A comparison of fishes taken by a sportfishing party vessel around oil platforms and adjacent natural reefs near Santa Barbara, California.

Abstract

Platforms were important fishing locations for the
sportfishing party vessel surveyed. About 18% of its
total fishing time and 17% of the total catch occurred
around the platforms. This compares with about 21%
of fishing time and 31% of total catch at the nearby
natural reefs. Rockfish dominated the catch at both the
platforms and at the natural reefs. Confirming what
we had first observed, there were significant differences
in catches between the platforms and natural
reefs. Juvenile rockfish composed most of the platform
catch, while mature rockfish were more abundant over
reefs. While midwater rockfish species were abundant
at both platform and natural reefs, species compositions
were different, with those benthic rockfish characteristics
of high-relief substrata absent or rare
around the platforms.