The association of physical and environmental factors with abundance and distribution patterns of groupers around Kolombangara Island, Solomon Islands

Abstract

I collected baseline abundance data on groupers from the reefs of Vavanga village on Kolombangara Island, Solomon Islands. Physical and environmental factors significantly affected the abundance and distribution patterns of groupers. Size and age distribution of groupers varied with depth. Power analysis on the abundance data showed that although power could be calculated to within an acceptable level from a management perspective for abundant species such as the coral hind, Cephalopholis miniata, the same could not be done for larger and naturally scarce species, such as the humpback grouper, Cromileptes altivelis.