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Lookup NU author(s): Professor Pip MooreORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2025. The recovery of foundational species, such as large brown macroalgae, is determined by successful recruitment (i.e. survival) and growth rates. Effective management of large brown macroalgae fisheries requires an understanding of these post-harvesting dynamics to design measures aligned with the recovery capacity of each species. This study compared recruitment and growth of the subtidal kelp, Lessonia trabeculata, following experimental harvesting in managed (TURF) and open access areas (OA) at in north, north-central and central Chile. Eighteen months post-harvesting, recruits and juveniles dominated harvested areas in both management regimes, but mortality rates for these stages was generally higher in OA sites. On average, L. trabeculata grew 0.6 cm month−1 in holdfast diameter, 3 cm month−1 in total length, and accumulated between 0.04 and 0.12 kg month−1. After 30 months post-harvesting, high variability in size and biomass was observed between regions and management regime. After 42 months, larger kelp were found in the TURF in the northern zone and in both the TURF and OA in the north-central zone with the smallest kelp exhibiting the slowest growth rates found in the central zone. Kelp individuals reached harvestable sizes (i.e., 20 cm of holdfast size) only in TURF areas three years post-harvesting but biomass was lower than the harvestable average biomass (5 kg ind−1). These results suggest that TURFs in some northern regions may enhance certain aspects of the recovery process more effectively than OAs. However, the slow growth and high susceptibility to juvenile mortality of L. trabeculata must be considered to reinforce management strategies. The present study provides valuable biological insights into L. trabeculata recovery, emphasising the importance of long-term monitoring as well as taking into consideration contrasting management regimes and location when exploring the resilience of kelp forests to harvesting.
Author(s): Ruz CS, Moore PJ, Perez-Matus A
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Journal of Applied Phycology
Year: 2025
Pages: Epub ahead of print
Online publication date: 26/12/2025
Acceptance date: 10/11/2025
Date deposited: 22/01/2026
ISSN (print): 0921-8971
ISSN (electronic): 1573-5176
Publisher: Springer Nature
URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-025-03727-2
DOI: 10.1007/s10811-025-03727-2
ePrints DOI: 10.57711/s2bz-vj25
Data Access Statement: The data and codes supporting the findings of this study are shared in the github repository: https://github.com/CataSallen/Recovery_process_L.trabeculata.
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