A guide for planners and managers - IUCN

178 MARINE AND COASTAL
PROTECTED AREAS
Photo by R. Salm.
(Acropora) that are aesthetically pleasing, but have few species (Figure II-11). Such
reefs may be suitable for visitor use, but not for maintaining biological diversity.
FIGURE II-11.
Staghorn coral (Acropora) can form large fields, which are attractive for snorkelers but low in species diversity
(proposed Togian Islands Marine Protected Area, Indonesia).
Different reef types result from distinct processes (e.g., seaward reefs endure
greater wave stress than lagoon reefs), as is reflected in variations in coral assemblages
and zonation patterns (Sheppard, 1980, 1981). Some reef habitats are relatively
unchanging, while others are constantly interrupted by wave stress or natural periodic
exposure to air or freshwater. These habitats contribute different types and quantities
of larvae to the reef system. It is important to identify the reef types and, as far as
possible, the various coral assemblages, and to include examples of each in the
protected area.
Neighboring Habitats. Including the following habitats in protected areas may
often be incidental, but should be deliberate if reefs are to flourish.
Reef flats. Much usable nitrogen supporting the productivity of reefs comes from
adjacent reef flats (Wiebe et al., 1975). This nitrogen is introduced to the reef food
web from faeces of fishes feeding on the reef flat and algal fragments washed onto
the reef.
Sea grass beds and sand flats. Sea grass beds and sand flats surrounding coral
reefs are important feeding grounds for nocturnal feeding fishes, such as snappers
and grunts, which shelter on reefs by day (Ogden and Zieman, 1977). When they return