Steven Purcell

Southern Cross University · National Marine Science Centre (NMSC)

Small-scale fisheries are important to livelihoods and subsistence seafood consumption of millions of fishers. Sea cucumbers are fished worldwide for export to Asia, yet few studies have assessed factors affecting socioeconomics and wellbeing among fishers. We interviewed 476 men and women sea cucumber fishers at multiple villages within multiple l...

Fishing strategies, effort and harvests of small-scale fishers are important to understand for effective planning of regulatory measures and development programs. Gender differences in fishing can highlight inequities deserving transformative solutions, but might mask other important factors. We examined fishing modes, fishing frequency, catch-per-...

Giant clams have been over-exploited throughout their wide geographical range in the Indo-Pacific. Marine reserves could be one tool to potentially safeguard broodstock, but their effect on giant clam abundance and the differential benefits of lagoon reserves compared to barrier reef reserves is still unclear. We assessed abundances of four species...

Understanding the income and costs of fishing is fundamental to managing fisheries and planning interventions to improve efficiency and gender equity. Few studies offer data on fisher incomes and fuel use in small-scale fisheries (SSFs), and fewer have assessed factors influencing variation among fishers and between genders. We interviewed 235 arti...

Research-for-development (R4D), as a mode of foreign aid, is a practical way to support developing countries. However, few studies have assessed the scientific impacts of R4D projects. Here, we applied an integrated assessment approach to evaluate the scientific impact of research projects commissioned by the Australian Centre for International Agr...

Stocks of Turbo militaris (Turbinidae) are under increasing harvesting pressure, but management is currently hampered by data deficiency. Management decisions for rocky‐reef gastropod fisheries should consider long‐term species mobility, yet this is often poorly understood. Therefore, mark‐recapture was used to evaluate annual displacement and upsh...

Sea cucumbers in their dried form, bêche-de-mer or trepang, have been in high demand for four decades, causing relentless exploitation pressure on fisheries. Key aspects unknown are the temporal trends in prices of different species and potential impacts of external factors. We recorded prices and measured dried specimens of 20 sea cucumber species...

Adaptation of reef-building corals to global warming depends upon standing heritable variation in tolerance traits upon which selection can act. Yet limited knowledge exists on heat-tolerance variation among conspecific individuals separated by metres to hundreds of kilometres. Here, we performed standardized acute heat-stress assays to quantify th...

Teatfish (subgenus Microthele) are a group of high-value sea cucumbers, with three of the species listed on CITES 3 Appendix II. Few studies have been made on juvenile teatfish, and their behaviour and rates of growth and natural mortality being critical knowledge gaps for aquaculture and fisheries. We present results of an aquaculture programme in...

Fishery stock assessments are often based on morphometric data from underwater diver surveys and landing surveys. Measurements of body length are usually converted to estimates of body weight, yet length–weight equations might differ among localities. We evaluated morphometric models for the sea cucumber, Pearsonothuria graeffei, collected at Lizar...

The capacity of reef-building corals to adapt to global warming depends upon standing heritable variation in tolerance traits upon which selection can act. While heat tolerance is known to differ markedly among coral taxa and reefs, limited knowledge exists on within-species variation among spatial scales ranging from meters to hundreds of kilomete...

Sea cucumber stocks in French Polynesia were generally underexploited between 1940 and 2008. Commercial exploitation began in 2008 and in intensified to 2012, leading to new management regulations for the fishery. From 2014 to 2017, sea cucumber fishing on the Apataki atoll was significant and was focused especially on white teatfish (Holothuria fu...

Animal movement and feeding studies shed light on ecological roles and can inform management strategies for fished species. However, the feeding and movement of nocturnal sea cucumbers have been rarely studied. We determined the movement dynamics, feeding ecology and sheltering behaviour of the nocturnal Stichopus cf. monotuberculatus (dragonfish)...

Turban snails are targeted for their high-quality meat and, consequently, are often subjected to heavy harvesting pressure. Managing recreational and small-scale fisheries is challenging, partly due to a lack of biological data underpinning certain regulatory measures. This study aimed to fill current knowledge gaps on the reproductive cycle of the...

Length-weight relationships are commonly used to convert length measurements to body weights for data from population surveys, to generate estimates of biomass for stock assessment. These morphometric relationships assess whether increases in body weight are proportional to unit increases in length, providing an insight into growth. Few biological...

