Biology and Ecology of Groupers

Groupers are fascinating charismatic fishes commonly found in reef habitats around the world that sustain a global multimillionaire fishery. They are an important top predator species and therefore of paramount ecological importance for reef systems' resilience. The book, Biology and Ecology of Groupers is an up-to-date review of the main bio-ecological topics involving worldwide groupers species oriented to the academic community and managers. It covers aspects of classification and phylogenetic relationships, geographical distribution, and life history related characteristics (Section I), including the major threats of groupers populations, case studies of successful management and comments about the future of groupers in our changing world (Section II).

Section 1: Biology and Ecology of Groupers 1.1 Classification of Groupers 1.2 Early Life Development 1.3 Sexual Patterns and Reproductive Behaviours in Groupers1.4 Feeding Biology of Groupers1.5 Interspecific Relationships Section 2: Conservation and Management 2.1 Fisheries Regulation: Groupers’ Management and Conservation 2.2 Grouper Aquaculture: World Status and Perspectives 2.3 The Importance of Groupers and Threats to Their Future

Fabiana Cézar Félix-Hackradt is a Marine Ecologist Researcher from Federal University of Southern Bahia, Brazil, with experience on early life stages of coral reef fishes and population dynamics, including the application of conservation genetic tools to evaluate the effects of anthropogenic impacts and protection measures over fish diversity. She is also an advisor with several conservation unit committees representing the scientific community in order to assist local and regional management planning for marine environment and wildlife conservation and sustainability.

Carlos Werner Hackradt is Associate Professor in Marine Ecology and Conservation Lab from Federal University of Southern Bahia, Brazil, with experience on coral reef fishes ecology. His interest is how populations can be resilient to human stressors like fisheries, pollution and climate change, and for that he employs techniques such as telemetry, underwater visual census, accelerometers, among others, to understand reef fish population ecology. His PhD aimed to describe grouper’s movement dynamics and the protection effect of MPAs. He is acting as a scientific advisor for local MPA and marine stakeholders in Bahia.

José Antonio García-Charton is Associate Professor of Ecology at the University of Murcia (Spain). His main research interest focuses on reef fish ecology (habitat associations, settlement, recruitment, mobility, connectivity) and rocky reef community dynamics, as well as on the protection of marine biodiversity and the conservation and management of fishing resources, especially using marine protected areas. More recently, he is developing multidisciplinary, socio-ecological projects on marine citizen science and marine governance. He regularly advises national and international agencies on the management and conservation of marine ecosystems.