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Fishery Bulletin 107(2) 
ports a diverse and dense assemblage of invertebrates 
and fishes (Avent et al., 1977; Reed, 2002a, 2002b; Koe- 
nig et al., 2005), and it may serve as spawning grounds 
for a number of economically important or threatened 
reef fish species (Gilmore and Jones, 1992; Koenig et 
al., 2005). 
A portion of the Oculina Bank known as the Oculina 
Habitat Area of Particular Concern (OHAPC) first re- 
ceived protection in 1984 (Koenig et al., 2005; Reed et 
al., 2005). Current management regulations established 
by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council 
include a 1029 km 2 (300 nm 2 ) OHAPC (Fig. 1), within 
which bottom-fishing gear such as trawls, dredges, long- 
lines, traps, and anchors are not permitted, in order 
to protect the fragile coral. Within the OHAPC, the 
315 km 2 (92 nm 2 ) Oculina Experimental Closed Area 
(OECA) (Fig. 1) was designated in 1994 in response to 
the rapidly diminishing grouper ( Mycteroperca and Epi- 
nephelus spp.) populations and excludes all bottom fish- 
ing, including fishing with hook-and-line gear, in order 
to assess the use of a MPA for recovering over-fished 
reef fish populations, especially those of grouper. 
Management requirements to protect many deep-sea 
coral ecosystems have been delayed owing to the dif- 
ficulty in quantifying, monitoring, and restoring dam- 
aged reefs (Pyle, 2000). Despite efforts to understand 
and protect the Oculina Bank, extensive damage to 
the fragile coral had already occurred from fishing 
gear prior to the implementation of 
management regulations (Koenig et 
al., 2000; Reed et al., 2007). When the 
first management action was taken in 
1984, only about 30% of the reef sys- 
tem was afforded protection (Reed et 
al., 2005). Fishing, including shrimp 
trawling, was allowed to continue in 
the northern section of the Oculina 1 
Bank until the OHAPC was expanded 
in 2000. Decades of shrimp trawling 
and scallop dredging before protec- 
tion had reduced most of the 150- 
km stretch of healthy reefs to coral 
rubble (Reed et al., 2007). Remotely 
operated vehicle (ROV) transects and 
multi-beam mapping surveys since 
2000, however, have indicated that 
Jeff’s Reef and Chapman’s Reef, both 
located in the southern portion of the 
OECA, still contain a large amount of 
intact live O. varicosa (Fig. 1) (Reed 
et al., 2005). 
Over-fishing has significantly di- 
minished populations of reef fishes, 
especially those of groupers (Koenig 
et al., 2000, 2005). Historical observa- 
tions made during the 1970s and 1980s 
indicate that O. varicosa reefs were 
once dominated by large groupers, but 
later surveys found grouper popula- 
tions greatly diminished and the reefs 
dominated by small, non-fishery spe- 
cies like small sea basses ( Serranus 
and Centropristis spp.), butterflyfishes 
( Chaetodon spp.), and damselfishes 
(Chromis spp.) (Koenig et al., 2005). 
A current topic of discussion regard- 
ing deep water corals is whether they 
serve as essential habitat for some fish 
species or whether any type of 3-di- 
mensional structure (e.g., rock ledges) 
is important. Auster (2005) proposed 
that examination of the distribution of 
fish in relation to all available habitats 
is one method to assess the “essential” 
80°30'0"W 80°15'0"W 80 < ’0'0"W 79°45'0"\N 
Figure 1 
Remotely operated vehicle (ROV) transects overlain on the multi- 
beam map of the Oculina marine protected area (MPA) off east- 
ern Florida. Location of the OHAPC and OECA (OHAPC = areas 
where all bottom gear except hook and line are restricted, i.e., 
excluding the OECA, and OECA=inside the MPA where all 
bottom gear, including hook and line fishing, are restricted) are 
shown along with Chapman’s and Jeff’s Reefs. ROV transects 
were conducted during April-May 2003 and October 2005. 
