11th ICRS Abstract book - Nova Southeastern University

18.694
Monitoring Seawater Temperature And Coral Community Response Across Fiji –
An Archipelago-Wide Monitoring Programme
Edward LOVELL 1 , Helen SYKES 2 , Victor BONITO* 3 , Zaidy KHAN 4 , Norman
QUINN 5
1 School of Marine Studies, University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji, 2 Marine Ecology
Consulting, Suva, Fiji, 3 Reef Explorer Fiji, Coral Coast, Fiji, 4 Foundation of the Peoples
of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji, 5 University of West Indies ( UWI) Discovery Bay St.
Anns, St. Anns, Virgin Islands (U.S.)
Coral bleaching had a substantial impact on Fiji’s coral reefs in 2000 and 2002. To better
assess this phenomenon in terms of description and prediction, a temperature monitoring
programme was established. Forty-eight loggers are spread across twenty-five sites in the
archipelago compiling a description of the coastal seawater temperature regime for Fiji’s
reefs. Loggers are deployed primarily on the fore reef between 5 – 10m depth, however
two sites (Votua and Suva Harbor) have loggers deployed across a range of reef habitats.
With a ten-year temperature record , the programme is currently expanding to other South
Pacific countries through the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Programme. The programme
involves participation by resorts, dive operators, non-government organisations and
private researchers who deploy and maintain loggers and monitor sites for coral
bleaching. Comparison of in-situ temperature records with broad-scale satellite data and
fine-scale habitat assessment has revealed reasonable congruence between satellite
generated SST’s and mean in-situ readings, however, the temperature regime varies
across reef environments and locations within the archipelago. Reef flat temperatures
along the Coral Coast have been documented to range over 14 o C annually and over 9 o C
daily exceeding 36 o C and dropping below 23 o C, while fore reef temperatures at 10m
depth at the same reef had an annual range of only 6 o C and daily maximum range of
3.5 o C. Gaining a better understand of both broad- and fine-scale temperature regimes
across Fiji’s reefs and their effects on coral communities can make important
contributions to marine conservation efforts by assisting with the identification of reef
areas that are either less prone or resilient to bleaching.
18.695
Cozumel Island, México: A Disturbance History
Patricia ALVAREZ DEL CASTILLO* 1 , Hector REYES 2 , Lorenzo ALVAREZ 3 ,
Marínes MILLET 4
1 Biologia Marina, Universidad Autonoma de Baja California Sur, La Paz, Mexico,
2 Biologia Marina, Universidad Autonoma de baja California Sur, La Paz, Mexico,
3 School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United
Kingdom, 4 Monitoreo y Vinculacion Cientifica, Parque Nacional Arrecifes de Cozumel,
Cozumel, Mexico
Hurricanes impact reef communities and their effects are clearly observed in the
landscape and reef structure, especially when the storms are intense and frequent. This
study aims to determine the damage caused by hurricanes "Emily" and "Wilma” in 2005
over the landscape structure of Cozumel Reef National Park, México, and describe the
recovery process. We conducted samplings at six reefs located in the PNAC during seven
months between May 2005 and May 2007. At each reef, six 30-m point-intercept
transects were run parallel to the coast, at depths between 10 and 15m, and the type of
substrate found every 25cm was recorded. The bottom elements that were quantified
were coral, sponges, macro algae, algal mat, blue green algae, coral with recent death,
rock, sand and others. Landscape structure was quantified with the Pielou´s evenness
index (J´), and changes were evaluated with non-metric multi-dimensional scaling
(NMDS) and the Bray-Curtis similarity coefficient. The results show a significant
decrease in the percentage of live cover, and an increase in the percentage of sand and
rock. Corals were the most affected group decreasing from 24% to 10% in cover after the
two hurricanes; fortunately, cover has increased to 16% by May 2007. Significant
differences were found in the landscape evenness, being lower in July 2005; the high
similarity of J´ between May 2005 and May 2007 indicates a clear trend of recovery in
the reefs. The NMDS show that the two hurricanes affected Cozumel reefs with varying
intensity, with "Wilma" having an impact four times higher than "Emily". A clear
improvement in biotic condition was observed by October 2006, but in 2007 the recovery
rate decreased remarkably. We estimate that the reefs may return to their original
condition in a maximum of 38 months, starting in May 2007.
