@article {497, title = {Fish assemblage of the marine protected area of Cinque Terre (NW Mediterranean Sea): First characterization and assessment by visual census}, journal = {Chemistry and Ecology}, volume = {22}, year = {2006}, abstract = {

The main objective of this study is to improve the knowledge of the coastal fish assemblage of {\textquoteright}Cinque Terre{\textquoteright} Italian national Marine Protected Area (Ligurian Sea), focusing on the characterization of the fish fauna in the core zone A (no entry-no take). The study relates to the main sea-bottom types and bathymetric ranges, and evaluates the effect of the protection on fish abundance and size composition in this 5-yr-old MPA. Field activities were carried out in 2003 by means of visual census techniques. In the A zone, fish-assemblage composition are strictly related to depth and sea-bottom type. Recorded data did not permit detection of a clear reserve effect on fish fauna, probably due to the recent institution of the MPA. Several significant differences were detected only considering the size-class composition of target species.

}, keywords = {assemblage, assessment, census, Cinque Terre, comparison, depth, fauna, fish, fish abundance, fish assemblage, fishing prohibition, Italy, Ligurian Sea, marine protected area, Mediterranean sea, mullidae, no-take area, protected area, protection, protection effectiveness, reserve effect, Sciaenidae, serranidae, size, sparidae, visual census, western Mediterranean, zoning}, author = {L. Tunesi and E. Salvati and A. Molinari} }