The Composition of Spesies and Changes in Reef Fishes Community at Ecoreef Rehabilitation Site, Manado Tua Island, Bunaken National Park

The study conducted from 2006 to 2012 with an interval of every two years in the ecoreef area of ​​ Manado Tua island found 2,936 individual reef fishes of 181 species that include into 32 families. Species composition value of the 10 dominant species of reef fishes was 55.48% of the total species. The highest number of species was Plotosus lineatus with schooling behavior which only discovered in 2010 at a depth of 3 meters. Ecoreef area of Manado Tua island, when analyzed from the abundance and biomass of reef fishes exhibited a succession of reef fish that have been stable, with peak abundance and higher biomass in 2008 and 2010. Reef fish found in ecoreef seemed to start a new living and become a new habitat for them. These were indicated by the highest biomass during the previous year but the number of individuals and spesies were decline. There was no change in the structure of reef fish communities in the ecoreef area of Manado Tua Island, which characterized by non significant different ecological index between the years. Cluster analyses grouped reef fish species into 2 groups i.e., the group of 2006 and the group of 2008, 2010, and 2012. Early survey in 2006 showed lower abundance of reef fish species for allegedly associated with low ecoreef organisms

Evaluating the impact of accounting for coral cover in large‐scale marine conservation prioritizations

Aim Mega‐diverse coral reef ecosystems are declining globally, necessitating conservation prioritizations to protect biodiversity and ecosystem services of sites with high functional integrity to promote persistence. In practice however, the design of marine‐protected area (MPA) systems often relies on broad classifications of habitat class and size, making the tacit assumption that all reefs are of comparable condition. We explored the impact of this assumption through a novel, pragmatic approach for incorporating variability in coral cover in a large‐scale regional spatial prioritization plan. Location The Coral Triangle. Methods We developed a spatially explicit predictive model of hard coral cover based on freely available macro‐ecological data to generate a complete regional map of coral cover as a proxy for reef condition. We then incorporate this information in spatial conservation prioritization software Marxan to design an MPA system that meets specific conservation objectives. Results We discover prioritizations using area‐based representation of reef habitat alone may overestimate the conservation benefit, defined as the amount of hard coral cover protected, by up to 64%. We find substantial differences in conservation priorities and an overall increase in habitat quality metrics when accounting for predicted coral cover. Main conclusions This study shows that including habitat condition in a large‐scale marine spatial prioritization is feasible within time and resource constraints, and calls for increased implementation, and evaluation, of such ecologically relevant planning approaches to enhance potential conservation effectiveness

BIODIVERSITAS IKAN KARANG DI WILAYAH BENTANG LAUT LESSER SUNDA BANDA (KAB. FLORES TIMUR, ALOR DAN MALUKU BARAT DAYA), INDONESIA

Sebanyak 62 titik penyelaman dilakukan untuk memberi gambaran mengenai ikan karang yang terdapat di wilayah perbatasan Propinsi NTT dan Maluku di Indonesia. Tutupan karang hidup menunjukan umumnya kondisi tutupan karang berada pada kategori baik dengan nilai rata-rata 62,51%. Ikan karang yang ditemukan dalam survei ini terdiri dari 468 spesies dalam 47 Famili ikan karang dimana biomassa ikan karang tertinggi terdapat Kab. MBD (Rata-rata 12.476,32 Kg/Ha) sedangkan yang terendah terdapat di Kab. Flores Timur (rata-rata 652,83 Kg/Ha). Nilai Kelimpahan ikan karang tertinggi terdapat di Kab. MBD (rata-rata 13.308 Ind/Ha) dan yang terendah terdapat di Kab. Flores Timur (rata-rata 1.502.23 Ind/Ha). Struktur komunitas ikan karang berdasarkan indeks shanon-weinner (H’) berada kategori sedang, nilai indeks keseragaman (E) masuk kategori labil dan nilai dominansi (C) masuk dominansi rendah sehingga ekosistem masih dalam kondisi baik. Kesamaan spesies ikan karang menggunakan hasil cluster analysis pada taraf penskalaan 66,37 % dan MDS (Multi Dimensional Scalling) mengelompokkan ikan karang kedalam 2 grup yaitu ikan karang di wilayah Kab. Alor dan Flores Timur dan Kabupaten Maluku Barat Daya di kolompok lainnya. Hasil dari analisis klatser dan MDS memperlihatkan Kab. Alor dan Flores timur di Provinsi NTT yang masuk wilayah geografis Lesser Sunda memiliki perbedaan ikan karang dengan Kab. Maluku Barat Daya di Provinsi Maluku yang secara geografis masuk area Banda seascapes. Secara keseluruhan ikan karang di Kab. MBD memiliki potensi yang sangat tinggi dilihat dari kelimpahan, biomasa dan nilai ekologi lainnya. Lokasi ini bisa dikembangkan menjadi sumber protein hewani yang potensial bagi masyarakat disana maupun tingkat nasional.Kata kunci: Ikan karang, Biomassa, kelimpahan, Lesser sunda, Flores Timur, Alor, Maluku Barat Daya. REEF FISHES BIODIVERSITY OF LESSER SUNDA-BANDA SEASCAPE (EAST FLORES, ALOR AND SOUTH WEST MALUKU DISTRICT) IN INDONESIAABSTRACT A total of 62 dive sites were made to provide an overview of reef fish found in the border region of the Province of NTT and Maluku in Indonesia. Live coral cover shows the general condition of the coral cover is in good category with an average value of 62.51%. Reef fish found in this survey consists of 468 species in 47 Famili reef fish reef where fish biomass is highest Kab. MBD (average 12.476,32 kg.ha-1), while the lowest was in the district. East Flores (an average of 652,83 kg.ha-1). The value of reef fish abundance is highest in the district MBD (average 13.308 ind.ha-1) and the lowest was in the district East Flores (average 1.502,23 ind.ha-1). Reef fish community structure based-weinner Shannon index (H') was the medium category, evenness indice value (E) in the category volatile and the value of dominance (C) enters a low dominance so that the ecosystem is still in good condition. The similarity of species of reef fish using cluster analysis results at the level of scaling 66.37% and MDS (Multi Dimensional Scaling) breaks down into two groups of reef fish that reef fish in the district Alor and East Florest and district of Southwest Maluku in other group. Results of the cluster analysis and MDS showed Alor and East Flores regency in NTT Prvince incoming Lesser Sunda seascapes have different reef fish by the District of Southwest Maluku in Maluku Province incoming Sunda Banda seascapes. Overall reef fish in the district. MBD has a very high potential views of abundance, biomass and other ecological values. This location can be developed into a potential source of animal protein for the people there as well as national level. Keywords: Reef fishes, biomass, abundance, Lesser Sunda, sunda banda seascap

