Conservation hotspots of biodiversity and endemism for Indo‐Pacific coral reef fishes

• 1. Distribution patterns of 3919 species of Indo‐Pacific reef fishes were analysed using GIS mapping software for the purpose of conservation prioritization of extraordinary high concentrations (‘hotspots’) of diversity and endemism.
• 2. Megadiversity countries with more than 1000 coral reef species include Indonesia, Australia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, Japan, Taiwan, Solomon Islands, Palau, Vanuatu, Fiji, New Caledonia, and the Federated States of Micronesia.
• 3. The richest area for reef fishes is the renowned Coral Triangle, which includes eastern Indonesia, Sabah (Malaysia), Philippines, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. The highest concentration of species within this region extends from south‐eastern Indonesia to the central Philippines.
• 4. Occupying only 3% of the surface area of the tropical Indo‐west and central Pacific, the heart of the Coral Triangle contains 52% of its total species.
• 5. The top‐ranked areas based on percentage of endemism are Easter Island, Baja California, Hawaiian Islands, Galapagos Islands, Red Sea, Clipperton Island, Marquesas, Isla del Coco, Mascarene Islands, and Oman.
• 6. The highest concentration of endemics per unit area occurs at remote south‐eastern Polynesian and eastern Pacific islands including Clipperton, Isla del Coco, Easter, Rapa, and the Pitcairn Group.

Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Coral community decline at a remote Caribbean island: marine no‐take reserves are not enough

• 1. Coral reefs around the world have been deteriorating over decades owing to anthropogenic pressure. In the Caribbean recent rates of decline are alarming, particularly for coral reefs under high local human impact, many of which are severely degraded, although regions with lower direct anthropogenic influence seem less affected.
• 2. Little Cayman is a relatively undeveloped island, with less than 150 permanent residents. About 20% of its reefs have been protected by no‐take marine reserves since the mid‐1980s. We analysed the dynamics of coral communities around the island from 1999 to 2004 in order to test the hypothesis that a lack of major local anthropogenic disturbances is enough to prevent decline of coral populations.
• 3. Live hard coral coverage, coral diversity, abundance, mortality, size, and prevalence of disease and bleaching were measured using the Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment methodology (line transects) at nine sites. Despite the apparent undisturbed condition of the island, a 40% relative reduction of mean live coral coverage (from 26% to 16%, absolute change was 10%) was recorded in five years. Mean mortality varied from year to year from 23% to 27%. Overall mean diameter and height have decreased between 6% and 15% on average (from 47 to 40 cm for diameter, and from 31 to 29 cm for height).
• 4. The relative abundance of large reef builders of the genus Montastraea decreased, while that of smaller corals of the genera Agaricia and Porites increased. Disease prevalence has increased over time, and at least one relatively large bleaching event (affecting 10% of the corals) took place in 2003.
• 5. Mean live coral cover decline was similar inside (from 29% to 19%) and outside (from 24% to 14%) marine no‐take reserves. No significant difference in disease prevalence or clear pattern in bleaching frequency was observed between protected and non‐protected areas. It is concluded that more comprehensive management strategies are needed in order to effectively protect coral communities from degradation.

Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Changes in a coral reef fishery along a gradient of fishing pressure in an Indonesian marine protected area

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Characterising reef fish populations and habitats within and outside the US Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument: a lesson in marine protected area design

Abstract  Marine protected areas are an important tool for management of marine ecosystems. Despite their utility, ecological design criteria are often not considered or feasible to implement when establishing protected areas. In 2001, the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument (VICRNM) in St John, US Virgin Islands was established by Executive Order. The VICRNM prohibits almost all extractive uses. Surveys of habitat and fishes inside and outside of the VICRNM were conducted in 2002–2004. Areas outside the VICRNM had significantly more hard corals, greater habitat complexity, and greater richness, abundance and biomass of reef fishes than areas within the VICRNM. The administrative process used to delineate the boundaries of the VICRNM did not include a robust ecological characterisation of the area. Because of reduced habitat complexity within the VICRNM, the enhancement of the marine ecosystem may not be fully realised or increases in economically important reef fishes may take longer to detect.     

