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

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2002 significant mortality (see Box). At the time of writing this report, a mild to moderate El Niño is developing in the Pacific, and there are concerns that the reefs will again suffer more bleaching. There has been no field evidence of corals having reduced calcification and growth rates under the influence of increased concentrations of CO 2 in seawater, however, there has been confirmation of the potential for these effects during research conducted in Biosphere II in Arizona as well as in other mesocosm studies. This remains a strong potential threat that increasing atmospheric CO 2 will reduce the abilities of corals to grow and calcify their skeletons. Similarly the concentrations of CO 2 in the atmosphere continue to increase, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is now stating definitively that global warming is occurring and that ecosystems will be altered as a result. There have been strong predictions from climate models that coral reefs will experience more regular and severe bouts of coral bleaching in the next decades. It is clear that coral reefs will not become extinct, as some have predicted, but we will probably witness considerable reductions in coral cover and species diversity if these models are correct. Our current experience is that episodes of bleaching are becoming more severe and frequent, thus we should assume that coral reefs will be subject to more damage. A few reefs are demonstrating resistance and resilience (ability to recover) from climate change impacts, including bleaching and disease; but most are susceptible. This alone should be sufficient warning to governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. Diseases and Plagues There is a growing plague of the crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS; more correctly seastar) on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) of Australia, particularly concentrated in the Cairns section and central parts of the GBR. These have caused severe reductions in coral cover on affected reefs. There are also disturbing reports of larger than normal COTS populations in the northern Red Sea, Japan, Palau and Fiji. It is apparent that the COTS will remain a chronic problem for many reefs and a devastating problem for others in the Indo-Pacific. There is limited evidence that the outbreaks are triggered by a humaninduced change to coral reef environments, but the nagging suspicion is that this is true and that the plagues are an inadvertent result of human activities. Coral diseases have become a chronic and frequently catastrophic problem for coral reefs in the Caribbean and wider Atlantic region. Diseases stripped many of the branching corals from Caribbean reefs in the 1980s and 90s, with devastating effects on the major shallow water coral, the elkhorn (Acropora palmata). The extent of the problems has been recognised by the US Coral Reef Task Force, which convened a special task force to tackle the problem. A wide range of coral diseases has so far been reported and the causative agents for a few have been identified. Until recently it was considered that such major disease outbreaks were confined to the wider Caribbean, with few reported incidences on Indo-Pacific coral reefs. However, in early 2002 an outbreak of ‘white syndrome’ was reported to be killing significant patches of corals on the Great Barrier Reef of Australia. Thus wait to see whether coral diseases are another manifestation of human induced stress to coral reefs. 22
Executive Summary COLLAPSE OF CORAL SETTLEMENT ON CURAÇAO, NETHERLANDS ANTILLES: AN INDICATOR OF RISING STRESS FOR CARIBBEAN CORALS? Results from a long tradition of coral reef research on Curaçao shows a dramatic lowering of coral recruitment. Rolf Bak assessed coral settlement and growth on permanent quadrats with photographs in the early 1970s. This was repeated and the results show that coral cover has changed little over the past 20 years (below), but the amount of coral settlement in 1999-2001 is now about one tenth that of 20 years ago. Also the amount of variation between years is 3.7 times smaller, meaning that the trend looks consistent. Settlement rates of hard coral species as numbers per m 2 of photoquadrat at 15m depth over a 3 year settling period up to 1981 and 2001, showing an almost total collapse in the addition of new coral juveniles. CORAL SPECIES 1981 2001 Agaricia humilis 6.07 0.09 Agaricia agaricites 0.52 0.00 Porites porites 0.26 0.00 Porites astreoides 1.13 0.04 Acropora spp. 2.08 0.00 Colpophillia natans 0.26 0.00 Madracis pharensis 3.73 2.34 Other hard corals 0.09 0.04 Non-photosynthetic corals 8.67 0.48 TOTAL ALL CORALS 22.81 2.99 The massive reductions are linked to a loss of crustose coralline algae, which is where many new coral larvae are attracted to settle, and large increases in macroalgae (mainly Lobophora and Dictyota) and sediment trapping turf algae. It is unlikely that the production of gametes and larvae by adult colonies has dropped as coral cover has hardly changed over the 20 years. These results show that determining coral reef health by observing coral cover is not enough for MPA management as it appears that other factors are preventing the arrival of new corals. 30 25 1981 Coral cover (%) 20 15 10 2001 5 0 10m 20m 30m 40m Depth Changes in coral cover have been minimal at 4 depths during the same 20 year period. From: Mark Vermeij, NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Science Center, Miami, USA, Mark.Vermeij@noaa.gov, and Rolf Bak, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 23
