Quantifying the state of the coral reef ecosystem in relation to biophysical benthic and pelagic indicators and biological drivers of change in the Saba National Marine Park, Dutch Caribbean

Coral reefs are experiencing large scale degradation. Motivated by the need for regular data monitoring and for quantification of the state and change of benthic and pelagic organisms, the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network protocol was executed on 18 dive sites in fished and unfished areas around the island of Saba in the Saba National Marine Park (SNMP) in the Dutch Caribbean from March to May 2019. Pictures of the benthos were taken and analysed with the Coral Point Count Excel extension software and fish biomass was calculated through the Bayesian length-weight-relationship. Although considerably below the Caribbean-wide average, coral cover around the island seems to be slowly recovering from past diseases and hurricane events. Coral species richness positively correlates with reef fish density and Serranidae species richness. As in other parts of the Caribbean, macroalgae in the SNMP are rapidly spreading and increasingly compete for space with habitat-providing gorgonians, sponges and other benthic organisms. In contrast to expectations, fish density and biomass continue to increase, even in zones where fishing is allowed. This might be explained by the higher availability of macroalgae that serve as food for various herbivorous fish species, which in turn are, amongst others, the prey of predatory fish and those higher up in the trophic cascade. However, with the exception of the commercially important fish family Lutjanidae all key fish species have declined in average size in recent years. Another finding is the increase of coral diseases. The results indicate the need for further species-specific research in order to identify the factors that are causing the degradation of the reefs in the SNMP. A better understanding of the interactions, ecological roles and functions of benthic and fish communities is therefore essential for the protection of reefs, that are of high value to Saba. The results of this study contribute to the adaptive management of the Saba Conservation Foundation that manages the SNMP

New Members The ICRI Membership welcomed seven new Members:

travel support to a number of delegates therefore enabling their participation in the meeting. Over 60 delegates from about 30 countries attended

A Partnership for Coral Reef Protection: A Case Study of the International Coral Reef Initiative

Coral reef are considered the most biologically diverse marine ecosystems on earth. They are a world-wide symbol of the economic and ecological importance of all types of coastal environments. The International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) was developed in 1994 to increase the awareness of the human and anthropogenic threats facing reefs. Initially a U.S.-focused initiative, ICRI now includes over 70 like-minded governments and a growing list of UN organizations, science and academic organizations, non-governmental organizations and the private sector as its partners. This qualitative case study was developed based on actual participation in the initiative and hundreds of pages of documents ranging in scope from internal draft documents, meeting notes, to the Aprill 1996 United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development report. The study provides background information as to why and how the initiative was created and it examines how the four strategies utilized: partnerships, coordination, integration, and capacity-building, contributed to the success of ICRI. The primary finding is that no single strategy can be credited with ICRI\u27s achievements to-date, but that all the strategies as a whole, along with the political timing of the Initiative, and the host agency (U.S. Department of State), all contributed to ICRI\u27s achieving its goal in year one; to increase global awareness of the fragile nature of reefs, their critical importance to humans world-wide, and encourage actions to address the threats facing them. This study concludes with some lessons learned that may be useful to similar global efforts

The effects of the 2004 Tsunami on mainland India and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Mortality from the tsunamis was high, with more than 7,000 deaths in the Nicobar group alone (the final number may never be known as many indigenous people on remote islands may have perished). On the mainland, there were a similar number of fatalities ; The greatest losses were in fishing communities although the waves destroyed roads, jetties, other basic infrastructure and entire villages; There was major damage to the coastal resources of southeast India, particularly to mangrove and coastal forests. On the Andaman and Nicobar Islands there was considerable damage to the coral reefs and beaches, as well as the forests; The earthquakes changed the bathymetry of the coral reefs and coasts of the Andaman and Nicobars: reefs in the South Andamans to the Nicobars subsided by 1 - 3 metres; many reefs in the northern Andamans were uplifted out of the water and died; and some beaches have almost disappeared, while new beaches have formed; There was major damage to large areas of coral reefs of the Andamans and Nicobars, particularly due to debris being washed off the land and smothering by sediments; Mainland coral reefs in the Gulf of Mannar and elsewhere suffered very minor, localised damage. Many mainland beaches were seriously eroded; and The affected reefs are expected to recover within 5-10 years, if there is effective resource management and enforcement of legislation controlling destructive fishing, coral mining, over-harvesting of reef resources, coastal development, sedimentation and pollution

Pemanfaatan Citra Penginderaan Jauh Untuk Pemetaan Terumbu Karang Di Teluk Tomini Bagian Kota Gorontalo

Pemanfaatan teknologi penginderaan jauh di Indonesia berkembang pesat melalui pemanfaatan dalam kegiatan inventarisasi sumberdaya alam dan lingkungan. Namun, tidak demikian halnya untuk kelautan yang masih belum lama menggunakan teknologi penginderaan jauh. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui kemampuan teknologi penginderaan jauh untuk ekstraksi data terumbu karang dan mengetahui sebaran lokasi serta kondisi terumbu karang di Teluk Tomini. Penelitian ini menggunakan salah satu aplikasi penginderaan jauh yaitu Landsat 8 untuk pemetaan terumbu karang. Pemrosesan citra dilakukan dengan algoritma Lyzenga untuk mengoreksi tubuh air (water column correction). Pengambilan sampel menggunakan metode transek garis. Uji akurasi dilakukan dengan menggunakan Matriks Konfusi. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan kemampuan citra Landsat 8 untuk ekstraksi data terumbu karang. Selanjutnya proses ekstraksi ini digunakan untuk memetakan lokasi sebaran dan luasan terumbu karang yang ada di Teluk Tomini bagian Kota Gorontal

Key considerations for a regional SocMon strategy for the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem countries in South Asia

Socio-economic Monitoring (SocMon) is an approach and set of tools for conducting socio-economic monitoring of changes in coastal communities. Key considerations included: importance of local partnerships; government and civil society partnerships; emphasis of adapting SocMon to local needs and priorities; capacity building; engaging with local stakeholders; inter and intra-regional collaboration; importance of language; and importance of language

Improving coastal livelihoods through sustainable aquaculture practices - a report to the collaborative APEC Grouper Research and Development Network

Wild-harvest fisheries for live reef fish are largely over-exploited or unsustainable because of over-fishing and the widespread use of destructive fishing practices such as blast and cyanide fishing. Sustainable aquaculture – such as that of groupers – is one option for meeting the strong demand for reef fish, as well as potentially maintaining or improving the livelihoods of coastal communities. This report from a short study by the STREAM Initiative draws on secondary literature, media sources and four diverse case studies from at-risk reef fisheries, to frame a strategy for encouraging sustainable aquaculture as an alternative to destructive fishing practices. It was undertaken as a component of the APEC-funded project Collaborative Grouper Research and Development Network (FWG/01/2001) to better understand how recent technical advances in grouper culture and other complementary work – including that of the Asia-Pacific Marine Finfish Aquaculture Network (APMFAN) hosted by NACA – could better support the livelihoods of poor coastal communities. (PDF contains 49 pages

Reefs at Risk in Southeast Asia

Draws on detailed information to analyze current threats to coral reefs across Southeast Asia and provides an economic valuation of what will be lost if destructive fishing, over-fishing, and marine based and inland pollution coastal development continue