11th ICRS Abstract book - Nova Southeastern University

18.628
Monitoring Activities in Kiribati 2006: Comparision Of Results With 2004 And
2005
Taratau KIRATA* 1 , CAROLINE VIEUX 2 , ERIC CLUA 3
1 Fisheries Department, Ministry of Fisheries, Tarawa, Kiribati, 2 SPREP, Apia, Samoa,
3 CRISP, SPC, Noumea, New Caledonia
The Republic of Kiribati is a group of three island groups scattered over 5,000,000 sq. km
of ocean. The groups are the Gilberts, Line and Phoenix islands. Kiribati has a
population of 92,428 in 2005. Coral reefs are usually atolls with islands surrounding the
rim or islands with fringing reefs. A coral monitoring survey was conducted in 2004
where six sites were set-up as part of the Polynesia Mana Node for the GCRMN. The six
sites are 1 on Abemama Atoll, 2 on Kuria Atoll and 3 on Tarawa Atoll.
During 2006, early and end of 2005 the sites on Tarawa were revisited for monitoring.
These sites were located on North Tarawa, Teaoraereke and Hospital. Monitoring
activities was conducted using digital camera for taking underwater pictures of a
relatively flat and homogeneous outer reef slope. The pictures are analyzed using CPCe
software. Comparison of 2004, 2005 and 2006 results revealed that there was no
significant impact on bleaching to sites other than North Tarawa. Although, there is no
significant variation to the global coral cover of the other two sites; there has been some
significant variation in the coral composition. Its seems that the composition shifted to
more tolerate species such as Porites rus, and may be the results of an adaptation to the
natural disturbances experienced by Kiribati these past few years. New monitoring
campaigns in these areas and other places of Kiribati are needed to provide more
information on the phenomena and it’s extend. Funding for these monitoring activities
was available through Kiribati Fisheries Division, CRISP programme and SPREP.
18.630
Singapore Coral Reefs – Status After 40 Years Of Extensive Coastal Development
Loke Ming CHOU* 1 , Karenne TUN 1 , Nigel GOH 2
1 Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore, 2 National
Parks Board, Biodiversity Center, Singapore, Singapore
Singapore is a small island state with a population of over 4 million living in a land area
of less than 700km2. Extensive land reclamation since the late 1960s increased the total
land area by 20% to date. It is also one of the world’s busiest ports and a major oil
refining centre. Despite the extensive coastal development and modification and intensive
use of the marine environment, its coral reefs appear to demonstrate some resilience in
terms of biodiversity maintenance. Over 60% of its reef habitat is lost, with the remaining
subjected to high sediment stress. Although reef area has been reduced, and population
abundance decline is apparent, coral species extinctions are not evident. The status of
Singapore reefs after 40 years of heavy anthropogenic impacts is examined and the long
term future is discussed.
Poster Mini-Symposium 18: Reef Status and Trends
18.631
Declining Coral Health and Fish Diversity in the Solomon Islands, Melanesia
Paul MCCURDY* 1 , Abigail ALLING 2 , Orla DOHERTY 2 , Mary K OLDS 3 , Kitty CURRIER 2 ,
Heather LOGAN 2 , Carol MILLNER 2 , Paul MCCURDY 1
1 Planetary Coral Reef Foundation, Palmerston North, New Zealand, 2 Planetary Coral Reef
Foundation, Pacific Palisades, CA, 3 Dustan Lab, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC
Coral reefs harbor ~1-9 million species, including 30% of all marine fish species. Reef health
worldwide is declining due to many factors; e.g. pollution, sedimentation, dynamite fishing, and
global warming. Using SCUBA, we examined coral health and fish diversity on
Sagharughombe Reef, Solomon Islands in 2000, 2002 and 2006. Coral surveys from the studies
indicated a significant decline in health over a six-year period. Fish surveys found no clear trend
in species abundances and species richness but a significant decline in species diversity over the
years. The decline in coral health we observed may have contributed to diminished fish
diversity. Another study will be completed in January/February 2008 to monitor coral health
and fish diversity trends. To protect marine biodiversity, coral reefs must be better protected
and declines in coral health must be halted.
18.632
Contribution Of Global Coral Reef Monitoring Programs in India
Krishnamoorthy VENKATARAMAN* 1
1 National Biodiversity Authority, Chennai, India
The diversity of fauna and flora of coral reefs in India is depleting and degrading in terms of
quantity and quality in a faster and unprecedented rate throughout India. People living along the
coastal stretch of India depend on coral reef ecosystem for their livelihood. The major reef in
India is restricted to the Gulf of Mannar, Gulf of Kachchh, Andaman and Nicobar and
Lakshadweep Islands. Very little or no challenge is taken to alleviate the effect of human on
coral reefs. The study on diversity and status of coral reef ecosystem are inadequate from many
areas. Particularly, the status studies on coral reefs in India are only a decade old and this was
just introduced by Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) in 1997. Interestingly, the
first status study on coral reef in India coincided with the 1998 bleaching event with out giving
the scientists a chance to discern the past status quantitatively. Unexpectedly, this
unprecedented bleaching has increased the dead coral cover to 70 + 10 % in some areas (Gulf of
Mannar, Lakshadweep and Gulf of Kachchh). Post-bleaching surveys from 1999 to 2007 have
shown very good recovery of coral reef fauna in some areas (Gulf of Mannar, Lakshadweep
Islands) yet, exact status is not known till today due to lack of coordinated effort, inadequate
trained scientific and management personnel and lack incentive for such effort as well as
various other reasons of its own kind which is normally predictable for a country like India
which is transforming in to a developing country. This paper deal with the how much is the
contribution of global programmes on monitoring and where does India stand as well as what
India requires for the support of coral reef conservation effort?
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