11th ICRS Abstract book - Nova Southeastern University

23.971
Linking Land Use And The Conservation Of A Threatened Coral Species: Using
Watershed Analysis To Improve The Protection Of acropora Palmata
Jeanne BROWN* 1 , Barry DEVINE 2 , Pedro NIEVES 2
1 SE Caribbean Program, The Nature Conservancy, Christiansted, Virgin Islands (U.S.),
2 Eastern Caribbean Center, Conservation Data Center, University of the Virgin Islands,
St. Thomas, Virgin Islands (U.S.)
Drastic reductions in abundance and range of Acropora palmata due to a number of
factors attributed to natural and anthropogenic causes has had serious consequences to
coastal systems. The protection of this threatened coral species relies on sound
management of human activities. In the U.S. Virgin Islands, where there is a high rate of
development in steeply-sloped coastal watersheds, water quality in the coastal zone has
been degraded by runoff from land. This study examines the impact of sedimentation on
the incidence of disease and mortality in A. palmata relative to adjacent watersheds with
various levels of development. Using watershed characteristics, such as incline, number
of gullies and proximity to roads and buildings, with sediment core samples in the
watershed’s drainage area, the status and potential for recovery of A. palmata is linked to
human activity on land. This analysis contributes to the information necessary to drive
judicious decision-making and policy development of sustainable land use and protected
area management.
23.972
User Fees as Sustainable Financing Mechnisms for Coral Reef Marine Protected
Areas
Steven THUR* 1
1 Coral Reef Conservation Program, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration,
Silver Spring, MD
Coral reef marine protected areas (MPAs) have proliferated globally in the past three
decades. However, inadequate funding often prevents these management regimes from
fulfilling their missions. Managers have become increasingly aware that successful
protection of reefs is dependent not only upon an understanding of their biological and
physical processes, but also their associated social and economic aspects. Unfortunately,
economic values associated with MPAs and the coral reef resources they protect are
rarely considered in decision-making and policy development. This study fills this
information gap by 1) examining scuba divers’ willingness to pay for access to quality
recreational sites in the Bonaire Marine Park, Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles and 2)
estimating the recreational benefits derived by those divers using the Park. The findings
indicate the previous US$10 annual diver user fee could be increased substantially
without an adverse effect on island tourism. The increased revenue generated from this
sustainable financing mechanism would be more than sufficient to fund both current and
enhanced marine park operations. In addition, the study finds that maintaining a highquality
diving experience within the Park is worth between US$56 and US$132 per diver
per year. Assuming that effective Park management is preventing adverse environmental
change, this information can be used in a benefit-cost analysis to clearly demonstrate the
positive net benefits associated with a well-functioning Bonaire Marine Park. The
findings of this study are indicative of values that may exist for other coral reef MPAs
with significant tourism appeal, and illustrate how low-cost social science methods can
augment existing MPA research plans.
Poster Mini-Symposium 23: Reef Management
23.973
Valuation Of Coastal Ecosystem Goods And Services in East-Central, Florida
Brian KELLY* 1
1 Dept. of Marine and Environmental Systems, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL
Detailed analyses of market and particularly nonmarket values of ecosystem goods and services
are either absent or limited for most of Florida’s 35 coastal counties. This study assesses the
value of coastal ecosystem goods and services in Brevard County, Florida. Brevard possesses
one of the longest shorelines in Florida with major fishing and surfing economies, some
associated with substantial nearshore reefs. Specific objectives include: 1) to build component
value estimates for selected coastal ecosystem goods and services in Brevard County, 2) to
provide a total economic value estimate of Brevard’s coastal ecosystem goods and services, and
3) to identify economic and ecosystem costs from unsustainable coastal development.
Economic data was gathered through an extensive literature search and from local and regional
businesses and trade organizations. The primary valuation methodology deployed in the study
was the value transfer technique. Preliminary results reveal that Brevard County’s saltwater
recreational fishing alone produces an annual market value of at least $150 million dollars and a
nonmarket value of approximately $100 million. Initial estimates also show that the economic
impact of surfing in the county is well over a half billion dollars per year. A substantial
component of these values is associated with reef systems. These and related findings suggest
that the many ecosystem goods and services provided by Florida’s unique coastal habitats are
undervalued and under-deployed in management arenas. Policy-makers are either unaware of
or not using the non-market ecosystem service valuation methodologies available when
developing critical decisions about coastal resource use, particularly given the major challenges
that sea level rise poses for sustainable economic and environmental planning.
23.974
The Antiquities Act And The Protection Of Coral Reefs in United States Waters
Frank ALCOCK* 1,2 , Robert JOHNSON 1
1 Division of Social Sciences, New College of Florida, Sarasota, FL, 2 Marine Policy Institute,
Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota
This paper explores the recent utilization of the Antiquities Act of 1906 as a management tool
for the protection of coral reefs. An initial section assesses the current status of coral reef
ecosystems under U.S. jurisdiction. A second section provides a historical overview of some of
the legislative tools that have been used to protect coral reefs in the United States, most notably
the National Marine Sanctuaries Act. A third section provides a historical overview of the
Antiquities Act and its use by various administrations, noting that the Clinton Administration
was the first to use the Act as a management tool for coral reefs when he used it to established
the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument in 2000. The Bush Administration
subsequently used the Act to establish the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Monument
in 2006 and additional designations are being contemplated for 2008. A fourth section discusses
the legal and political implications of designating coral reefs as national sanctuaries vs. national
monuments with a focus on the potential application of the Antiquities Act to the Gulf of
Mexico region. The paper ultimately argues that the substantive impact of the Act depends
largely upon (1) the specific terms outlined in specific executive orders that vary and are subject
to executive discretion; and (2) enforcement of those terms. Executive discretion can engender
stronger protections and expedite the process of enacting those protections but it also runs the
risk of alienating some stakeholder groups to the point that enforcement becomes problematic.
Carefully used, the Antiquities Act holds considerable potential to strengthen coral reef
management in United States waters.
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