Reef-island accretion and soil development on Makin, Kiribati, central Pacific

The late Holocene accretionary history of reef islands on Makin, the northernmost table reef of the Gilbert atoll chain, western Kiribati, has been reconstructed based on conventional radiocarbon dating of coral shingle and bulk sand samples, and AMS radiocarbon dating of individual grains. Makin is geomorphologically and sedimentologically simple, comprising one main island with only a minor residual lagoon, and composed of sand dominated by the reef-flat foraminifera Calcarina spengleri, Amphistegina lobifera and Baculogypsina sphaerulata. Deposition commenced in mid platform around 2500 years ago; in situ fossil coral (Heliopora) dated at 2400±80 years BP indicates that sea level was 0.4–0.5 m above present at that time. Progradation occurred progressively to westward at a relatively constant rate of 200–300 m ka⁻¹. However, progradation was interrupted on the eastern side by lagoon encapsulation around 1400 years ago. The soil and vegetation characteristics are uniform over most of the reef islands as a result of clearance and the planting and maintenance of coconuts, and do not reflect reef-island depositional history. Remnant stands of Pisonia forest, with an associated phosphatic soil, are not related to any particular geomorphological feature, or period of deposition. The reef islands are continuing to accrete as a result of production of foraminifera on the reef flat.     

El Niño effects in the Palmyra Atoll region: oceanographic changes and bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) catch rate variability

A generalized additive model (GAM) was constructed to separate and quantify the effects of fishery‐based (operational) and oceanographic parameters on the bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) catch rates at Palmyra Atoll in the central Tropical Pacific. Bigeye catch, the number of hooks per set, and set location from 4884 longline sets spanning January 1994 to December 2003 were used with a temporally corresponding El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) indicator built from sea surface height (SSH) data. Observations of environmental data combined with the results from the GAM indicated that there is an increase in bigeye catch rates corresponding to an increase in eastward advection during the winter months of El Niño events. A seasonal pattern with higher bigeye catch rates from December to April and a spatial pattern with higher rates to the northeast and northwest of the atoll were observed during this study period. It is hypothesized that the combination of the eastward advection of the warm pool coupled with vertical changes in temperature during the winter months of El Niño events increases the availability of bigeye tuna in this region. This increase in availability may be due to a change in exploitable population size, location, or both.     

Drivers of density for the exploited giant clam Tridacna maxima: a meta‐analysis

Giant clam populations have been over‐exploited throughout their range over the past decades for their meat and shells. Tridacna maxima, commonly known as the ‘small giant clam’, has remained relatively untargeted by fishers in areas where larger species occur (e.g. Tridacna squamosa), and high densities of the species are still observed on some isolated and enclosed reefs of the Central Pacific. However, it is unclear whether reported discrepancies in densities worldwide reflect differences in fishing pressure only or a combination of differences in exploitation levels and environmental forcing. We reviewed T. maxima surveys throughout its range to (i) identify patterns of density at global scale, site scale (e.g. island) and intrasite scale; (ii) discuss the influence of sampling method on density estimates; and (iii) identify the primary drivers of giant clam density along gradients of human pressure and natural forcing. We found 59 studies that reported density estimates for 172 sites across 26 countries in the Indo‐Pacific and Red Sea. At intrasite scale, densities were strongly dependent on sampling protocols and surveyed habitats. At site scale, we found close links between T. maxima density and human population per reef area, suggesting that isolated reefs where exploitation only recently started may be more vulnerable to stock collapse in the future. Density patterns were also found to vary significantly depending on reef type (e.g. atoll, island, continental coastline). We discuss how natural processes and fishing pressure may control population dynamics and densities among sites, and make recommendations for future research.