The awakening of invertebrates: The daily dynamics of fishes and mobile invertebrates at Rapa Nui's multiple use marine protected area

• 1. On shallow reefs, day-night activity patterns between fishes and invertebrates are presumed to reflect trade-offs between feeding and predation; however, quantitative data on daily community dynamics are scarce. Moreover, night surveys may contribute important information for biodiversity inventories or baselines that normally are not considered.
• 2. This study used standardized day–night visual surveys of fishes and mobile invertebrates on the same transect lines in Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and investigated how diel patterns vary between taxonomic and trophic groups.
• 3. Distinct differences between taxonomic groups were observed, with fishes being more abundant during the day (>twice), whilst invertebrate abundance and richness showed an opposite trend with higher numbers at night (>three times).
• 4. Analysis of trophic groups showed that herbivorous and planktivorous fishes were more abundant during the day. Carnivorous fishes did not show any trends. Top predators (Apex) were observed only at very low abundances. However, a replacement amongst carnivorous fish species between day and night was found, where labridae fishes were practically absent during nights.
• 5. Most of the mobile invertebrates remained concealed during the day, probably due to the influence of predation risk (labrid fishes). The results emphasize the need for consideration of nocturnally active invertebrates in biodiversity inventories or baselines of reefs, which focus heavily only on diurnal surveys.
• 6. Day–night reef surveys should be included in marine protected area planning and monitoring as this provides a better understanding of shallow benthic communities and helps inform proper management decisions.

     

Sea cucumbers in the Seychelles: effects of marine protected areas on high‐value species

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Genetic structure of Orbicella faveolata population reveals high connectivity among a marine protected area and Varadero Reef in the Colombian Caribbean

1. The protection of ecosystems with high diversity, such as coral reefs, is not an approach that guarantees their conservation. Thus, maintaining connectivity among coral populations over the long term is a strategy that should be adopted in order to protect diversity and ecological processes. Although coral reefs in Colombia are highly diverse, the population genetics baseline data of keystone species such as Orbicella faveolata are limited.
2. To provide current information about the connectivity between populations of O. faveolata in the Colombian Caribbean, the genetic diversity and distribution of O. faveolata was evaluated with analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), principal components, and migration estimations using 113 genets distributed in six populations. Also, a genetic structure analysis that included the available data for the Caribbean population was conducted, seeking to understand how the Colombian populations relate to the broader region.
3. According to the global fixation index (F_ST) for the Colombian Caribbean, there was no genetic structure (F_ST = 0.002). Discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) showed that Corales del Rosario Archipelago (CR), Este de Isla Fuerte (EIF), San Bernardo Archipelago (SB), and Varadero Reef (VR) were grouped with Oeste de Isla Fuerte (OIF), with Bushnell (BS) representing the most divergent cluster. Migration analysis showed relatively high migration from VR to CR and SB, highlighting the importance of VR as a genetic reservoir for the region. Structure analysis showed that the Colombian population presented a specific genetic identity (F_ST = 0.254), suggesting that the Colombian Caribbean population could be a peripheral population that contributes significantly to genetic variation and is connected through a complex connectivity process.
4. In conclusion, the estimated genetic connectivity reflects the influence of sea surface dynamics over the interpopulation exchange dynamics and the role of protected and nonprotected coral reef in the Colombian Caribbean. Thus, the Colombian Caribbean population of O. faveolata could be relevant to the conservation of genetic diversity on a larger scale.