Long-term movements of adult marine animals predicate spatial management measures. Sea cucumbers are intensely exploited worldwide, yet few studies have assessed their long-term movement potential. Elephant trunkfish, Holothuria (Microthele) fuscopunctata, is a large coral reef holothuroid. At four sites at Lizard Island, northern Great Barrier Ree...

Sea cucumbers are harvested and traded in more than 90 countries worldwide. They are exploited in industrial and small-scale fisheries, nearly from pole to pole, especially in the tropics. In some fisheries, more than 20 species are exploited by fishers. Fishers in general know how to distinguish the species they harvest, often identifying them wit...

Sea cucumbers are heavily exploited worldwide, yet data are lacking on animal mobility and life-history parameters for fishery management and conservation planning. This study assessed movement and growth rates for a medium-sized holothuroid, Pearsonothuria graeffei , harvested throughout the Indo-Pacific. We used photographic mark-recapture to tra...

L’objectif de l’étude est d’évaluer le stock des espèces commerciales d’holothuries sur neufs zones (Belep, Poum, Balabio, Thio, La Foa, Lagon Sud et trois zones de Lifou) identifiées comme prioritaires par chacune des provinces de Nouvelle-Calédonie. De nombreuses populations insulaires du Pacifique pêchent des holothuries pour répondre à la deman...

Movement studies on marine animals can inform conservation and fishery management planning through data that explain likely dispersals and home‐ranging behaviours. Relatively few studies are documented for exploited marine invertebrates, despite many having a high ecological and commercial value. We assessed the diurnal movement patterns of Theleno...

Unresolved taxonomy has impeded the conservation and sustainable management of commercially exploited sea cucumbers, which are in a perilous state globally. The listings of 16 species as threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and, most recently, of three teatfish species on the Convention on International Trade in Endanger...

This manual was produced to help artisanal fishers in Pacific Islands to understand how to handle and process fresh sea cucumbers into dried beche-de-mer for export. It was produced as an information tool through the ACIAR project FIS/2010/096 – Evaluating the impacts of improving postharvest processing of sea cucumbers in the Western Pacific, with...

The predicted future shortfall in seafood production from tropical small-scale fisheries demands support to help diversify income streams and food production for coastal communities. Livelihood diversification can comprise the enhancement or addition of components to existing fisheries, yet the likely socioeconomic impacts are unclear. With a long...

This manual was produced to help artisanal fishers in Pacific Islands to understand how to handle and process fresh sea cucumbers into dried beche-de-mer for export. It was produced as an information tool through the ACIAR project FIS/2010/096 – Evaluating the impacts of improving postharvest processing of sea cucumbers in the Western Pacific, with...

Shellfish have been introduced to countries beyond their native distributions in order to develop new fisheries, but the success of such translocations has been variable. In 2003 and 2006, adult trochus (Rochia nilotica), a herbivorous coral reef gastropod, were translocated from Fiji and Vanuatu to Samoa. This translocation extended their natural...

Sea cucumbers can act as hosts for a wide range of commensal organisms, both externally (ectocommensals) and internally (endocommensals), but this role might vary among localities. We recorded ectocommensals on the body wall of Thelenota anax and Stichopus vastus at several coral reef sites around Lizard Island in the northern Great Barrier Reef. F...

The tegulid gastropod, Rochia nilotica is harvested in small-scale fisheries throughout Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands, many of which were created from inter-country translocations. This species is found on structurally complex shallow reefs, but its specific habitat requirements have not yet been quantified in order to maximize the success...

Ecology of many sea cucumbers, including the world’s heaviest holothuroid Thelenota anax, remains understudied, hindering effective fisheries management and conservation. We located, measured and weighed 38 T. anax over 10 days at Lizard Island, northeast Australia. Body length alone was a suitable predictor of body weight for this species. Short-t...

Trochus were introduced to Samoa from 2003 to 2006 with the goal of creating a new fishery that would diversify seafood supply for local communities. It took at least 10–15 years for trochus populations to become established on Samoa’s reefs. Underwater visual censuses in 2018 showed that populations are now established around both main islands, Up...

Adoption of innovations by farmers and fishers can depend on factors specific to both individuals and their social contexts. Research on the adoption and diffusion of innovations promoted through capacity-building training can provide lessons to support the design and implementation of future development programs. We assess the adoption, diffusion,...

