A preliminary study of reef fish of
Navassa Island
Mark Grace
U.S. Department of Commerce NOAA/NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science
Center, Mississippi Laboratories P.O. Drawer 1207, Pascagoula,
Mississippi 39568-1207, email: mgrace@triton.pas.nmfs.gov;
phone: (228) 762?4591; fax: (228) 769-9200
A preliminary study of reef fish was conducted at
Navassa Island during a 24-hr period beginning 9 September 1998.
Navassa Island is a small island (5.2 square kilometers) located in
the Caribbean Sea Windward Passage between Jamaica and Haiti.
Conducting a reef fish study at Navassa Island (an uninhabited U.S.
protectorate) was of particular importance since Navassa Island is
believed to be one of the least exploited islands in the Greater
Antilles. Navassa Island was designated a United States National
Wildlife Refuge during April 1999. This designation mandates
protection for terrestrial and marine fauna within 12-mile territorial
waters. Reef fish (and associated habitats) were assessed with
stationary underwater video cameras at 3 survey sites. Forty-nine reef
fish identifications to lowest possible taxon representing 18 families
were made from video footage.
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