Abstract

Length-weight relationships (LWRs) provide valuable information about growth and individual fitness on the population. LWRs are commonly used in studies on life history, population dynamics, ecosystem modelling and stock assessment. A comparative study on the effect of harvesting in the relative growth ofPatella asperabetween Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and exploited areas was conducted in the archipelago of Madeira (NE Atlantic Ocean). The results showed that populations from the exploited areas exhibited a negative allometric growth whilst the populations from the MPAs showed predominantly isometric and positive allometric growth. The effects of protection from MPAs on the populations ofP. asperawere not only restricted to an increase in mean size but also in a more balanced growth. This study highlight the importance of MPAs in the preservation ofP. asperapopulations in Madeira archipelago. Hence, these results should be used to corroborate the positive effects of MPAs in safeguarding the exploited resources, especially in oceanic islands were species are more prone to over-exploitation.