Page 1 and 2: Status of Coral Reefs of the World:
Page 3 and 4: FOREWORD Our two governments have r
Page 5 and 6: CONTENTS Countries, States and Terr
Page 7 and 8: COUNTRIES, STATES AND TERRITORIES A
Page 9 and 10: Countries, States and Territories S
Page 11 and 12: INTRODUCTION We are pleased to endo
Page 13 and 14: Introduction Some of the larger fou
Page 15 and 16: Introduction Coral reefs are coming
Page 17 and 18: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CLIVE WILKINSON A
Page 19 and 20: Executive Summary This report, howe
Page 21 and 22: Executive Summary GLOBAL AND REGION
Page 23 and 24: Executive Summary There is clear ev
Page 25 and 26: Executive Summary Key sites chosen
Page 27 and 28: Executive Summary • Europa and Sc
Page 29 and 30: Executive Summary CORAL REEF TARGET
Page 31: Executive Summary ICRI OPERATING UN
Page 35 and 36: Executive Summary Prognosis for the
Page 37 and 38: Executive Summary concern is an out
Page 39 and 40: Executive Summary Southern Tropical
Page 41: Executive Summary Achievements in E
Page 82 and 83:
Status of Coral Reefs of the World:
Page 84 and 85:
Page 86 and 87:
Page 88 and 89:
Page 90 and 91:
Page 92 and 93:
Page 94 and 95:
Page 96 and 97:
Page 98 and 99:
Page 100 and 101:
Page 102 and 103:
Page 104 and 105:
Page 106 and 107:
Page 108 and 109:
Page 110 and 111:
Page 112 and 113:
Page 114 and 115:
Page 116 and 117:
Page 118 and 119:
Page 120 and 121:
Page 122 and 123:
Page 124 and 125:
Page 126 and 127:
Page 128 and 129:
Page 130 and 131:
Page 133 and 134:
7. STATUS OF SOUTHEAST ASIA CORAL R
Page 135 and 136:
Status of Southeast Asia Coral Reef
Page 137 and 138:
Page 139 and 140:
Page 141 and 142:
Page 143 and 144:
Page 145 and 146:
Page 147 and 148:
Page 149 and 150:
Page 151 and 152:
Page 153 and 154:
Page 155 and 156:
Page 157 and 158:
Page 159 and 160:
Page 161 and 162:
Page 163 and 164:
8. STATUS OF CORAL REEFS IN EAST AN
Page 165 and 166:
Status of Coral Reefs in East and N
Page 167 and 168:
Page 169 and 170:
Page 171 and 172:
Page 173 and 174:
9. STATUS OF CORAL REEFS OF AUSTRAL
Page 175 and 176:
Status of Coral Reefs of Australasi
Page 177 and 178:
Page 179 and 180:
Page 181 and 182:
Page 183 and 184:
Page 185 and 186:
Page 187 and 188:
Page 189 and 190:
Page 191 and 192:
10. STATUS OF CORAL REEFS IN THE SO
Page 193 and 194:
Status of Coral Reefs in the Southw
Page 195 and 196:
Page 197 and 198:
Page 199 and 200:
Page 201 and 202:
Page 203 and 204:
Page 205 and 206:
Page 207 and 208:
Page 209 and 210:
Page 211:
Page 214 and 215:
Page 216 and 217:
Page 218 and 219:
Page 220 and 221:
Page 222 and 223:
Page 224 and 225:
Page 227 and 228:
12. STATUS OF THE CORAL REEFS IN MI
Page 229 and 230:
Status of the Coral Reefs in Micron
Page 231 and 232:
Page 233 and 234:
Page 235 and 236:
Page 237 and 238:
Page 239 and 240:
Page 241 and 242:
Page 243 and 244:
Page 245 and 246:
Page 247 and 248:
13. STATUS OF CORAL REEFS IN THE HA
Page 249 and 250:
Status of Coral Reefs in the Hawaii
Page 251 and 252:
Page 253 and 254:
Page 255 and 256:
Page 257 and 258:
Page 259 and 260:
Page 261 and 262:
14. STATUS OF CORAL REEFS IN THE U.
Page 263 and 264:
Status of Coral Reefs in the US Car
Page 265 and 266:
Page 267 and 268:
Page 269 and 270:
Page 271 and 272:
Page 273 and 274:
Page 275 and 276:
Page 277 and 278:
Page 279 and 280:
Page 281 and 282:
Page 283 and 284:
Page 285 and 286:
Page 287 and 288:
15. STATUS OF CORAL REEFS IN THE NO
Page 289 and 290:
Status of Coral Reefs in the Northe
Page 291 and 292:
Page 293 and 294:
Page 295 and 296:
Page 297 and 298:
Page 299 and 300:
Page 301 and 302:
Page 303 and 304:
Page 305 and 306:
Page 307 and 308:
Page 309 and 310:
Page 311 and 312:
Page 313 and 314:
16. STATUS OF CORAL REEFS OF MESOAM
Page 315 and 316:
Status of Coral Reefs of Mesoameric
Page 317 and 318:
Page 319 and 320:
Page 321 and 322:
Page 323 and 324:
Page 325 and 326:
Page 327 and 328:
Page 329 and 330:
Page 331 and 332:
Page 333 and 334:
Page 335 and 336:
17. STATUS OF CORAL REEFS IN THE EA
Page 337 and 338:
Status of Coral Reefs in the Easter
Page 339 and 340:
Page 341 and 342:
Page 343 and 344:
Page 345 and 346:
Page 347 and 348:
Page 349 and 350:
Page 351 and 352:
Page 353 and 354:
18. STATUS OF CORAL REEFS IN SOUTHE
Page 355 and 356:
Status of Coral Reefs in Southern T
Page 357 and 358:
Page 359 and 360:
Page 361 and 362:
Page 363 and 364:
Page 365 and 366:
Page 367 and 368:
Page 369 and 370:
Page 371 and 372:
19. SPONSORING ORGANISATIONS, CORAL
Page 373 and 374:
Sponsoring Organisations, Coral Ree
Page 375 and 376:
Page 377 and 378:
Page 379 and 380:
Page 381:
Page 384 and 385:
Page 386 and 387:
Page 388:
show all

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

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?