June 2008 REEF No. 36 ENCOUNTER Newsletter of the International Society for Reef Studies ISSN 0255-2787 www.fit.edu/isrs/ Reef Encounter No. 36, June 2008 Newsletter of the International Society for Reef Studies Editor: Sue Wells 95 Burnside, Cambridge CB1 3PA, UK Tel +44 1223 711017. Email: [email protected] Co-editors: SL Coles, A Heenan Editorial President: Richard Aronson Dauphin Island Sea Lab 101 Bienville Boulevard, Dauphin Island, AL 36528, U.S.A. Tel 1 251 861 7567; ISRS Comment Email: [email protected] From the President 3 Vice President: Tim McClanahan 2008 Darwin Medal: Professor Terry Hughes 4 Wildlife Conservation Society, Coral Reef Conservation ISRS Financial Report 2007 6 Project, P.O. Box 99470, Mombasa, Kenya. http://web.mac.com/trmcclanahan/iWeb/trmcclanahan/ ISRS News email: [email protected] 11th International Coral Reef Symposium, 2008 6 12th International Coral Reef Symposium, 2012 7 Corresponding Secretary: Isabelle Côté Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, ISRS Briefing Paper on Coral Reefs 7 Burnaby, BC V5A 1S5, Canada. Email: [email protected] and Acidification Reports of the 2006 ISRS/TOC Fellowships 7 Recording Secretary: Robert van Woesik Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Institute of Recipients of the 2007 ISRS/TOC Fellowships 11 Technology , 150 West University Blvd., Melbourne, FL 32901, Currents U.S.A. Tel 1 321 674 7475 Email: [email protected] A geologist’s lament 12 Treasurer: John R. Ware What role for reef restoration in the face 12 SeaServices, Inc., 19572 Clubhouse Rd., Montgomery Village, of climate change? MD 20886, U.S.A. Tel 1 301 987 8507. Email: [email protected] ISRS Council: AH Baird, B Brown, RPM Bak, AS Cabanban, SL News Coles, G Diaz-Pulido, M Hidaka , D Hubbard, L McCook, M Coral reef conservation in Abu Dhabi and 14 McField, B. Riegl, CS Rogers, Y Suzuki, S Wells the United Arab Emirates Coral Reefs Editor in Chief: Barbara Brown Coral reefs in the Lakshadweep Archipelago: 16 West Briscoe, Baldersdale, Barnard Castle, Co Durham, DL12 Agatti Conservation Reserve 9UP , UK. Tel 44 (0) 1833 650059; Email: [email protected] Meeting Reports Coral Reef Futures – Australian National Forum 18 Geology: B. Riegl Ecology: P Mumby Obituaries Biology: M. P. Lesser, M McCormick and R Gates Joshua Tracey 19 Environment: R van Woesik Frederick ‘Ted’ Bayer 19 ISRS Patron Members: DG Fautin & RW Buddemeier, BR Constantz, DJ Fishman, AJ Hooten, LL Jackson, BD Keller, Book Reviews WE Kiene, S Miller, N Muthiga, J Pringle, JR Ware and Coral: A Pessimist in Paradise by Steve Jones 20 W Ware, S Wells Fisheries Management: progress towards 21 ISRS Honorary Members: J Connell, RN Ginsburg, DW Kinsey, sustainability edited by Tim McClanahan IG Macintyre, HG Multer, J Randall, DR Stoddart and Juan Carlos Castilla Past Honorary Members: S Kawaguti, G Scheer, J I Tracey Jr. Book Shelf 22 The International Society for Reef Studies was founded at a meeting in Churchill College, Cambridge, UK in December 1980. Its aim under the constitution is to promote, for the ben- Reef Sight 23 efit of the public, the production and dissemination of scientific knowledge and under- standing concerning coral reefs, both living and fossil. iii. In order to achieve its aim, the Society has the following objectives: Copy deadline for REEF ENCOUNTER 37 iii. To hold meetings, symposia, conferences and other gatherings to disseminate this sci- entific knowledge and understanding of coral reefs, both living and fossil. (due out September 2008) is 31 August 2008 iii. To print, publish and sell, lend and distribute any papers, treatise or communications relating to coral reefs, living and fossil, and any Reports of the Proceedings or the Front cover Accounts of the Society. To raise funds and invite and receive contributions from any persons what so ever by the Photo by Alasdair Harris. Sponges spawning on way of subscription, donation or otherwise providing that the Society shall not undertake Salomon Atoll, Chagos Archipelago, March 2008. any permanent at trading activities in raising funds for its primary objects. The Society collaborates with Springer-Verlag in producing the quarterly journal Coral Reefs. This large-format journal is issued free of charge to all members of the Society, and concen- trates on quantitative and theoretical reef studies, including experimental and laboratory work and modeling. Design and Layout by Rodney Cash and David Ashby Printed by Allen Press Inc., 810 East Tenth, Lawrence, KS 66044, USA Reef Encounter, No. 36, June, 2008 3 EDITORIAL We apologise for the rather late arrival of this issue of The cover photo by Alasdair Harris shows how Reef Encounter and many thanks to our patient and resilient reefs can be in the absence of human beings, as willing contributors for their help. Particular thanks to on this atoll in the Chagos Archieplago (see Sheppard et Mike Arvedlund who did all the lay-out and production al. in press. Mar. Ecol. Progress Series) – as also recent- for the last issue but has now had to step down through ly found in the Line Islands (Sandin et al. (2008) PloS pressure of work. If anyone is interested in becoming ONE 3(2): e1548. