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

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Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2002 heavy visitor use (100-200 visitors/site) on St. Croix when cruise ships are in port e.g. Cane Bay, Davis Bay, Buck Island Reef, Carambola, Protestant Cay and Frederiksted beaches. The intensive use of the underwater trail at Buck Island Reef National Monument shows damage from snorkellers. A mooring system has been installed to limit boats and snorkellers. Navassa Fishing is the only anthropogenic threat to Navassa reefs and this is unlikely to change, and 1-4 Haitian boats per day with 3-5 men each were present at Navassa during a March 2000 cruise. They appeared to be non-selective regarding species or size. Increases in technology by these subsistence fishers (e.g. boat motors, ice chests), increasing population pressures, and poor fish resources in Haiti may lead to increased fishing pressure. CURRENT AND POTENTIAL CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS Florida The principal natural environmental controls in this area are hurricanes, severe storms, winter cold fronts, cold-water upwelling, and ground water effects. The predicted climate change scenario is for warmer waters, rising sea levels, and more frequent and stronger hurricanes. This will probably cause significant changes to the reefs, including more bleaching. Rising sea levels will flood coastal areas and introduce water quality problems. Therefore, management strategies are focusing on alleviating the controllable, human impacts while working toward legislation and policy that will address global emissions in the long-term. Texas Flower Garden Banks There are no anticipated problems, as the location and depth of these reefs buffer them from the short-term effects of global warming and climate change. However, if summer water temperatures approach or exceed 30˚C on a more consistent basis, the current minor incidences of bleaching will probably increase in severity. Puerto Rico Current levels of natural factors (hurricanes, coral bleaching, coral diseases) are resulting in considerable coral reef degradation which may mask any signals from climate change. U.S. Virgin Islands Hurricanes David (1979) and Hugo (1989) caused severe destruction on the reefs in the USVI, and recovery has been very slow due to subsequent hurricanes in 1995, 1998 and in late 1999. Any increases in these hurricane events (as predicted by many climate models) will inhibit the recovery of elkhorn coral at some places around St. John, St. Thomas and, St. Croix. Navassa There is very little ecological information on Navassa reefs, and hence no basis for assessing trends in current and potential climate change impacts. 264
Status of Coral Reefs in the US Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico CURRENT MPAS AND MANAGEMENT CAPACITY Florida The entire Florida Keys reef tract was given some level of protection when the FKNMS was designated in 1990, with oil exploration, mining, and large shipping traffic being excluded. Anchoring on or touching corals in shallow water is prohibited, as is collecting living or dead coral and harvesting ‘live rock’ for the aquarium trade. Potential pollution sources from outside the Sanctuary that can cause impacts within it can be controlled under existing legislation. After 6 years, a management plan was implemented with strategies for conserving, protecting and managing the significant natural and cultural resources of the Florida Keys environment based on a total ecosystem approach. There are several marine zones to protect specific reef areas more intensely e.g. 23 no-take zones were implemented in 1997, which cover less than 1% of the Sanctuary but protect 65% of shallow coral reef habitats. Most of the smaller zones (Sanctuary Preservation Areas) are on the offshore reef tract in heavily used spur and groove coral formations. The 31km 2 Western Sambo Ecological Reserve protects offshore reefs and mangrove fringes, seagrasses, productive hard bottom communities and patch reefs. The 518km 2 Tortugas Ecological Reserve (far west Florida Keys) was implemented in 2001 and increases the total protection of coral reefs within the Sanctuary to 10%. Biscayne National Park encompasses an additional 291km 2 of the northern reef tract. Concerns about coastal development, intense use by recreational boaters, and growing fishing pressure prompted the Park managers to revise the General Management Plan. This new plan will include management zones that give greater protection to Park resources, including Natural Resource Reserve areas where fish nurseries and spawning habits will be protected from fishing. The Key West and Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuges, which overlap with portions of the FKNMS, contain over 1,610km 2 of coral reefs and associated habitats. Wildlife management zones in the Refuges direct human activities away from sensitive habitats. Some protection is given to the reefs off the southeastern coast and the banks of the Middle Grounds through various MPAs, but neither region is comprehensively protected like the Florida Keys. An Oculina (a hard, but not ‘coral reef’ coral) MPA in the far north is managed by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to protect these corals from dredging, trawling and long-line fishing gear damage. The Madison-Swanson and Steamboat Lumps Spawning Sites (offshore of the West Florida shelf) were declared in June 2000 to protect spawning aggregations of gag (Mycteroperca microlepis), and other reef and pelagic fish species, from fishing activities. Deepwater habitats are also protected from fishing impacts, and closed to all fishing for 4 years to evaluate the effects of fishing on spawning aggregations. Texas Flower Garden Banks The Sanctuary protects the fragile ecosystem from anchoring, oil and gas development and destructive fishing. Sanctuary staff direct resource protection, education, research, and enforcement efforts, and there is also a long-term monitoring program. Additional protection is provided by the Minerals Management Service through requirements imposed on industry operators such as the ‘Topographic Features Stipulation’ for the Flower Garden Banks. 265
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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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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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