     

Market and design solutions to the short‐term economic impacts of marine reserves

Well‐managed fisheries support healthy ocean ecosystems, coastal livelihoods and food security for millions of people. However, many communities lack the resources to implement effective fisheries management. No‐take marine reserves are a ubiquitous management intervention that provide conservation benefits and under certain circumstances can provide long‐term fishery benefits as a result of larval and adult emigration from reserve boundaries. But, support for marine reserves by fishery participants is often limited due to short‐term economic impacts resulting from foregone yields. In this study, we examine the timing and magnitude of economic impacts of marine reserves by utilizing a novel metric that discounts future economic benefits of enhanced productivity resulting from reserve protection. We ask under what circumstances long‐term benefits outweigh short‐term impacts of marine reserve implementation. We simulate fisheries for six species commonly caught in coastal environments and show that while conservation benefits accrue rapidly, more than a decade is often required to provide net fisheries benefits, even under circumstances favourable for reserves. We explore a suite of strategies for mitigating these short‐term economic losses, including flexible reserve designs, loans and enhanced ex‐vessel revenues. Results indicate that market‐based incentives show promise to offset short‐term economic losses. Our findings highlight the importance of understanding and communicating likely outcomes from marine reserve implementation and the need to engage supply chain actors to incentivize marine conservation that minimizes impacts to fishermen.     

Distribution of demersal fish assemblages along the west coast of St Lucia: Implications for planning no-take marine reserves

1. Evidence-based decisions relating to effective marine protected areas as a means of conserving biodiversity require a detailed understanding of the species present. The Caribbean island nation of St Lucia is expanding its current marine protected area network by designating additional no-take marine reserves on the west coast. However, information on the distribution of fish species is currently limited.
2. This study used baited remote underwater stereo-video to address this shortcoming by investigating the effects of depth and seabed habitat structure on demersal fish assemblages and comparing these assemblages between regions currently afforded different protection measures.
3. From the 87 stations visited a total of 5,921 fish were observed comprising 120 fish taxa across 22 families. Species richness and total abundance were higher within the highly managed region, which included no-take reserves. Redundancy analysis explained 17% of the total variance in fish distribution, driven predominantly by the seabed habitats. The redundancy analysis identified four main groups of demersal fishes each associated with specific seabed habitats.
4. The current no-take marine reserves protected two of these groups (i.e. fishes associated with the ‘soft corals, hard corals or gorgonians’ and ‘seagrass’ groups). Importantly, habitats dominated by sponges, bacterial mats, algal turfs or macroalgae, which also supported unique fish assemblages, are not currently afforded protection via the marine reserve network (based on the five reserves studied). These results imply that incorporation of the full breadth of benthic habitat types present would improve the efficacy of the marine reserve network by ensuring all fish assemblages are protected.

     

Petrarch's Principle: how protected human-made reefs can help the reconstruction of fisheries and marine ecosystems

Petrarch's Principle, named here, is to know things unseen, yet to ignore things seen. We apply the principle to the debate over the appropriate role and utility of human-made reefs (HMRs) in fishery and ecosystem management by reviewing four linked issues that were discussed at the recent 7th International Conference on Artificial Reefs and Related Aquatic Habitats. First, deploying protected HMRs can help to mitigate the depletion of fishery stocks through overharvest and habitat degradation. Secondly, to achieve this objective effectively, it is essential that HMRs are protected as no-take areas, and that, thirdly, HMRs are large, well-planned, evaluated and monitored. Finally, ecosystem modelling and adaptive management responses are necessary to forecast and manage the benefits of HMRs. Moreover, uncertainty about the resolution of the well-rehearsed attraction/production debate may be resolved by ensuring that HMRs are managed as protected no-take areas. And to ensure an unbiased attitude that will aid the clarification of consequences, costs and benefits, we propose a change in terminology, from artificial reefs to human-made reefs.     

