The BCSS Ocean Observatory is excited to share a new collaboration with Ifremer (French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea) to enhance the understanding of the Yellow-edged Lyretail Grouper ecology (Variola louti) through advanced genetic sampling and analysis. This partnership marks a step forward towards the population biomass estimates and the proportion exploited by fishing activities across the Western Indian Ocean region.
Variola louti (Flickr/François Libert/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Project Overview
Stock assessments of fishery resources in the Indian Ocean have long been hampered by a lack of historical data on catches and fishing efforts, as well as insufficient bio-ecological information of the catches. Accurate assessments are crucial for establishing sustainable management and protection measures.
BCSS is joining forces with Ifremer, the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and the Office Français pour la Biodiversioté (OFB), the Chambre de l’Agriculture, de la Pêche, et de l’Aquaculture de Mayotte (CAPAM) to address these challenges under the auspices of the innovative project POPSICLE. By leveraging the latest genetic methods, the project seeks to estimate population sizes and gather essential biological data, such as age, sex, and maturity stage, from tissue samples of the Yellow-edged Lyretail Grouper. This species, commonly sold whole, poses difficulties for traditional data collection methods, making this project particularly valuable.
Yellow-edged Lyretail Grouper (Wikimedia Commons/Philippe Bourjon/ CC BY-SA 3.0)
BCSS Ocean Observatory and Theme 3
The collaboration aligns with BCSS Ocean Observatory’s Theme 3: Migratory Fish Populations Dynamics. Under this Theme amongst other activities, BCSS is collecting bio-samples from migratory fish. This research is essential for answering critical questions about how migratory fish use their habitats, how various factors affect their movements, and how they interact with the ocean habitat. Specifically, data collected from these activities provide insights into how muscle and tissue samples reflect environmental changes and pollution via multiple measurements taken in time series mode.
Within the last 5 years BCSS collected and stored over 500 bio-samples for isotopes, genetic and contamination analysis, representing more than 50 species. Each sample comes with a breadth of metadata, including date and time, coordinates, sea surface temperature, salinity, pH, depth and light, as well as weather parameters, amongst others.
Variola louti (Creative Commons/mwanaisha_musa/CC BY-NC 4.0)
Ifremer’s expertise in genetic analysis is crucial to the success of the POPSICLE project. Their advanced sequencing capabilities and experience in analysing population structures through Single Nucleotide Polymorphism will enable gaining insights into the Yellow-edged Lyretail Grouper populations ecology. The collaboration will involve collecting approximately 50 samples from various locations across the whole southwest Indian Ocean, where BCSS will play its role in Mozambican waters.
Variola louti (Flickr/Derek Keats/CC BY 2.0)
The partnership between BCSS and Ifremer represents a significant advancement in marine research, combining field expertise with cutting-edge genetic analysis. By improving our understanding of the Yellow-edged Lyretail Grouper’s population dynamics, we can contribute to more effective management and conservation strategies for this and other important species in the Indian Ocean.
BCSS is proud to be at the forefront of this innovative research, continuing our commitment to advancing marine science and promoting sustainable ocean stewardship.
Ifremer (French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea) is a leading organization in marine science and technology. With a focus on sustainable exploitation of marine resources, IFREMER conducts advanced research and development in marine biology, genetics, and ecosystem management. Their work supports global efforts to understand and protect marine environments.
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For questions about this article, please contact:
Dr. Mario Lebrato, Bazaruto Archipelago – Ocean Observatory Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies (BCSS)
mario.lebrato@bcssmz.org
