11th ICRS Abstract book - Nova Southeastern University

23.1018
Pre-Closure Evaluation Of Habitats And Fish Assemblages in Five Proposed Mpas
Off The Us Southeastern Coast
Stacey HARTER* 1 , Andrew DAVID 2 , Marta RIBERA 1
1 NOAA Fisheries, Panama City, FL, 2 NOAA Fisheries, Panama CIty, FL
In 2002, the U.S. South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) proposed a
network of marine protected areas (MPAs) along the outer continental shelf from Cape
Hatteras, NC to the Florida Keys to protect seven reef fish species in the snapper-grouper
complex. Thus far, three years of pre-closure data have been collected on habitat and fish
assemblages at five proposed MPA sites. Data were collected in 2004, 2006, and 2007
both inside and outside the proposed MPAs using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV),
stationary camera array, and fish traps. Five habitat types were delineated from ROV
dives: sand, pavement, low relief rocky outcrops, moderate relief outcrops, and high
relief ledge. All areas examined contained deep reef formations as well as several of the
reef fish species targeted for protection including snowy grouper (Epinephelus niveatus),
speckled hind (Epinephelus drummundhayi), warsaw grouper (Epinephelus nigritus), and
blueline tilefish (Caulolatilus microps). Lionfish were also abundant in all areas
investigated and their densities increased each year. This study presented a unique
opportunity to establish baseline values for reef fish abundance and distribution prior to
the projected 2008 closures to bottom fishing. This will obviate criticisms of many MPA
studies comparing populations inside and outside closed areas, rather than single
locations, pre- and post-closure. Monitoring should continue once the MPAs have been
implemented to investigate deviations from pre-closure estimates of fish densities. It is
likely that changes will take years to manifest themselves based upon the life history
characteristics of the fish species targeted for protection.
23.1019
Noaa Coral Reef Watch: Satellite Data Products For Coral Reef Managers,
Through The World Bank/gef Coral Reef Targeted Research Program
Tyler R. L. CHRISTENSEN* 1 , Alan E. STRONG 2 , William J. SKIRVING 2 , C. Mark
EAKIN 2 , Jessica A. MORGAN 1 , Gang LIU 1 , Scott F. HERON 2 , Dwight K. GLEDHILL 1
1 IMSG at NOAA Coral Reef Watch, Silver Spring, MD, 2 NOAA Coral Reef Watch,
Silver Spring, MD
The Coral Reef Watch (CRW) program monitors global sea surface temperature from
NOAA’s polar-orbiting satellites. We process these data into information tailored to
coral reef applications, to pinpoint areas where thermal stress is putting the corals at risk
for bleaching. Because our data products are generated twice a week, we can provide
near-real-time global information. CRW is involved in a new global project: Coral Reef
Targeted Research and Capacity Building, sponsored by the World Bank and the Global
Environment Facility. Our major role in this project is to customize our data products for
reef managers in the project’s Centres of Excellence in Tanzania, the Philippines,
Mexico, and Australia. We are also training local researchers on how to access our
information, developing new data products for reef management, and researching
innovative data delivery tools. In return, we are gaining crucial information about how to
make our remote sensing data more accessible and more useful for on-the-ground coral
reef management.
Poster Mini-Symposium 23: Reef Management
23.1020
Status Of Coral Reefs Of India – A Revelation
Rama KRISHNA* 1 , Rama KRISHNA 1
1 Environment, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India
India is bestowed with a variety of reef regions on all its coastal sides and stands 10th in the
listing of world reef area. The host of first International Coral Reef Symposium is far away
from the first place in exposing the factual status of its reefs due to lack of proper monitoring
mechanism, capacity and guide map for many decades. With the advent of the reef activity
around the world due to the propulsion of a need to protect the reefs, Zoological Survey of India
a wing of Ministry of Environment Forests has taken up the task of pacing forward in reef
research. The result is a revelation. The diversity of the principal builders of the reefs
(scleractinians) bulged beyond imagination and expected to increase further; Reefs of Gulf of
Kutch, the northern most in India are not as less diverse as appeared; Status of Andaman reefs is
not pale as exposed, study gained them the status of the best reefs in the Indian Ocean and as
seeding grounds for affected reefs; Lakshadweep reefs, victims of global warming never lost
their diversity as expected and fighting back to normalcy; Gulf of Mannar reefs are much
diverse than exposed. The present paper discusses the reasons for the down play of the status of
reefs and updates the present status of the reefs of India with the wealth of information collected
by ZSI from its National and International surveys conducted for the past two decades. A
guideline for better reckoning and creation of the health status of Indian reefs is also included
for effective standardisation and consolidation.
23.1021
Significance of Reading of a Spatial Structure of 10 1 - 10 3 m Scale for the Conservation of
Coral Reef Ecosystem
Tatsuo NAKAI* 1 , Tsuyoshi SHIBATA 2 , Hiroya YAMANO 3 , Shigeki YASUMURA 4
1 Kokushikan University, Tokyo, Japan, 2 Naigai Map Corp., Tokyo, Japan, 3 National Institute
for Environmental Studies, Ibaraki, Japan, 4 WWF Japan, Tokyo, Japan
Nansei Shoto (Ryukyu Islands), a chain of sub-tropical islands located in the Southern end of
Japan and a northern margin of the 'Coral triangle', is rich in endemic and sub-endemic fauna
and flora. Nansei Shoto is recognized as one of WWF global 200 ecoregions, which is a
science-based global ranking of the Earth's most biologically outstanding terrestrial, freshwater
and marine habitats. WWF Japan initiated the project to illustrate and evaluate the biodiversity
priority areas (BPAs) of the Nansei Shoto Ecoregion.
We applied a spatial structure reading of physiographic unit (PGU) for selecting BPAs in
Nansei Shoto. Physiographic and landscape ecological studies made it possible to set a PGU for
a fringing reef. It is a special structure of 10 1 - 10 3 m scale determined by a local topography
such as reef, water channel, land mass to control seawater flowing. It is indispensable to analyze
a spatial structure on this scale for the evaluation of the habitat diversity for reef corals and
other living organisms. This approach has shown effectiveness for the conservation of coral reef
ecosystem.
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