@article{fdi:010048416,
  title = {{E}valuation of the effectiveness of three underwater reef fish monitoring methods in {F}iji},
  author = {{L}{\'e}opold, {M}arc and {C}akacaka, {A}. and {M}eo, {S}. and {S}ikolia, {J}. and {L}ecchini, {D}avid},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{L}ocally based and volunteer-based monitoring approaches have recently received greater attention as a cost-effective way to collect data on the environment and/or involve stakeholders in management. {T}he present study compared three monitoring methods based on an underwater visual census ({UVC}) of reef fish in a customary area in {N}avakavu ({V}iti {L}evu {I}sland, {F}iji). {T}wo non-scientific approaches involved (1) snorkellers from the village using vernacular names for five local focal fish taxa and (2) non-resident volunteers using the {R}eef {C}heck target list of fish for the {I}ndo-{P}acific (nine focal taxa). {T}hese approaches were cross-checked with a comprehensive scientific survey (all fish recorded at the species level across 12 families). {T}he three methods were compared in terms of accuracy, precision, and ability to highlight changes in fish abundance between the community-managed no-take zone ({NTZ}) and the fished area. {W}e found that scientific and volunteer-based data were consistent in terms of means and variance of abundance estimates but that {R}eef {C}heck focal taxa would not be suitable for monitoring the {N}avakavu marine area. {O}n the contrary, the locally selected target taxa were appropriate but overestimates and imprecision were noticed in the fish counts made by the community members. {D}ifferences in abundance of two major target taxa ({L}ethrinidae and {M}ullidae) between the {NTZ} and the harvest area were not validated by the scientific observations. {C}alibration of community-based {UVC} is thus needed especially if information from the local biological monitoring program is used to guide management actions.},
  keywords = {{C}ommunity-based monitoring ; {F}iji ; {N}o-take zone ; {U}nderwater fish census ; {S}ampling ; {V}olunteer},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{B}iodiversity and {C}onservation},
  volume = {18},
  numero = {13},
  pages = {3367--3382},
  ISSN = {0960-3115},
  year = {2009},
  DOI = {10.1007/s10531-009-9646-y},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010048416},
}