Fishing for common ground: Investigations of the impact of trawling on ancient shipwreck sites uncovers a potential for management synergy

Abstract Maximizing social and economic benefits from fisheries and protecting culturally significant archaeological sites are management goals often viewed to be at odds with eachother. However, a potential for management synergy arises if fisheries related benefits can be associated with the protection of shipwreck sites. This study reviews fish abundance and community assemblage on several ancient shipwreck sites in the Aegean Sea. In this region, the presence or absence of fishing has been correlated to shipwreck condition. The results indicate that, on average, wrecks in worse condition (heavily fished) had 55% lower species richness, 57% lower abundance, and 41% lower diversity than wrecks in pristine condition, though only the patterns for abundance and species richness were statistically significant. No statistically significant change in fish community composition between fished and unfished wrecks was observed, though community composition between shallow water and deep water wrecks was statistically different. This research highlights the potential benefit of marine protected areas around areas of high density of shipwrecks that can both protect these sites and increase local fisheries by preserving these artificial reefs.

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