Poster Mini-Symposium 18: Reef Status and Trends
18.696
Standardized Certification To Increase Coral Monitoring Data Quality And Extent
Surveys Location And Numbers
Naneng SETIASIH* 1
1 Reef Check Foundation Indonesia, Denpasar, Indonesia
In Indonesia, coral reef areas spread widely. Most of it located far from government and or
management reach, as well as cost extensive. Moreover, the number of surveyors are also
limited. This condition gives Indonesia lack of coral data and information that can represent a
global general status.
Reef Check (RC) method was developed in 1997 to outcome the problem. Since then RC has
been developed and run in more than 82 countries, including Indonesia, resulted in a widest
global coral reef data of the world.
However, RC method credibility is oftenly challenged, especially the data quality. Many of the
RC surveyors are divers or snorkelers without basic training in coral reef, leads to a question in
the data resulted. The condition has lead many reef managers reluctant to use regular divers as
RC surveyors.
Since 2005, RC survey was restructurised. A certification level, its curricula, and a
standardized training were developed. The certification system was adopted from diving
certification system. Each level has its own skills and specification that has to be tested to gain
the high quality of data. The first level is called RC Ecodiver one stars. There are 5 level
available, with the highest one called RC trainer. RC trainer could run the first 3 certification
level, as well as running an independent RC survey. This system can provide RC dive operator
with alternative products for its customers.
Since its implementation in Indonesia in 2006, there were 10 dive operators joint the
certification, resulted in 18 RC trainer and 175 RC Ecodivers. As the dive operator paid for the
training, there was a significant amount of the total RC survey and training reduction cost
compare to before 2006. The system also added more sites and more players for reef
monitoring in Indonesia.
18.697
Assessing The Ecological Status Of Reef Building Coral Communities Of Pohnpei,
Micronesia, As A Tool For Conservation
Eugene JOSEPH* 1
1 Marine Program, Conservation Society of Pohnpei, Kolonia, Micronesia
Assessing the Ecological Status of Reef Building Coral Communities of Pohnpei, Micronesia,
as a Tool for Conservation
Pohnpei is the capital state of FSM and lies approximately 5 degrees north of the equator, about
halfway between Hawaii and Australia. Despite the gains in coral reef conservation and
management in Pohnpei, significant gaps in understanding of the biological adequacy of the
Marine Protected Areas (MPA) network still exist. From 2005 to 2006 a Rapid Ecological
Assessment (REA) of biodiversity and status of reef-building corals and coral communities of
Pohnpei, Federated Sates of Micronesia (FSM) was undertaken because of a lack of adequate
biological data to support Pohnpei’s network of MPAs. The objectives of the REA were to
assess coral community types, their status and health, the extent of impacts from natural and
anthropogenic disturbances and rank the coral reefs for biodiversity conservation value. A team
of experts conducted the assessment providing key findings and recommendations along with
an overview of the status of Pohnpei’s biodiversity and areas of biological significance.
The REA highlighted the main threats to Pohnpei’s reefs. Sediment runoff and dredging have
caused a major loss of coral cover and diversity at worst affected sites, which have a high cover
of fine silt and low water clarity, hindering recovery. Crown of thorns starfish (COTs) were
widely distributed, being present in high abundances (approaching outbreak) at several sites.
The three major forms of disturbances, sedimentation run-off, dredging (coral reef mining) and
predation, have affected species composition and the overall structure of coral reef
communities.
Reefs in the Pohnpei lagoon require a more concerted conservation effort. The collaboration
between local village communities, government, and non-government will contribute to the
future viability of the coral communities and their associated species. This will in turn
contribute to the sustainability of fisheries.
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