CORDIO Status Report 2000

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to date. Working group discussions were held in five areas: 1. Climate change and long term trends 2. Regional research 3. Socio-economic considerations 4. Management and awareness issues 5. Database requirements The conclusions of the working groups are included in this report. Of particular importance were discussions held on the novel challenges to research and management posed by climate change and the false vision of a pristine historical reef state that has underpinned most current research. What is needed is almost an emerging science that develops innovative ways to measure and interpret the influence of climate change on ecological systems. Of utmost importance is the compilation of long-term records (e.g. meteorological data) to establish long-term trends, measurement of simple variables (such as beach width) over large spatial scales to establish synoptic baselines and greater dedication to monitoring key processes such as recruitment rather than gross variables such as coral cover. The increasing frequency and severity of mass coral bleaching events is the single most dramatic and tangible demonstration of global climate change. Predictions of the consequences of gradual rises in temperature and sea level have been eclipsed by the effects of violent fluctuations of natural climatic cycles. El Niño events of a magnitude previously experienced only once every 100 years are now occurring at intervals ranging between three and 20 years, with severe impacts extending beyond their original limits within the Eastern Pacific to the equatorial and monsoon regions of the Indian Ocean. The development of alternative livelihoods for subsistence fishermen and others dependent on reef resources is an important area for research and development. Aquaculture of commercially valuable organisms, expansion of marine resource use to include a wider variety of species thus alleviating the pressure on target species and the development of terrestrial opportunities to improve livelihoods in terms of income and/or food security is desirable. However, participation of all stakeholders in the process of development and implementation is paramount for the success of such schemes Coral reefs are among the first ecosystems on the planet that are being dramatically affected by global climate change. Their high biodiversity and their fundamental importance to coastal populations raises the need for problem solving research and management. Bleaching of coral as a result of increased sea temperatures caused by global climate change offers a unique opportunity to investigate the effects of climate change on an ecosystem scale and within a relatively small time frame. Conseqvently, CORDIO is establishing a process for addressing this global challenge in the western Indian Ocean. Despite the growing weight of local and global threats, CORDIO, in 2000 and 2001, will attempt to improve the fate of coral reefs through research and development projects that support management and improves the livelihoods of people dependent on coral reef ecosystems. – 11 –
Synthesis PREAMBLE The CORDIO Program (Coral Degradation in the Indian Ocean) was initiated early in 1999 as a direct response to massive coral reef degradation caused by the 1997-98 El Niño induced mass bleaching event, the severest such event on record. Its objectives are to assess the long-term impacts of the event on coral reefs, coastal communities and national economies. The results of initial assessments of coral mortality were presented in the first CORDIO Status Report published in the first few months of the project. The results of the first full year of monitoring and research are presented here in this second status report. CORDIO is a collaborative program initiated to determine the implications of global climate change and other causes of coral reef degradation in the western Indian Ocean. The foundation upon which the program is built is the collaboration between regional institutions with additional input from external institutions. Research under CORDIO focuses on: • the bio-physical impacts of coral degradation as a result of bleaching and other disturbances, and the long term prospects of recovery, • the socio-economic impacts of coral mortality and options for mitigating these through management and development of alternative livelihoods, • the prospects of restoration and rehabilitation of reefs to accelerate their ecological and economic recovery Increases in global sea temperatures and El Niño induced coral mortality in the Indian Ocean The last two decades has been the warmest period ever recorded during which 1998 was the hottest single year. As a consequence, the mean temperatures of the world’s oceans are increasing at an accelerating rate which, at present, is approximately 2 o C per century. Moreover, 1998 witnessed the strongest El Niño ever recorded and, as a result, corals throughout the world’s tropical oceans suffered extensive bleaching and mortality. The El Niño Southern Oscillation is a global phenomenon, driven by evaporation of equatorial sea-surface waters and the dynamics of current and wind movements. During El Niño the normal pattern of equatorial trade winds is altered and their strength is reduced resulting in calmer tropical waters. As a consequence, solar radiation that would otherwise be dissipated by wind-driven water movement is absorbed increasing sea temperatures and further exacerbating background rises in global ocean temperatures. The long period for which the 1997-98 El Niño prevailed and its extreme magnitude resulted in these elevated temperatures persisting and subsequently causing massive mortality of corals on reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific and Caribbean. Some of the worst affected reefs were those situated along the coast of East Africa and in the central Indian Ocean from which estimates of coral mortality commonly exceeded 90%. Once dead, algae rapidly colonise the exposed coral skeletons and, in addition, bio-eroding organisms degrade skeletons reducing the reef to rubble beds. RESULTS OF 1999 MONITORING Monitoring of the biophysical effects of the El Niño was conducted in 11 countries around the western Indian Ocean namely, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique Sri Lanka, Maldives, India Seychelles, Mauritius, Reunion, Comoros, Madagascar. Socio-economic impacts were determined in Madagascar, Comoros, Tanzania, Kenya, Maldives, Sri Lanka, India. – 12 –
Page 2 and 3: CORAL REEF DEGRADATION IN THE INDIA
Page 4 and 5: Foreword The temperatures of the wo
Page 6 and 7: Address by the Global Coral Reef Mo
Page 8 and 9: Table of contents FORWARD 3 ADDRESS
Page 10 and 11: Executive Summary The World Conserv
Page 14 and 15: Biophysical Generally, region-wide
Page 16 and 17: species exhibit different tolerance
Page 18 and 19: er-term, “shifting baselines” i
Page 20 and 21: flow diagram presented below. CORDI
Page 22 and 23: SECTION I Status Reports - 21 -
Page 24 and 25: East Africa - Summary DAVID OBURA C
Page 26 and 27: Kenya, reef status and ecology DAVI
Page 28 and 29: BENTHIC COMMUNITIES Benthic communi
Page 30 and 31: Figure 2. Three strategies for blea
