11th ICRS Abstract book - Nova Southeastern University

23.889
The Economic Value Of Coral Reef Quality To Scuba Divers in Barbados
Peter SCHUHMANN* 1 , James CASEY 2 , Hazel OXENFORD 3
1 Economics and Finance, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC,
2 Economics, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA, 3 CERMES, University of
the West Indies Cave Hill, St. Michael, Barbados
The objective of this research is to estimate the economic value of coral reef quality as it
relates to SCUBA diving. This value is derived using a stated preference (choice
modeling) survey of resident and tourist divers in Barbados conducted in 2007. In
addition to a variety of demographic variables, divers were asked about their level of
experience, expenditures related to travel and diving, and encounters with specific
species. Divers also completed a choice experiment, selecting between alternative dives
with varying characteristics including price, crowding, fish diversity, encounters with
marine turtles and coral reef quality. Coral reef quality was represented via a series of
photographs representing a known range of live coral cover. Hence, a quantifiable
measure of coral cover is presented in a qualitative fashion that divers can understand.
Results indicate that willingness to pay for increased coral quality and other quality
variables vary with diver experience, nationality and the quality of their most recent dive.
The results of this study can be used to inform management decisions regarding reef use
and can aid in the development of policies aimed at maximizing the returns from diving
while reducing the negative impacts of tourism activities.
23.890
Pacific Islands Climate Change Portal
Mary Lou CUMBERPATCH 1 , Marjorie ERNST 1 , Stephanie FAUVER 2 , Carrie HALL 1 ,
Sarah VAN DER SCHALIE 1 , Linda PIKULA* 3
1 NOAA, Silver Spring, MD, 2 NOAA, Charleston, SC, 3 NOAA Miami Regional Library
@ AOML, Miami, FL
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has begun developing a
Pacific Islands Climate Change Portal that will enable Pacific Island coastal managers to
efficiently incorporate climate information and tools into their decision making.
Climate related resources relevant to coastal managers from various organizations
currently exist, but they are scattered in many different locations—making access
difficult and time consuming. To improve access to climate resources in the Pacific,
NOAA is partnering with the Pacific Region Environment Programme (SPREP) and
other organizations in the development of a portal that will be integrated with existing
climate change decision support efforts in the region. The Portal is expected to be
released in October of 2008.
The backbone of the Portal will consist of a searchable virtual library that provides links
to science-based information and tools on specific subject areas such as sea level rise,
water resources, and ocean acidification. The Portal will highlight suitable decision
support tools, case studies, information on regional initiatives, climate services, training
and education, and include links to data sources and partnership opportunities.
In the poster session, we will present an overview of the Portal and solicit feedback
regarding portal resources, both existing or under development, intended to support coral
reef management in the region in the context of climate change. NOAA will use the
feedback provided by participants to further refine the content of the Portal.
Poster Mini-Symposium 23: Reef Management
23.891
A Comparison of Coral Reef Management Strategies for Tourism in the Gulf of Thailand
Makamas SUTTHACHEEP* 1 , Thamasak YEEMIN 1
1 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkok, Thailand
Effective coral reef management can increase key ecosystem parameters such as fish biomass
and diversity or live coral cover and maintain ecosystem processes and function. The objective
of this paper is to compare management effectiveness of two popular diving sites, i.e., Mu Koh
Chang and Koh Tao Group, in the Gulf of Thailand. Mu Koh Chang is relatively a new tourism
destination in eastern part of the Gulf of Thailand. There are over 50 Islands in the area which
harbor approximately 16 km2 of coral reefs. It was declared as a special administrative zone for
sustainable tourism development through the Designated Area for Sustainable Tourism
Administration (Public Organization) in 2002. An estimated 30% of the coral reefs are within
the jurisdiction of Mu Koh Chang National Park which was established in 1982. Moreover Mu
Koh Chang was selected as one of the coral reef demonstration sites under the UNEP/GEF
Project on Reversing Environmental Degradation Trends in the South China Sea and Gulf of
Thailand. Collaboration between relevant agencies is the key factor for management
effectiveness of coral reef based tourism. Koh Tao Group is one of the most popular diving sites
in the South of Thailand for decades. The coral reef area around the islands is about 2 km2. The
main landholder of Koh Tao Group is Treasury Department of Ministry of Finance. Some
private companies leased the land for resort and diving business. There are no obvious national
measures and policies to manage coral reefs of Koh Tao Group but cooperation of the Local
Administrative Office, diving shops and volunteer groups play a major role for coral reef
management. Consideration of socioeconomic factors and collaboration of stakeholders are
very essential to improve management effectiveness of coral reefs in the Gulf of Thailand.
23.892
Coral Reef Fish Community Metrics As Indicators Of Management Success
Chris CALDOW* 1 , Randy CLARK 2 , Alan FRIEDLANDER 3 , Mark MONACO 2 , Ben
RUTTENBERG 4
1 Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment, NOAA, Silver Spring, MD, 2 NOAA, Silver
Spring, MD, 3 Oceanic Institute, Waimanalo, HI, 4 University of California, San Diego, La Jolla,
CA
With substantial impacts on coral reef ecosystems world wide, evaluating and communicating
the efficacy of successful management strategies is imperative to maintain and restore
community structure and ecosystem function. Measuring the degree of success and making
comparisons across regions however is often hindered by a variety of factors including:
differences in the ecosystem being managed and the management strategy, differences in data
utilized to evaluate the strategy, and differences in the types and amounts of pressures facing
the ecosystems. Recent studies have focused on the use of coral reef fish biomass as an
informative indicator regarding ecosystem health and therefore management success. We
evaluate a series of community metrics with our own census data collected utilizing a consistent
sampling design and in-situ methodologies to survey coral reef fish populations in both
relatively pristine and more heavily impacted ecosystems in the Pacific and Atlantic regions.
Our findings suggest that community metrics such as species richness and abundance allow us
to make distinctions between populations even over relatively small scales (neighboring
islands); however, certain metrics such as high overall fish biomass and proportionally high
biomass of species in higher trophic levels tend to provide the most significant contrast between
relatively pristine areas and those subject to greater levels of threats and stresses. Having a
robust yet simple indicator of ecosystem health such as biomass enables quantification of
management success. In addition, the existence of a relatively unperturbed control site within a
given ecoregion can provide quantifiable information on the characteristics of a healthy
ecosystem and therefore provide a reference for comparison among sites within that ecoregion.
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