Changes in northern Tanzania coral reefs during a period of increased fisheries management and climatic disturbance

• 1. Surveys of coral reefs in northern Tanzania were conducted in 2004/5 with the aim of comparing them over an～8‐year period during a time of increased efforts at fisheries management and the 1998 El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) coral mortality event that caused 45% mortality in northern Tanzania and much of the Indian Ocean.
• 2. Changes associated with both management, its absence, and the ENSO were found but changes were generally small and ecological measures indicated stability or improvements over this period, particularly when compared with reports from much of the northern Indian Ocean.
• 3. Fisheries management in two areas increased the biomass of fish and benthic communities. A small fisheries closure (0.3 km²) displayed little change in the coral community but ecological conditions declined as measured by sea urchins and fish abundances. This change may be associated with its small size because similar changes were not measured in the large closure (28 km²).
• 4. The few sites without any increased management were still degraded and one site had experienced a population explosion of a pest sea urchin, Echinometra mathaei.
• 5. The lack of significant changes across this disturbance indicates that these reefs are moderately resilient to climate change and, therefore, a high priority for future conservation actions.

Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A spatio‐temporal long‐term assessment on the ecological response of reef communities in a Caribbean marine protected area

1. Coral reef biodiversity is rapidly decreasing as a result of the loss of coral cover, which modifies the structure and functioning of the ecosystem. Understanding how coral reef communities respond in space and over the long term is essential in order to implement management strategies and reduce the effects of biodiversity loss on coral reefs.
2. Fish, coral, and algae communities were used as indicators to evaluate changes in coral reef systems. The variation of these communities was studied in a marine protected area composed of three management zones in Cozumel Coral Reef National Park in Quintana Roo, Mexico, over a period of 11 years (2004–2014). The following parameters were monitored annually: (i) total fish density; (ii) fish trophic group densities; (iii) species richness and three fish diversity indices; (iv) relative scleractinian coral cover; and (v) relative macroalgae cover.
3. In the years in which coastal development, such as the construction of a marina, took place, an increase in the abundance of territorial herbivorous and planktivorous fish was observed. As the coral recovered, macrocarnivores and sessile benthic invertivores were re‐established, whereas scraper herbivores showed no changes in the period of study in any of the three management zones.
4. Coral cover recovery showed rapid phase‐shift reversal (phase‐shift, macroalgae dominance over coral) in the three zones. Even though the fish density and coral cover recovered, the diversity indices of each fish trophic group exhibited a reduction in the three management zones over time.

     

Evaluating the efficacy of small‐scale marine protected areas for preserving reef health: A case study applying emerging monitoring technology

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Effects of size and fragmentation of marine reserves and fisher infringement on the catch and biomass of coral trout, Plectropomus leopardus, on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Abstract  A spatially structured simulation model of the population dynamics and line fishing exploitation of common coral trout, Plectropomus leopardus Lacepède, was used to evaluate the effects of infringement and different amounts and arrangements of marine reserves on the Reef Line Fishery of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. With no marine reserves and under a constant future effort level equal to that for 1996, the size of the population was reduced and the biomass stabilised at about 40% of pre-exploitation levels. Marine reserves were ineffective at conserving biomass when limited infringement was allowed throughout an entire reserve. When infringement was absent altogether or limited to the edges of reserves, larger marine reserves lead to lower total catches and higher overall biomass. When infringement was limited to reserve edges, a single large closure was more effective at conserving biomass than more fragmented arrangements. Simulations suggested that marine reserves might lead to better conservation of a fishery-targeted species if infringement is negligible or limited to reserve margins. Even where infringement occurred only at the edges of reserves, a network of small reserves may be less effective at conserving a targeted species than a smaller number of larger reserves.     

Geophysical approaches to the classification,delineation and monitoring of marine habitats and their communities

