11th ICRS Abstract book - Nova Southeastern University

18.750
10 Years Reefcheck Surveys in Japan
Mariko ABE* 1 , Yasuaki MIYAMOTO 2 , Megumu TSUCHIKAWA 2 , Chihiro
NISHIHARA 1 , Akira IGUCHI 1 , Nobuo WATANABE 2
1 Okinawa ReefCheck and Research Group, Okinawa, Japan, 2 Coral Network, Tokyo,
Japan
Reef Check (RC) is a global coral reef monitoring programme started in 1997 and since
that time surveys have been conducted throughout Japanese waters. Coral development
pattern of Japanese water is unique. Due to strong Kuroshio Current, running from
southern places such as the Philippines to the northern part of Japan. Therefore we have
expanded our RC area to temperate area where coral communities develop. In 1997, the
number of the survey sites was only two, but it increased up to 42 points in 2006.
The Summary of 10 years Reef Check survey is as follows ;
• Tracked 1998 global bleaching event
• Tracked 2007 bleaching event of Yaeyama area
• Recorded rough tendency of coral coverage changes
• Recorded relationship between some indicator species and reef’s health
• Expanded survey sites
We advocate RC is not only useful for a scientific programme but also effective for
raising public awareness. Recently local people of Awase, Sunabe, Oura bay (Okinawa)
and Yoron (Kagoshima) voluntarily started introducing Reef Check into their usual
activity and they also introduced additional surveys and activities as well. In this
presentation, the status of coral reefs based on RC data and the current activities through
RC in Okinawa will be presented. Current activities include beach clean up activities by
high school students of Yoron island, ‘my quadrat activity’ in addition to RC by Sunabe’s
local NGO.
18.751
The Results Of The First Comprehensive Benthic Assessment Of The Coral Reef
Habitats Of Bermuda
Thaddeus MURDOCH 1 , Annie GLASSPOOL* 2 , Mike COLELLA 3
1 BREAM: Bermuda Reef Ecosystem Assessment and Mapping Programme, Bermuda
Zoological Society, Flatts Village, Bermuda, 2 Bermuda Biodiversity Project, Bermuda
Zoological Society, Flatts Village, Bermuda, 3 Fish and Wildlife Research Institute,
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commision, St. Petersburg, FL
Bermuda supports the most northerly coral reef system in the world, with 22 species of
Caribbean hard coral. Its unique location may allow Bermuda’s coral reef to survive the
impending global changes to ocean climate and chemistry that appear to be causing the
decline of reefs in the Caribbean and elsewhere.
A comprehensive survey of the ecological condition of reefs across the entire 1000 sq.
km platform was lacking until the BREAM: Bermuda Reef Ecosystem Assessment and
Mapping program, described here, was initiated in 1999. The purpose of the BREAM
program is the interdisciplinary assessment of benthic habitats and associated biota, using
aerial mapping, geographical information systems and database management, and proven
scientific protocols.
Coral reefs were categorized into component habitat types, representing lagoonal patch
reefs, rim reefs, and fore-reef habitats at 10-m and 20-m depth. To date the rim reef
habitat has been completely surveyed, with 24 sites assessed. The lagoonal reefs have
been surveyed at 42 sites, evenly distributed across the Platform. 16 out of 25 forereef
sites at 10-m depth have been surveyed. 25 forereef sites at 20-m have yet to be
surveyed.
Results indicate that coral cover for the lagoon ranges from 10 to 45%; rim reef sites vary
from 20 to 40%, while 10-m forereef sites exhibit coral cover values of 35 to 75%. Seven
species dominate most reefs across all habitats, with 17 additional species present but less
abundant. Two species of hard coral, Porites furcata and Mussa angulosa, which
represent new records for Bermuda were found, both with very limited distributions.
Data from this comprehensive regional assessment is crucial in guiding both scientific
research and long-term monitoring, as well as the management of the coral reefs and
associated marine habitats of Bermuda.
Poster Mini-Symposium 18: Reef Status and Trends
18.753
Temporal Changes in Coral Communities Associated To Thalassia Testudinum Meadows
At The Inner Bay Of Mochima, Venezuela
Sheila M. PAULS* 1
1 Instituto de Zoologia Tropical / Escuela de Biologia, Universidad Central de Venezuela,
Caracas, Venezuela
The coral communities associated to meadows of Thalassia testudinum at the inner zones of the
Bay of Mochima, Venezuela (10° 20’ – 10° 24’ N and 64° 19’ 30” – 64° 22’ 30” W) had been
assessed at three sites in 1982. After 25 years, the three localities were evaluated again to detect
and compare possible changes. At each sampling site six transects were fixed perpendicular to
the coastline, and richness, density and coral cover percentages were measured, as well as those
of substrate cover (sandy, rocky or T. testudinum). From 1982 to 2007 live-coral cover
increased from 14 to 17 % and seagrass areas rose from 69 to 74 %, with a concomitant
decrease of dead-coral cover (from 11.3 to 2.4 %), rocky substrate (from 5.5 to 1.15 %) and
sand patches (from 3.0 to 1.2 %). On each date, the recorded coral diversities were 16 and 17
species, respectively. The most abundant species on both surveys were Millepora alcicornis
with a relative cover of 84.8 and 89.1 %, respectively, and Porites porites with 7.1 and 3.7 %,
respectively; noteworthy, both species are branched colonies that can get rid more easily than
bulky colonies of the sediments deposited on them during the rainy season. Other coral species
showed a coverage of less than 5 % and while massive, they were of small sizes, indicating
periodic disturbances in the area. Overall, the recorded changes were not too pronounced,
probably due to the protection conferred by the inner bay waters, which are calm and relatively
isolated from oceanic currents and waves.
18.754
Habitat validation and resource assessment of a grouper spawning aggregation and
mesophotic coral reef Marine Protected Area in the US Virgin Islands
Tyler SMITH* 1 , Jeremiah BLONDEAU 1 , Richard NEMETH 1 , Jacqulyn CALNAN 1 , Elizabeth
KADISON 2
1 Center for Marine and Environmental Analysis, University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas,
Virgin Islands (U.S.), 2 Center for Marine and Environmental Studies, University of the Virgin
Islands, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands (U.S.)
A random stratified sampling design was employed to 1) validate high resolution benthic
habitat maps created using side scan sonar together with multi-beam and 2) conduct an
assessment of the resources inside a marine protected area, including benthic structure, coral
health, fish diversity and fish biomass. The Marine Conservation District (MCD) is a 41 km2
reserve that has been seasonally closed since 1990 and permanently closed since 1999 and was
designed as a refuge for a large coral reef ecosystem and a spawning aggregation of red hind
(Epinephelus guttatus). The MCD was stratified into four habitats (coral, pavement, sand, and
algae) with each stratum having a minimum of twenty random sampling locations.
Assessments were conducted between depths of 32 to 50 m and were performed by divers using
technical NITROX and closed circuit rebreathers. The amount of coral reef based on the
benthic habitat maps severely underestimated the true area of coral reefs by more than 100%.
Assessment of the fisheries resources revealed that the coral habitat was home to a large
abundance of commercially important groupers and snappers, suggesting its importance as a
habitat and foraging area. Furthermore, the closure may act as an important spawning area for
species in addition to red hind. The expanded coral reef habitat revealed in this study
potentially expands the migratory corridors for red hind and other fishes, and showed increased
potential area for supporting recovering spawning aggregations. A large, unexplored area on
the Puerto Rican Shelf, outside the MCD, is certain to contain similar mesophotic coral reefs
and will be discussed.
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