Coral reefs around the world are changing rapidly, with overfishing of herbivorous fishes and increased sediment inputs being two of the major local-scale stressors. We therefore assessed the effects of sediment loads and overfishing on the nutritional quality and yield to grazing fishes of algal turfs, within the epilithic algal matrix, on a coral...

Many small-scale fisheries are multi-species, and the catch composition can vary according to available habitats, fishing modes, and fisher groups. Here, we applied novel analyses for understanding the factors affecting differences in catch composition among fishers, which should be useful for planning regulatory measures and fishery development in...

Melanesian countries have made recent progress in developing sea cucumber fishery management systems including tools such as species-specific minimum legal size limits. Despite a consensus among the scientific community that size limits are a vital management tool, decision-makers, fishers and traders might not fully appreciate the benefits of mini...

The success of marine stocking programs hinges on releasing hatchery-produced juvenile animals into the optimal marine habitat. This study sought to identify optimal microhabitat features of coastal seagrass meadows for juvenile sea cucumbers Holothuria scabra, a species cultured widely for stock restoration, sea ranching and sea farming. Groups of...

Selective inhibition of the endogenous coagulation pathway is a promising strategy for developing new anticoagulants. Fucosylated glycosaminoglycan (FG), a structurally complex glycosaminoglycan, has distinct anticoagulant properties, especially the strong intrinsic factor Xase inhibitory activity that is recognized as a new target with potential p...

Market prices of seafood underpin harvest and management strategies for fisheries and aquaculture. Beche-de-mer (processed, dried sea cucumbers) are highly valued in Asian markets. Market prices of Pacific Island beche-de-mer were previously reported from data collected in 2011. Recent economic slowdown in China and government austerity policy have...

Market price trends of seafood can inform fishery management measures and strengthen the bargaining power of fishers. The four-sided sea cucumber Isostichopus badionotus and donkey dung sea cucumber Holothuria mexicana are heavily exploited in small-scale fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean for export to China. We recorded prices and size...

海参捕捞和交易遍布全球70多个国家和地区。它们在极地地区、温带地区和整 个热带地区以工业化、半工业化和手工作坊（小规模）渔业的方式被开发利用。在 某些渔业作业区，渔民可同时捕获超过20种的海参，渔业管理者和科学家应该把它 们逐一区别开。加工（煮熟晒干）的海参通常被称为海参干品或初加工品，主要销 往亚洲市场，这就需要海关和贸易管理者依据其物种知识水平对进行区分。本书旨 在为渔业管理人员、科学家、贸易官员和产业工作者提供一种识别指南，以区别在 全球范围内被开发利用和交易的不同海参品种。 本书提供了58种在全世界广为开发利用的海参物种的鉴别信息，还有许多其他 海参物种，因开发的区域小，或开发的数量少，而未列入本书内容。尽管有些物种 （如地中海区域种类）的捕获量较大，但由于相关资料信息的缺乏，也未纳...

Le présent manuel vise à aider les artisans pêcheurs océaniens à se familiariser avec les méthodes de manipulation et de transformation des holothuries fraîches, le but étant de produire des holothuries séchées (des bêches-de-mer) qui pourront être exportées. Conçu comme un outil d’information, ce manuel a été élaboré dans le cadre du projet ACIAR...

Small-scale fishers are often believed to receive marginal earnings for seafood relative to other value-chain actors but proportionate incomes across different traded species are rarely compared. This study compares value chains for 15 species of sea cucumbers between Fiji and Kiribati using data collected on sale prices of dried products (bêche-de...

The sea cucumber fishery in Fiji has been operating intermittently for 200 years and has incurred intense fishing pressure in the past two decades. A recent change to fishery regulations now prohibits the issuance of exemptions for the use of Underwater Breathing Apparatus (UBA) for collecting sea cucumbers. Ecological, socioeconomic, genetic, and...

The large sea cucumber Holothuria sp. (type “pentard”) is exploited extensively throughout the western Indian Ocean, yet little information exists on its market value at the distal end of the value chain. We collected data on prices and sizes of this species from 15 lots in 14 shops in Hong Kong and Guangzhou. This species was relatively common in...

The sea cucumber “sandfish” (Holothuria scabra) is now produced in southern China within multitrophic polyculture ponds (>300 ha) with pearl oysters and groupers. Starting stocking densities are 2–3 ind. m-2, and final densities at harvest are in the range of 95–320 g m-2 of sandfish in the ponds. Current production is over 1 million market sized a...

