#Status of Coral Reefs 2002 - International Coral Reef Action Network

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Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2002 1970s. There has been speculation that the isolation of the islands and a lack of Acropora may explain the lack of major outbreaks since then. Streams in developed areas have much higher levels of dissolved nutrients than streams from pristine areas and there is evidence of severe coral deaths from elevated nutrients, sediments and reduced salinity during heavy rain periods. In the MHI, nutrient enrichment encourages algal growth and causes phytoplankton blooms. Leaching of nutrients from cesspools, injection wells, or other non-point sources have allowed Hypnea, Sargassum, Dictyota, and Cladophora to dominate Maui’s reef flat areas and may introduce bacteria and disease to corals. Government guidelines controlling point-source pollution are not standardised and are often based on non-coral reef impacts. Sedimentation from runoff continues to be a chronic problem throughout the MHI as a result of poor land-use practices in the catchments. Sediment runoff is estimated at more than 1 million tons per year from agricultural, ranching, urban and industrial activities. ‘Slash and burn’ agriculture (sugar and pineapple) has decreased, and alternatives such as coffee, macadamia, cocoa and fruit trees may eventually result in long-term decreases in sedimentation. Considering that strong current and wave action will result in a relatively rapid removal of sediments along exposed coasts, the future scenario looks better for reef growth. Stream channeling, and paving of coastal and upland areas has also contributed to urban impacts on reefs. Two major freshwater kills of corals occurred in Kane’ohe Bay, O’ahu in 1965 and 1987 from ‘100 year storms’. Salinity within 1-2m of the surface was reduced to less than half (15ppt) for 2-3 days, causing mass mortality of corals and invertebrates on shallow reefs. Oil spills and toxic chemicals are a growing problem. Ship traffic, proximity of reefs to harbour entrances, and increasing numbers of vessel groundings have resulted in a 200% increase in the number of oil spills from 1980 to 1990. Shore-based chemical spills from industrial or aquaculture sources have dumped sulfuric acid, PCBs, and refrigerants on near-shore reefs. The projected increase in large cruise ship visits throughout the MHI may be accompanied by increased ‘gray water’ discharges. Harbours and urbanized, enclosed bays concentrate heavy metals, oils, PCBs, tributyltin, pesticides, and herbicides. High concentrations of dieldrin and chlordane were found in oyster tissues sampled near stream mouths in Kane’ohe Bay in 1991, 5 years after their use was banned in Hawai’i. Lead, copper, chromium, and zinc concentrations were high in a number of samples, particularly near the southern, more urbanized, watersheds of the bay. A synergistic lethal effect of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from municipal wastes and exposure to surface ultraviolet light form toxins that kill crustaceans, polychaetes and coral larvae. This is likely to increase as populations grow and more land is developed and may result in losses of corals and fishes. NWHI The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (NOWRAMP) began in 2000 with the mapping and assessment of shallow reefs for their biodiversity, status, and management needs. Coral biodiversity was higher in the NWHI than the MHI, which was not expected as these reefs are in cooler, subtropical waters. There were 62 species of hard corals, including new reports for Hawaii, the NWHI, and 240
Status of Coral Reefs in the Hawaiian Archipelago science. In general, corals appeared healthy and free of disease. High numbers of very large, living corals of several species in protected waters of the atolls indicate that serious mortality events have not occurred on these reefs for decades to centuries. However, growth rates for corals in the northern portion of the chain are significantly slower than the same species found farther to the south, raising concerns about recovery rates from human effects at different locations in the Archipelago. Coral cover for many areas of the NWHI is low overall (80%) are found in many of the atolls, French Frigate Shoals (FFS), and Maro Reef. Rapid video surveys revealed high heterogeneity of coral cover within and among the different atolls, islands and banks. Common corals include the disk coral Pavona duerdeni (at Kure and Mario), table coral Acropora cytherea (FFS and Maro), finger coral Porites compressa (in the deep lagoons of Kure, FFS, Midway, and Pearl and Hermes), blue encrusting coral Montipora turgescens (in back reefs at Midway, Lisianski, and Kure), massive lobe corals Porites lobata and P. evermanni (on sheltered shallow reefs or back reefs at all atolls), and encrusting plate corals (Montipora capitata and Porites spp.) on deeper, semi-exposed reef slopes. Coral species diversity is highest at the protected atolls and Laysan. Algal samples from the NOWRAMP cruise are still being analysed with data only available for French