Population monitoring of Holothuria scabra (sandfish) on Warrior Reef, Torres Strait 2000

The sandfish on Warrior Reef were surveyed at 167 sites from 19 to 26 January 2000 including a resurvey of sites examined in 1995/6 and 1998. The Holothuria scabra (sandfish) population on Warrior Reef is still severely depleted. It is 53% to 81% (95% CI) smaller than the 1995/96 population, which was also considered as over-exploited. There was an average increase of about 36% in abundance since the extremely low abundance recorded in January 1998, however, this estimated recovery rate had a high uncertainty. The heavily depleted nature of the population is also confirmed by estimates of standing stock which indicate that it is unlikely that there is more than 100 tonnes of 2+ year old H. scabra on Warrior Reef. This stock size estimate is very low compared to estimates of the catch in 1995 of 1200 to 1400 tonnes, and estimates of virgin biomass of over 1600 tonnes.

2000年1月19日至26日，科研人员在战士礁（Warrior Reef）的167个调查点位对糙海参（Holothuria scabra，俗称砂鱼sandfish）开展了普查工作，本次普查涵盖了对1995/96年及1998年已考察点位的重测。
战士礁的糙海参种群仍处于严重枯竭状态，其种群规模较1995/96年的种群缩小了53%至81%（95%置信区间，confidence interval, CI），而1995/96年的该种群本身就已被认定为过度捕捞。
自1998年1月记录到极低的种群丰度以来，当前种群丰度平均增长了约36%，但该恢复速率的估算结果存在较高不确定性。
种群严重枯竭的现状也得到了现存生物量估算结果的佐证：估算表明，战士礁上2龄及以上的糙海参总现存生物量不太可能超过100吨。
这一现存生物量估算值与1995年1200至1400吨的捕捞量估算值，以及超过1600吨的原始未开发生物量估算值相比，均处于极低水平。