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0001548). part of the editorial team please get in touch – we need This emphasizes the need for identifying and protecting people to help look for interesting articles, correspond such remaining sites. At the other extreme, Bernard with authors, find illustrations, and edit and prepare Riegl and his co-workers describe some of the work material for lay-out. Once again, we have a very full underway in the Gulf States, a part of the world where issue – to make more space the Diary section has been rampant coastal development is overtaking climate moved from the newsletter to the website. Do please change in hammering reefs, another recent topic on the continue to send in news items and other articles of NOAA Coral-List. Andrea Deri and her co-workers interest to readers. report on reef protection in the little known Laccadives As Rich Aronson says in his president’s message, we archipelago. Alasdair Edwards describes the pros and must NOT “give up coral reefs for dead”. Like the cons of reef restoration, another hot topic of debate on journal Coral Reefs, with its recent theme issue (Vol. 26, the Coral-List. Reports from three of the six 2007 No.4, Dec 2007) on ‘Aspects of interactions between ISRS/TOC fellows give snapshots of current reef humans and coral reefs’, we can use Reef Encounter to research aimed at improving our understanding of what show how scientists and other reef practitioners can is still a frequently mystifying ecosystem. best use their time and skills to tackle the issues that are Amidst the doom and gloom of future predictions, leading to coral reef decline. Many readers will have fol- we need to remember – and transmit to others – the lowed the discussion on Jim Hendee’s NOAA Coral-List fundamental reason why reefs are so important. Denny on ‘What can scientists do?’ (December 2007/January Hubbard’s ‘geologist’s lament’ is a reminder of why reefs 2008) which produced numerous suggestions, and illus- are the focus of many of our lives, why we need an organ- trated the sense of desperation and frustration that we isation like ISRS, and what we should aspire to be doing probably all feel. There is a real need now to show what in the International Year of the Reef 2008. can be done, and this issue of the newsletter has some good examples. Sue Wells, Steve Coles & Adel Heenan ISRS elections ISRS will be holding elections this year to replace outgoing officers and members of the ISRS Council. We will be electing a new Treasurer to replace retiring Treasurer John Ware and a new Recording Secretary to replace retiring Recording Secretary Robert van Woesik. In addition, we will be replacing six retiring members of the ISRS Council: Rolf Bak, Annadel Cabanban, Guillermo Diaz- Pullido, Lawrence McCook, Berhard Reigel, and Yoshimi Suzuki. The tenure of each elected position is 4 years, beginning January 1, 2009. These positions are open only to members of ISRS. Nominations must be sent by post or fax, or as an email attachment to Isabelle Cote ([email protected]) by 11 July 2008 (see ISRS website for details). The biographical sketches of all the candi- dates will be posted on the web site until the day ballots are due. Ballots will be emailed to all members and will need to be returned to the Corresponding Secretary in September (exact date to be announced). The results of the election will be announced by email and on the Society’s website in October. ISRS, www.fit.edu/isrs/ 4 Reef Encounter, No. 36, June, 2008 ISRS COMMENT From the President Reef Research. The 2008 competition is underway, and the six winners will be announced at the 11th ICRS. We To paraphrase an old joke, “Two reef scientists: three are grateful to our donor for supporting such a worthy opinions.” We are a contentious lot. Although it would cause. be unhealthy for us to be monolithic in our outlook, I feel As a last item of business, the recent referendum to compelled to comment on a recent change in the flavour revise the ISRS Constitution was successful. You can of discussions about “the situation” as the International find the new constitution on the ISRS website, Year of the Reef (IYOR) unfolds. That new tilt is the http://www.fit.edu/isrs/, and in the upcoming edition of idea that we may have already gone past the tipping the Society’s Membership Directory.