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

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Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2002 HURRICANE IRIS IMPACTS ON BELIZE REEFS Belize lies right in the path of many late season hurricanes, with the largest, Hurricane Mitch, slamming into the barrier reef and Glovers Reef in 1998 with windspeeds approaching 300km per hour. Mitch battered the coastlines and degraded many shallow reefs. Just 2 years later in October 2001, Hurricane Iris hit the southern coast of Belize with maximum sustained winds of 220km per hour. This storm, however, moved along a narrow tract in a southwest direction and hit Monkey River Town. Hurricane force winds extended only 30km from the centre affecting southern Glovers Reef and South Water Caye Marine Reserves, patch reefs southeast and west of South Water Caye Marine Reserve, the barrier reef section north of Gladden Split, Gladden Split Marine Reserve, Laughing Bird Caye National Park and barrier reef section north of Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve. The Belize Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute surveyed 3 MPAs and found that the greatest impact was to the fore-reef of Laughing Bird Caye with average mortality of 19.6% and ‘mechanical’ damage to 70.7% of coral colonies. The fore-reef of South West Caye, Glovers Reef showed 12.2% recent mortality and 52% mechanical damage, and there was much less impact on the back-reef of Laughing Bird Caye (6.2% mortality, 26.7% damage), Gladden Split (1.0% mortality, 6% damage), and patch reef near South West Caye (4% mortality, 28% damage). The greatest mechanical damage was to Acropora cervicornis (staghorn coral), and species of Porites, Montastraea and Siderastrea corals, particularly tumbling damage to colonies e.g. 53% of colonies were knocked over on the fore-reef of Laughing Bird Caye. Gorgonians were also damaged by the hurricane, especially near South West Caye, where many were toppled or completely detached. The damage from Hurricane Iris will have long-term consequences for the Laughing Bird Caye National Park, which is a main tourist destination for Placencia, because the fore-reef has been devastated. Further assessment and monitoring is planned by the Authority to distinguish damage from natural causes and those that management can control e.g. fishing and coastal development. From: Nadia Bood, Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute, Belize, czmbze@btl.net. reefs; while there is some progress in Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua. The Belize Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute is a model of integrated coastal management for the region and the country’s system of 13 MPAs is well-established, with almost all the parks now under active management. Marine Protected Areas There are over 100 MPAs in Mesoamerica, covering 45,000km 2 of marine resources, including coral reefs, with most of them designed to protect fishery resources or critical habitat from damaging human activities. Mexico and Belize have a mix of both government and NGO management of MPAs, whereas management in Guatemala and Honduras is mostly through NGOs. Management effectiveness is very variable, ranging from ‘moderately satisfactory’ in Belize and Mexico, with reasonable success in reducing human impacts on coral reefs, whereas most others in the region remain as ‘paper parks’, due to inadequate funds to manage the resources. These issues remain the two greatest 314
Status of Coral Reefs of Mesoamerica challenges for the region’s MPAs. An investigation is currently being conducted in El Salvador to review the System of Protected Areas. Regional initiatives are fostering a broader perspective of the importance of a functional network of marine protected areas. Support is being developed for planning, management and monitoring of the effectiveness of the MPAs; institutional strengthening and financial sustainability mechanisms. The MBRS Initiative is working with 15 priority MPAs in the 4 participating countries, and there is major training of MPA personnel on several key issues under its objectives, including co-management of MPAs and preparation of management plans. WWF has identified 9 highest priority biodiversity areas in the ecoregion, which often encompass several protected areas. A regional initiative is currently under development to increase funding mechanisms and building human capacity, in order to tackle both in-country problems and trans-boundary threats. Coral Reef Monitoring Until recently, the capacity to monitor reefs varied considerably across the region. Most monitoring and research was done through a combination of local NGOs, MPA biologists, GCRMN, AGRRA, REEF, Reef Keeper and Reef Check, CARICOMP and numerous local and national programs, many of them short-lived. There has been recent monitoring in Belize and Mexico, and Honduras with a mix of government, NGO or academic involvement, but virtually none in Guatemala and Nicaragua. There had been poor coordination and data sharing among monitoring programs, with few successes in using the data for conservation decision-making. Most government agencies lack the funds and capacity for extensive monitoring programs. COMMUNITY CONSERVATION EFFORTS IN XCALAK, MEXICO The Meso-American Barrier Reef system is a focus for many agencies seeking to conserve some of the best coral reefs in the Caribbean. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided funds to the Coastal Resources Center at the University of Rhode Island to work in the State of Quintana Roo, near the Belize border. This is a small-scale success story that can be used as a model in the region. The community of Xcalak became greatly concerned in mid-1990s, about the decline in fish catches along their coast. Fishermen were spending more time on the water to catch the same amount of fish that they had caught a few years earlier in much less time. Then the community was informed about a government sponsored tourism development. The Xcalakeños participated throughout the process of designating the 17,000 hectares around the barrier coral reef as a National Park. The Xcalak Marine Park was officially declared in June 2000, making it one of the first locally initiated marine parks in Mexico. Community members are now implementing some of the components, including water zoning to separate fisheries and tourism activities, fisheries monitoring, and training to help local people engage in the ecotourism industry. The combined promotion of low-impact tourism development, linked to protection and conservation of the barrier reef through the marine park, has made Xcalak a learning example in coastal management for its neighbours on the Mesoamerican Reef system. Contacts: Lynne Hale, lzhale@gso.uri.edu; Richard Volk, rvolk@USAID.gov 315
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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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12. STATUS OF THE CORAL REEFS IN MI
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Status of the Coral Reefs in Micron
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13. STATUS OF CORAL REEFS IN THE HA
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Status of Coral Reefs in the Hawaii
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14. STATUS OF CORAL REEFS IN THE U.
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Status of Coral Reefs in the US Car
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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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