Frigate Shoals (FFS) where 126 species were reported, mostly reds, followed by greens and browns. Many of these are new species and the total number of species is expected to rise as samples from other islands are identified. The endemic seagrass Halophila hawaiiensis was found at Midway Atoll and Pearl and Hermes Atoll, and may exist elsewhere in the NWHI. Similar trends were observed for invertebrates; over a third of the 600+ species recorded at FFS are new reports. Polychaete worms and molluscs are the most abundant animals in soft sediments. Some localised areas with a moderate abundance of A. planci were seen along the southern outer reef slope at Pearl and Hermes Atoll and along the eastern outer reef slope at Kure Atoll. These occurrences were associated with dead or dying Pocillopora colonies in areas of low coral cover. While its remoteness and lack of human development prevents anthropogenic nutrient pollution, oil spills and toxic chemicals threaten reefs around the NWHI. Several fishing vessels carrying over 37,000 litres of oil have grounded on the isolated atolls. The October 1998 grounding of a 24m long-line fishing vessel at Kure Atoll released over half of its 41,640 litres of diesel onto the shallow reefs. Lead and PCBs were recently detected in the waters surrounding decaying seawalls on Tern Island at FFS and PCBs were found in monk seal blood and blubber. At 4 of 38 sites in near-shore waters of Midway and Kure, levels of PCBs, PAHs, DDT, Dieldrin, Chlordane, nickel, and copper were above the 85 th percentile of concentrations measured in the coastal USA by the NOAA Status and Trends Program and contaminants on Laysan are being removed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. 241
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Status of Coral Reefs of the World:
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FOREWORD Our two governments have r
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CONTENTS Countries, States and Terr
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COUNTRIES, STATES AND TERRITORIES A
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Countries, States and Territories S
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INTRODUCTION We are pleased to endo
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Introduction Some of the larger fou
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Introduction Coral reefs are coming
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CLIVE WILKINSON A
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Executive Summary This report, howe
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Executive Summary GLOBAL AND REGION
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Executive Summary There is clear ev
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Executive Summary Key sites chosen
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Executive Summary • Europa and Sc
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Executive Summary CORAL REEF TARGET
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Executive Summary ICRI OPERATING UN
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Executive Summary COLLAPSE OF CORAL
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Executive Summary Prognosis for the
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Executive Summary concern is an out
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Executive Summary Southern Tropical
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Executive Summary Achievements in E
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7. STATUS OF SOUTHEAST ASIA CORAL R
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Status of Southeast Asia Coral Reef
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8. STATUS OF CORAL REEFS IN EAST AN
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Status of Coral Reefs in East and N
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9. STATUS OF CORAL REEFS OF AUSTRAL
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Status of Coral Reefs of Australasi
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10. STATUS OF CORAL REEFS IN THE SO
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Status of Coral Reefs in the Southw
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16. STATUS OF CORAL REEFS OF MESOAM
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Status of Coral Reefs of Mesoameric
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17. STATUS OF CORAL REEFS IN THE EA
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Status of Coral Reefs in the Easter
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18. STATUS OF CORAL REEFS IN SOUTHE
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Status of Coral Reefs in Southern T
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19. SPONSORING ORGANISATIONS, CORAL
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Sponsoring Organisations, Coral Ree
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#Status of Coral Reefs 2002 - International Coral Reef Action Network

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