• 1. If marine environments are to be systematically protected from the adverse effects of human activities, then identification of the types of marine habitats and the communities they contain, and delineation of their boundaries utilizing a consistent classification is required. Human impacts on defined communities can then be assessed, the ‘health’ of these communities can be monitored, and marine protected areas can be designated as appropriate.
• 2. Schemes to classify habitats at local and regional scales, according to their geophysical properties, may identify different factors as determinants, and/or use them in different sequences in a hierarchical classification. We examined the reasons for these differences in local and regional applications of a global concept, and argue that a common set of factors could be applied in a defined and defensible sequence to produce a common hierarchy of habitat types among geographic regions.
• 3. We show how simple mapping and GIS techniques, based on readily available data, can lead to the identification of representative habitat types over broad geographic regions. We applied a geophysical framework first to the entire Canadian coastline and second to the Scotian Shelf of Atlantic Canada to establish broad scale marine natural regions and ‘seascapes’, respectively. This ecosystem level approach — which defines representative habitat types — is a fundamental prerequisite for many purposes. It can form the basis for further analyses including: definition of community types from habitat — community relationships; evaluation of the potential roles of focal species in marine conservation; evaluation of candidate marine protected areas; definition of unaffected reference areas against which the effects of human activities can be gauged; guidance for water quality monitoring studies; management of marine resources.

Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dynamics of fish assemblages on coral reefs subjected to different management regimes in the Abrolhos Bank,eastern Brazil

• 1. Marine protected areas (MPAs) range from multiple‐use areas (MUA) to absolute no‐take reserves (NTR). Despite their importance for fisheries management, there are few long‐term studies comparing benefits from different types of MPAs within the same region.
• 2. Fish assemblages were monitored for five years (2001–2005) in the largest coral reefs in the South Atlantic (Abrolhos Bank, Brazil). Monitoring included one community‐based MUA, two NTRs (one established in 1983 and another in 2001), and one unprotected area. Benthic assemblages at these areas, as well as fish assemblages on unprotected deeper reefs (25–35 m), were monitored from 2003 onwards.
• 3. Habitat characteristics strongly influenced fish assemblages' structure. This, together with the lack of data from before establishment of the MPAs, did not allow an unequivocal analysis of the effects of the MPAs.
• 4. Biomass of commercially important fish, particularly small carnivores, was higher in the older NTR. Biomass of black grouper Mycteroperca bonaci increased by 30‐fold inside NTRs during the study period, while remaining consistently low elsewhere.
• 5. A single herbivore species, the parrotfish Scarus trispinosus, dominated fish assemblages (28.3% of total biomass). Biomass of this species increased in 2002 on the younger NTR and on the MUA, soon after establishment of the former and banning of the parrotfish fishery in the latter. This increase was followed by a decline from 2003 onwards, after increased poaching and reopening of the parrotfish fishery.
• 6. Fish biomass increased in 2002 across the entire region. This increase was stronger in sites closer to deeper reefs, where fish biomass was up to 30‐times higher than shallow reefs: movement of fish from deeper to shallower areas may have played a role.
• 7. The effective use of MPAs in the Abrolhos Bank is still dependent on adequate enforcement and the protection of critical habitats such as deep reefs and mangroves.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A generic framework to assess the representation and protection of benthic ecosystems in European marine protected areas

1. There is concern across the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) region that a consideration of vulnerable components and the wider support mechanisms underpinning benthic marine ecosystems may be lacking from the process of marine protected area (MPA) designation, management and monitoring.
2. In this study, MPAs across six European ecoregions were assessed from a benthic ecology perspective. The study included 102 MPAs, designated by 10 countries, and focused on three aspects regarding the role of the benthos in: (i) the designation of MPAs; (ii) the management measures used in MPAs; and (iii) the monitoring and assessment of MPAs.
3. Qualitative entries to a questionnaire based on an existing framework (EU project ‘Monitoring Evaluation of Spatially Managed Areas’, (MESMA) were collected by 19 benthic experts of the ICES Benthic Ecology Working Group. A pedigree matrix was used to apply a numerical scale (score) to these entries.
4. The results showed clear differences in scores between ecoregions and between criteria. The designation‐phase criteria generally achieved higher scores than the implementation‐phase criteria. Poor designation‐phase scores were generally reiterated in the implementation‐phase scores, such as scores for assessment and monitoring.
5. Over 70% of the MPA case studies were found to consider the benthos to some extent during selection and designation; however, this was not followed up with appropriate management measures and good practice during the implementation phase.
6. Poor spatial and temporal coverage of monitoring and ineffective indicators is unlikely to pick up changes caused by management measures in the MPA. There is concern that without adequate monitoring and adaptive management frameworks, the MPAs will be compromised. Also, there could be an increased likelihood that, with regard to the benthos, they will fail to meet their conservation objectives.
7. This assessment was successful in highlighting issues related to the representation and protection of the benthos in MPAs and where changes need to be made, such as expanding the characterization and monitoring of benthic species or habitats of interest. These issues could be attributable to an ongoing process and/or an indication that some MPAs only have ‘paper protection’.

