Research Results
Data collected from the post-enforcement survey of the Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve places the number of queen conch (Strombus gigas) sampled and tagged by Earthwatch teams at 3800 and 3000 respectively.
The project has mapped nine shallow-water aggregations throughout the Reserve in both protected and unprotected areas with the help of local conch fishers to locate the aggregations. Random surveys are also performed to indentify unknown aggregations and seven areas with conch have been found, four of which are believed to be possible aggregations.
It has been determined that spawning does not occur in these shallow-water aggregations based on locations of observed sexually mature conch. 54 out of 3022 conchs in the shallow areas were sexually mature. Spawning is found to occur in deeper aggregations of more than 15m.
The invasive predator lionfish (genus Pterois) have been found throughout the reserve and there is evidence that they are displacing native predators and reducing prey populations.
Cigliano, J. A., Dewey, S., and Duffey, C. 2010. Possible Self-Recruitment of Queen Conch (Strombus gigas) in the Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve, Belize. Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology.
Dewey, S., Duffey, C., and Cigliano, J.A. 2010. Possible Self-Recruitment of Queen Conch (Strombus gigas) in the Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve, Belize. Lehigh Valley Ecology and Evolution Symposium
Cigliano, J.A., Bugler, B.S., Miller, P., Ridlon, A., Sandridge, M., Vereneck, R., and Kliman, R. 2008. Population Assessment and Genetic Connectivity of Queen Conch (Strombus Gigas) Populations in Belize. Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology.
Vereneck, R.M., Cigliano, J.A. and Kliman, R.M. 2008. DNA sequence variation at the COI locus of Strombus gigas and S. costatus. Annual Meeting of Society for the Study of Evolution
Vereneck, R., Miller, Y., Sandridge, M., Cigliano, J. and Kliman, R. 2008. Assessment of the genetic population structure of the queen conch, Strombus gigas. Lehigh Valley Ecology and Evolution Symposium