Status of Coral Reefs of the World 2000

Status of Coral Reefs in Southern Tropical America
some countries (e.g. Colombia and Panamá), although the depth and quality of data is less
rigorous due to the use of volunteer, non-professional personnel and a rapid protocol.
Brazil is the only country that has not yet implemented any substantial reef monitoring. All
countries in the region have high professional capacity and generally good logistics to
implement the required monitoring, but funding is limited to develop and maintain national
monitoring programmes. Colombia is the only country that has a national integrated coral
reef monitoring programmes (SIMAC). Two workshops since 1998 were used to design and
implement SIMAC, while simultaneously gathering data from Caribbean and Pacific sites.
However there is a risk that current economic problems in Colombia will interrupt the
SIMAC programme, although several Colombian institutions have made commitments to
maintaining the monitoring system over the long-term. Furthermore, the system is still in an
early stage, covering only 5 of nearly 30 Colombian reef localities.
CONCLUSIONS
The coastal environment in Southern Tropical America is characterized by strong
continental influences (river discharges, upwelling) which inhibit the development of
extensive coral formations. Nevertheless, biodiversity on Caribbean reefs is comparable to
other Western Atlantic regions, and Brazilian reefs contain an unusually high proportion of
endemic coral species.
SIMAC: THE FIRST NATION WIDE REEF MONITORING
PROGRAMME IN THE STA REGION
As in many parts of the world, a considerable decline in coral reef health was observed in
Colombia during the 1980s. Nevertheless, coral reef monitoring in Colombia did not
start until 1992 when the “Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras” (INVEMAR)
joined the CARICOMP programme and implemented one monitoring station along the
Caribbean coast. Based on this experience an expanded nation-wide reef monitoring
programme was launched by INVEMAR in 1997 with the organisation of SIMAC
(Sistema Nacional de Monitoreo de Arrecifes Coralinos en Colombia), with the support
of COLCIENCIAS, other Colombian institutions and UNEP-RCU/CAR. A basic sampling
programme (Level 1) was implemented in 1998 at 4 important reef areas (3 in the
Caribbean, 1 in the Pacific). The Level 1 protocol consists of water quality
measurements and yearly estimates of benthic reef cover, coral disease incidence, and
fish diversity and abundance, at 2 sampling sites in each area. This protocol was
formulated during national workshops in 1998 and 1999, to determine strategies and
institutional coordination to maintain SIMAC in the long term. All the involved
institutions have agreed to continue supporting SIMAC until after the end of
COLCIENCIAS funded project in 2000, through the coordination of INVEMAR. However,
current economic problems in Colombia may interrupt some of the SIMAC activities or
preclude its expansion to other reef areas (the system is covering only 5 of nearly 30
Colombian reef localities). SIMAC has also promoted community monitoring by
providing organizational, technical support and funding to Reef Check activities in
several Colombian reef sites during the last 3 years. The SIMAC experience has been
also essential for the organisation of the GCRMN STA regional Node in 2000.
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