Preliminary Survey of Coral Reefs at Vakare with special emphasis on Kayankerni Reef
Preliminary Survey of Coral Reefs at Vakare with special emphasis on Kayankerni Reef
Preliminary Survey of Coral Reefs at Vakare with special emphasis on Kayankerni Reef
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The present preliminary survey carried out several spot surveys <strong>on</strong> the reef using snorkel and SCUBA<br />
diving and carried out a rapid survey <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> reef areas using 2 divers <strong>on</strong> an 850meter l<strong>on</strong>g diver tow over the<br />
Eastern secti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the reef <str<strong>on</strong>g>at</str<strong>on</strong>g> Thennadi bay. The areas were assessed for general habit<str<strong>on</strong>g>at</str<strong>on</strong>g> types, reef<br />
health indic<str<strong>on</strong>g>at</str<strong>on</strong>g>ors, and general Biodiversity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> n<strong>on</strong>-cryptic daytime fauna. the areas were documented<br />
using underw<str<strong>on</strong>g>at</str<strong>on</strong>g>er Photography and Video.<br />
The coral areas <str<strong>on</strong>g>with</str<strong>on</strong>g>in the Eastern secti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the Thennadi bay is composed <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> three roughly fan shaped<br />
reef areas. The secti<strong>on</strong>s are diverse in habit<str<strong>on</strong>g>at</str<strong>on</strong>g>s ranging from large Staghorn coral domin<str<strong>on</strong>g>at</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed<br />
envir<strong>on</strong>ments to massive Dome coral domin<str<strong>on</strong>g>at</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed habit<str<strong>on</strong>g>at</str<strong>on</strong>g>s to a varied combin<str<strong>on</strong>g>at</str<strong>on</strong>g>i<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> mixed coral<br />
assemblages, <str<strong>on</strong>g>Coral</str<strong>on</strong>g> rubble z<strong>on</strong>es and Sea grass beds composing a rich diversity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> marine habit<str<strong>on</strong>g>at</str<strong>on</strong>g>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>with</str<strong>on</strong>g>in<br />
a compact area. The rich diversity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> coral species is encountered <str<strong>on</strong>g>with</str<strong>on</strong>g>in the many coral habit<str<strong>on</strong>g>at</str<strong>on</strong>g>s.<br />
including Acropora, Porites, M<strong>on</strong>tipora, Echinopora, Pocillopora, Favia, Favites<br />
A brief snorkel dive was carried out <str<strong>on</strong>g>at</str<strong>on</strong>g> the site known as the Sand Island which is loc<str<strong>on</strong>g>at</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed about 1.4km.<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>f the headland loc<str<strong>on</strong>g>at</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed <strong>on</strong> the Western end <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Thennadi bay. the reef is a elev<str<strong>on</strong>g>at</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed out crop roughly<br />
500m. x 300m. and ranging from almost intertidal secti<strong>on</strong>s and reaching down steeply to a depth <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> over<br />
10m. the reef is composed <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> different habit<str<strong>on</strong>g>at</str<strong>on</strong>g>s including Staghorn domin<str<strong>on</strong>g>at</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed to large dome habit<str<strong>on</strong>g>at</str<strong>on</strong>g>s.<br />
The area is pr<strong>on</strong>e to high surf.<br />
On a general note the c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the reef seem to be healthier than most comparable reefs <str<strong>on</strong>g>with</str<strong>on</strong>g> very<br />
low incidence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> invasive organism activity and physical polluti<strong>on</strong>. recent mechanical damage including<br />
human activities was not significant. coral areas are diverse and range from large Staghorn coral<br />
domin<str<strong>on</strong>g>at</str<strong>on</strong>g>es envir<strong>on</strong>ments <str<strong>on</strong>g>with</str<strong>on</strong>g> more than 80% coral cover to mixed coral habit<str<strong>on</strong>g>at</str<strong>on</strong>g>s which are usually<br />
composed <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> mixed strands <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> several different Staghorn Acropora species including A. formosa and A.<br />
y<strong>on</strong>gei. Large Dome coral envir<strong>on</strong>ments <str<strong>on</strong>g>with</str<strong>on</strong>g> massive coral heads th<str<strong>on</strong>g>at</str<strong>on</strong>g> are comm<strong>on</strong>ly over 3m in high