     

Biogeographical and ecological context for managing threats to coral and rocky reef communities in the Lord Howe Island Marine Park,south‐western Pacific

• 1. Quantitative subtidal surveys of fishes, macro‐invertebrates and sessile organisms at 33 sites within the Lord Howe Island Marine Park revealed a rich fauna and flora, including 164 fishes, 40 mobile invertebrate taxa, 53 coral and other sessile invertebrate taxa, 32 algal taxa, and two seagrasses. The biota in this newly‐zoned marine park was overwhelmingly tropical when species lists were tabulated; however, species with distributions centred on temperate coasts of eastern Australia and New Zealand occurred in disproportionately high densities compared with the tropical species.
• 2. Lord Howe Island reefs were generally in good condition. Virtually no bleached coral was observed (0.2% of the reef surface; 0.8% of total hard coral cover). Living scleractinian coral comprised the predominant group of organisms growing on reef surfaces, with 25.5% cover overall. Other major taxa observed were brown algae (18.8% cover) and red algae (16.9% cover).
• 3. Three distinctive community types were identified within the marine park—coral reefs, macroalgal beds and an offshore/open coast community. The distribution of these community types was strongly related to wave exposure, as indicated by an extremely high correlation with the first principal coordinates axis for biotic data (R²=0.80).
• 4. The close (<3 km) proximity of tropical coral and temperate macroalgal community types off Lord Howe Island is highly unusual, with localized patterns of nutrient enrichment suggested as the primary cause. The macroalgal community type is only known from a small area off the south‐western coast that is not protected from fishing. This community is considered highly susceptible to threats because of potential impacts of global warming and the possibility of expansion of sea urchin barrens. Coral bleaching and ocean acidification associated with global climate change also threaten the coral reef community, which includes relatively high numbers of endemic and near endemic fish species. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

     

Evaluating the relative conservation value of fully and partially protected marine areas

The establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs), particularly of no‐take areas, is often viewed as a conflict between conservation and fishing. Partially protected areas (PPAs) that restrict some extractive uses are often regarded as a balance between biodiversity conservation and socio‐economic viability. Few attempts have been made to generalize the ecological effects of PPAs. We synthesized the results of empirical studies that compared PPAs to (i) no‐take reserves (NTRs) and (ii) to open access (Open) areas, to assess the potential benefits of different levels of protection for fish populations. Response to protection was examined in relation to MPA parameters and the exploitation status of fish. Our syntheses suggest that while PPAs significantly enhance density and biomass of fish relative to Open areas, NTRs yielded significantly higher biomass of fish within their boundaries relative to PPAs. The positive response to protection was primarily driven by target species. There was a large degree of variability in the magnitude of response to protection, although the size of the PPA explained some of this variability. The protection regime within the PPA provided useful insights into the effectiveness of partial MPAs. We conclude that MPAs with partial protection confer advantages, such as enhanced density and biomass of fish, compared to areas with no restrictions, although the strongest responses occurred for areas with total exclusion. Thus, MPAs with a combination of protection levels are a valuable spatial management tool particularly in areas where exclusion of all activities is not a socio‐economically and politically viable option.     

Assessing the potential of marine Natura 2000 sites to produce ecosystem‐wide effects in rocky reefs: A case study from Sardinia Island (Italy)

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