Recreational Fishing Impacts in an Offshore and Deep-Water Marine Park: Examining Patterns in Fished Species Using Hybrid Frequentist Model Selection and Bayesian Inference

No-take marine reserves are often located in remote locations far away from human activity, limiting perceived impact on extractive users but also reducing their use for investigating impacts of fishing. This study aimed to establish a benchmark the distribution fished species across Ningaloo Marine Park – Commonwealth (NMP-Commonwealth), and adjacent comparable habitats within - State (NMP-State), Western Australia test if there was evidence an effect recreational fishing, as no commercial fishing is allowed either park. We examined whether location newly established (2018) Zone (NTZ), NMP-Commonwealth, limits its studying effects Throughout NMP-Commonwealth NMP-State, where permitted, we expected abundance recreationally fish increase with increasing distance nearest boat ramp, proxy effort. Conversely, did not expect non-fished overall richness vary response activity. Distance ramp found be strong predictor abundance, indicating that can detected NMP-Commonwealth. The NTZ weakly positive, this difference over time. Habitat composition predictors were only influence abundance. suggests clear footprint result new NTZ, despite location, act control future studies effects.