Page 32 and 33: % cover % cover 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2
Page 34 and 35: Table 3: Population densities and s
Page 36 and 37: Assessment of coral reef degradatio
Page 38 and 39: Table 1. Reef stations surveyed in
Page 40 and 41: live coral cover for Mbudya Marine
Page 42 and 43: Table 5. Some environmental paramet
Page 44 and 45: Coral reef monitoring and managemen
Page 46 and 47: L impopo Maputo Sa ve River Riv er
Page 48 and 49: category) and size classes (total n
Page 50 and 51: The status of South African coral r
Page 52 and 53: South Asia - Summary DAN WILHELMSSO
Page 54 and 55: SRI LANKA Most shallow coral reef h
Page 56 and 57: corals in Sri Lanka is relatively h
Page 58 and 59: Figure 1. Distribution of coral ree
Page 60 and 61: Kandakuliya Most of the nearshore r
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shallow water (0 m - 3 m) on the re
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Rajasuriya, A & De Silva, M.W.R.N.
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In each of these regions three reef
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Table 4. Summary data from transect
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The status of the coral reefs of In
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Relative importance in total landin
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Small pelagics Large pelagics Demer
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Indian Ocean Islands - Summary SUSI
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The reefs of the granitic islands o
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onies damaged was recorded using th
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FAMILY GENUS SPECIES DEAD SURVIVING
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FAMILY GENUS SPECIES DEAD SURVIVING
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Figure 10. Recruit on consolidated
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Reef systems of the islands of the
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Figure 2. Coral condition by locati
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At the Bank’s northern and southe
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chelles (Turner et al., this volume
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the shallow bays of Balaclava Marin
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Development of a geographical infor
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2 1,8 1,6 Mean Bleaching Score 1,4
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Meteorological data from the period
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Figure 16. Total sunshine (hrs) per
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solar irradiance. In Thailand, loca
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Harriott, V.J. 1985. Mortality rate
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Table 1. Location of CORDIO monitor
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Figure 1. Recovery from settlement
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that due to its low impact, dead co
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Map of the Western Indian Ocean wit
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In April 1998, close to the peak of
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Pachyseris, Turbinaria spp.) and en
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Partial mortality of Favites flexuo
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REFERENCES Barnes, J., Bellamy, D.J
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SECTION II Environmental Monitoring
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Sea surface temperature in the west
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Temperature and water exchange in a
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Figure 2a. Time series temperature
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to th
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Figure 2. Settlement plates for cor
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REFERENCES CARICOMP. 1994. Manual o
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Figure 2. Two possible recoveries f
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SECTION III Thematic/Research Repor
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Socio-economic assessment of the im
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to escape predation (Williams, 1991
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Table 4 Demersal fish landings in 1
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mersal species have not been heavil
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Therefore, it must be concluded tha
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▲ Level of importance 35 30 25 20
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very few come specifically for reef
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Percentage 28% Food and beverages w
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Anonymous. 1998b. Basic Fisheries S
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has a 4 m tidal range) dominated by
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Table 1. Comparison of the gross be
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Greenstein, B.J., Curran, H.A. & Po
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to assess ciguatera risk by impleme
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Evaluation of succession and coral
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within each depth zone (5 m and 10
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The taxonomic patterns of coral rec
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dives, this study has demonstrated
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Bioerosive processes An important a
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each of the three different fish co
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Figure 1. Coral fragments transplan
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Pavona Echinopora 50 100 50 100 Gro
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A low-tech method for reef rehabili
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Impacts of bleaching on coral commu
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anching and massive corals (Plate 1
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es, metal bars and PVC surfaces. No
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strate that supports a low percenta
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egeneration and prevent further des
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APPENDICES - 197 -
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Coral Reef Degradation in the India
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LIST OF PARTICIPANTS LIONEL BIGOT A
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AGNETHA NILSSON Programme Officer U
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DR. SUE WELLS Co-ordinator, E.A. Ma
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- 207 -
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