The inclusion of fisheries and tourism in marine protected areas to support conservation in Indonesia

With the rapid growth of Indonesia’s marine protected area (MPAs) estate in Indonesia, reaching 23.9 million hectares by January 2020, attention needs to be focused on strengthening the effectiveness of MPA management. Consolidating and expanding protection of Indonesia’s marine resources is critical with increasing pressure from a fast-expanding population, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, pollution, coastal development, unsustainable tourism and climate change. Biodiversity conservation must therefore concurrently consider multiple economic sectors such as fisheries and tourism, and their synergies with MPA management. This paper aims to outline the current landscape of fisheries and marine tourism pertaining to area-based conservation in Indonesia, to inform and support improved integration into effective MPA management. Four areas to focus efforts were identified: diversification of governance types of community-based management, improved coordination between fisheries and MPAs during planning and management implementation, the development and support of pathways for sustainable tourism, and planning for future conditions. Sustainable development for fisheries and tourism must be incorporated into all aspects of MPA management, whilst recognising that current management systems are insufficient to ensure long-term sustainability for natural resources and local communities, and strategies need to increase resilience of social-ecological systems in anticipation of future conditions

Social–environmental drivers inform strategic management of coral reefs in the Anthropocene

Without drastic efforts to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate globalized stressors, tropical coral reefs are in jeopardy. Strategic conservation and management requires identification of the environmental and socioeconomic factors driving the persistence of scleractinian coral assemblages—the foundation species of coral reef ecosystems. Here, we compiled coral abundance data from 2,584 Indo-Pacific reefs to evaluate the influence of 21 climate, social and environmental drivers on the ecology of reef coral assemblages. Higher abundances of framework-building corals were typically associated with: weaker thermal disturbances and longer intervals for potential recovery; slower human population growth; reduced access by human settlements and markets; and less nearby agriculture. We therefore propose a framework of three management strategies (protect, recover or transform) by considering: (1) if reefs were above or below a proposed threshold of >10% cover of the coral taxa important for structural complexity and carbonate production; and (2) reef exposure to severe thermal stress during the 2014–2017 global coral bleaching event. Our findings can guide urgent management efforts for coral reefs, by identifying key threats across multiple scales and strategic policy priorities that might sustain a network of functioning reefs in the Indo-Pacific to avoid ecosystem collapse

Present and future environmental impacts on the coastal zone of Berau (East Kalimantan, Indonesia), a scenario analysis

Using the drivers-pressures-state-impact-responses (DPSIR) analytical framework, local stakeholder respondents and experts were interviewed to construct and prioritize a causality network that links ecosystem state of the coastal waters of Berau (East Kalimantan, Indonesia) with societal drivers of change. Particularly on the perceived top priority drivers and pressures, consensus among respondents was considerable. The constructed network was found to be consistent with literature findings from elsewhere in SE Asia. This causality network was then confronted with a local articulation of the SRES scenarios (IPCCs Special Report on Emissions Scenarios: A1, A2, B1, B2), and four plausible trajectories of future change were deduced over a period of 20 years, until 2030. Our scenario articulations differed greatly in the projected immigration influx into the region, in local economic growth and in institutional strength of governance. Under business-as-usual conditions, it is foreseen that fisheries will continue to overexploit the resource, and inland and mangrove deforestation, as well as sediment and sewage loading of the coastal waters, will increase, leading to declines in coral and seagrass extent and depleted fisheries. Scenarios with continued immigration (~A1, A2) will probably aggravate this pattern, whereas those with reduced immigration (~B1, B2) would appear to lead to considerable improvements in the state of the coastal waters of Berau. © 2011 The Author(s)

Fishing restrictions and remoteness deliver conservation outcomes for Indonesia's coral reef fisheries

Coral reef fisheries depend on reef fish biomass to support ecosystem functioning and sustainable fisheries. Here, we evaluated coral reefs across 4,000 km of the Indonesian archipelago to reveal a large gradient of biomass, from 17,000 kg/ha. Trophic pyramids characterized by planktivore dominance emerged at high biomass, suggesting the importance of pelagic pathways for reef productivity. Total biomass and the biomass of most trophic groups were higher within gear restricted and no‐take management, but the greatest biomass was found on unmanaged remote reefs. Within marine protected areas (MPAs), 41.6% and 43.6% of gear restricted and no‐take zones, respectively, met a global biomass target of 500 kg/ha, compared with 71.8% of remote sites. To improve conservation outcomes for Indonesia's biodiverse and economically important coral reef fisheries, our results suggest to: (1) strengthen management within Indonesia's existing MPAs and (2) precautionarily manage remote reefs with high biomass