Sea cucumbers (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) are large and abundant members of marine benthic communities. Overexploitation worldwide has raised concern because they have important functions within ecosystems. The ecological roles of commercially exploited sea cucumbers (Aspidochirotida and Dendrochirotida) are reviewed here, focusing on recent lit...

Tropical sea cucumbers are among the largest mobile invertebrates on coral reefs and are widely regarded as sedentary. Mark-recapture methods provide empirical estimates of movement and growth but have often been unsuccessful with sea cucumbers. We applied a new photographic mark-recapture technique to measure rates of short-term displacement (over...

Multi-species sea cucumber fisheries in Oceania involve vast numbers of small-scale fishers exploiting stocks on coral reefs and tropical lagoons. Fishery development measures might need to be specific to locations or fisher groups, and regulations should be appropriate to fishing activities. To understand fishing among countries, locations, gender...

The Lutjanidae (tropical snappers) are important to fisheries throughout the tropics and subtropics. Reliable age-based demographic data are essential for the sustainable management of lutjanid fisheries, and are underpinned by the selection of appropriate ageing structures and validation of increment periodicity within these. Lutjanid age validati...

Small-scale fisheries (SSFs) engage the vast majority of the world's fishers but are struggling to keep pace with coastal populations, and stocks are declining to levels that threaten reproductive capacity. The provision of food and livelihoods to low-income fishers into the future will be unlikely without radical changes to fisheries policy. We dr...

Sea cucumbers (Holothuroidea) are known to host ectocommensal animals but echinoderm epibionts have never been reported nor their effects on hosts appraised quantitatively. At one location in New Caledonia, we found a high number of ophiuroids (Ophiothela cf. danae) and synaptid sea cucumbers (Synaptula media and Synaptula sp.) living on the bumpy...

Small-scale fisheries present challenges to management due to fishers' dependency on resources and the adaptability of management systems. We compared social-ecological processes in the sea cucumber fisheries of Zanzibar and Mayotte, Western Indian Ocean, to better understand the reasons for resource conservation or collapse. Commercial value of wi...

Understanding critical habitats of threatened and endemic animals is essential for mitigating extinction risks, developing recovery plans, and siting reserves, but assessment methods are generally lacking. We evaluated critical habitats of 8 threatened or endemic fish species on coral and rocky reefs of subtropical eastern Australia, by measuring p...

Extinction risk has been linked to biological and anthropogenic variables. Prediction of extinction risk in valuable fauna may not follow mainstream drivers when species are exploited for international markets. We use results from an International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List assessment of extinction risk in all 377 known species of se...

Market preferences of natural resources contribute to shape their exploitation and production. Beche-de-mer, the product after gutting, cooking, salting and drying sea cucumbers, is exported worldwide to Asian dried seafood markets. A better understanding of the trade, value and market preferences of Pacific island beche-de-mer could identify criti...

The ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF) is a holistic paradigm that considers stocks of exploitable species, marine ecosystems and stakeholders. Management agencies must strike a balance between their capacity constraints and the requisites of management measures. Most small-scale sea cucumber fisheries of Pacific Islands have been plundered whil...

This article presents the results from the assessment of sea cucumbers in the order Aspidochirotida for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of threatened species. The results were published by IUCN in June 2013. Of 377 species examined, 16 were classified as threatened with extinction (7 as endangered, 9 as vulnerable...

Sea cucumbers have been traded in their dried form, called beche-de-mer or trepang, for centuries. Bechede- mer is relatively non-perishable and can be transported without refrigeration for long durations, and stockpiled for a year or more. With improved shipping and air freight possibilities, new product forms have appeared in the Asian marketplac...

This manual was produced to help artisanal fishers in Pacific Islands to understand how to handle and process fresh sea cucumbers into dried beche-de-mer for export. It was produced as an information tool through the ACIAR project FIS/2010/096 – Evaluating the impacts of improving postharvest processing of sea cucumbers in the Western Pacific, with...

Mariculture of tropical sea cucumbers is promising, but the nursery rearing of juveniles is a bottleneck for farming and sea ranching. We conducted four medium-scale experiments lasting 3-6 weeks, using thousands of cultured juvenile sandfish Holothuria scabra, to optimise nursery rearing in mesh enclosures in earthen seawater ponds and to test rea...