouth.ac.uk/marine