STATUS OF CORAL REEFS OF THE WORLD: 2004 VOLUME 2 EDITED BY CLIVE WILKINSON Dedication This book is dedicated to those people around the world who monitor coral reefs and assist in their conservation. Often they do this voluntarily because of a sincere wish to save these magnificent ecosystems. The book is also dedicated to the International Coral Reef Initiative and partners, the Management Group of the GCRMN, and the Australian Government acting through the Australian Institute of Marine Science. A particular dedication is to the Government of the USA, which has provided considerable support and encouragement to the GCRMN though the Department of State, the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and Ruth Kelty. Front Cover: Madang, Papua New Guinea- Amphiprion percula (Photo Courtesy of Dr. Gerald Allen, Tropical Reef Research); Back Cover: Christopher McClelland © 2004 Maps were provided by UNEP-WCMC through ReefBase, The World Fish Center and we thank Nasir bin Nayan for their current format. Graphics for Chapter 3: map from UNEP-WCMC, sourced from A. Freiwald; Table, cold-water - warm- water coral comparisons, from Birkeland, 1996, Veron, 2000, Spalding et al., 2001, Wilkinson, 2002, Cesar et al., 2003; Trawl sketch, Joe Shoulak, MCBI; Healthy/degraded coral reef photos, John Reed, HBOI. © Australian Institute of Marine Science, 2004 Office Locations: Townsville, Queensland PMB No 3, Townsville MC Qld 4810 Telephone (07) 4753 4444 Facsimile (07) 4772 5852 Darwin, Northern Territory PO Box 40197 Casuarina NT 0811 Telephone (08) 8945 9524 Facsimile (08) 8946 6847 Perth, Western Australia PO Box 83, Fremantle WA 6959 Telephone (08) 9433 4440 Facsimile (08) 9433 4443 www.aims.gov.au ISSN 1447-6185 CONTENTS VOLUME 1 Foreword iii Countries,States and Territories vii Acknowledgements xi Co-sponsors and supporters of GCRMN xiii Introduction 1 The Executive Summary 7 État des Récifs Dans le Monde en 2004 51 1. Global Threats to Coral Reefs 67 2. New Initiatives in Coral Reef Monitoring, Research, Management and Conservation 93 3. The Status of the Cold-water Coral Reefs of the World 115 4. Status of Coral Reefs in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in 2004 137 5. Coral Reef Status in the ROPME Sea Area: Arabian/Persian Gulf, Gulf of and Arabian Sea 155 6. Status of Coral Reefs in East Africa 2004: Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa 171 7. Status of the Coral Reefs of the South West Indian Ocean Island States 189 8. Status of Coral Reefs in South Asia: Bangladesh, Chagos, India, Maldives and Sri Lanka 213 9. Status of Coral Reefs, Coral Reef Monitoring and Management in Southeast Asia, 2004 235 10. Status of Coral Reefs in East and North Asia: China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea and Japan 277 VOLUME 2 11. Status of Coral Reefs in Australia and Papua New Guinea in 2004 303 12. Status of Coral Reefs in the South West Pacific: Fiji, Nauru, New Caledonia, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu 337 13. A Century of Change in Coral Reef Status in Southeast and Central Pacific: Polynesia Mana Node, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Niue, Tokelau, Tonga, Wallis and Futuna 363 14. Status of the Coral Reefs in Micronesia and American Samoa 381 15. Status of Coral Reefs in the Hawaiian Archipelago 411 16. Status of Coral Reefs in the U.S. Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico: Florida, Flower Garden Banks, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Navassa 431 17. Status of Coral Reefs in the Northern Caribbean and Western Atlantic Node of the GCRMN 451 18. Status of Coral Reefs of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef Systems Project Region, and Reefs of El Salvador, Nicaragua and the Pacific Coasts of Mesoamerica 473 19. Status of Coral Reefs in the French Caribbean Islands and other Islands of the Eastern Antilles 493 20. Southern Tropical America: Coral Reef Status and Consolidation as GCRMN Regional Node 509 21. Sponsoring Organisations, Coral Reef Programs and Monitoring Networks 523 Appendix 1. Suggested Reading 539 Appendix II. List of Acronyms 545 Appendix III. Second International Tropical Marine Ecosystems Management Symposium Action Statement 547 COUNTRIES, STATES AND TERRITORIES American Samoa Chapter 14 381 Antigua and Barbuda Chapter 19 493 Australia Chapter 11 303 Bahamas Chapter 17 451 Bahrain Chapter 5 155 Bangladesh Chapter 8 213 Belize Chapter 18 473 Bermuda Chapter 17 451 Brazil Chapter 20 509 Brunei Chapter 9 235 Cambodia Chapter 9 235 Cayman Islands Chapter 17 451 Chagos Chapter 8 213 China Chapter 10 277 Colombia Chapter 20 509 Comores Chapter 7 189 Cook Islands Chapter 13 363 Costa Rica Chapter 20 509 Cuba Chapter 17 451 Djibouti Chapter 4 137 Dominica Chapter 19 493 Dominican Republic Chapter 17 451 Egypt Chapter 4 137 El Salvador Chapter 18 473 Eritrea, Chapter 4 137 Federated States of Micronesia Chapter 14 381 Fiji Chapter 12 337 French Polynesia Chapter 13 363 Grenada Chapter 19 493 Guadeloupe Chapter 19 493 Guam Chapter 14 381 Guatemala Chapter 18 473 Haiti Chapter 17 451 Hawaii Chapter 15 411 Honduras Chapter 18 473 Hong Kong Chapter 10 277 Iran Chapter 5 155 India Chapter 8 213 Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2004 Indonesia Chapter 9 235 Israel 153 Jamaica Chapter 17 451 Japan Chapter 10 277 Jordan Chapter 4 137 Kenya Chapter 6 171 Kiribati Chapter 13 363 Korea Chapter 10 277 Kuwait Chapter 5 155 Madagascar Chapter 7 189 Maldives Chapter 8 213 Malaysia Chapter 9 235 Marshall Islands Chapter 14 381 Martinique Chapter 19 493 Mauritius Chapter 7 189 México Chapter 18 473 Mozambique Chapter 6 171 Myanmar Chapter 9 235 Nauru Chapter 12 337 New Caledonia Chapter 12 337 Nicaragua Chapter 18 473 Niue Chapter 13 363 Northern Marianas Chapter 14 381 Oman Chapter 5 155 Pakistan Chapter 8 213 Palau Chapter 14 381 Panama Chapter 20 509 Papua New Guinea Chapter 11 303 Philippines Chapter 9 235 Puerto Rico Chapter 16 431 Qatar Chapter 5 155 Reunion Chapter 7 189 Samoa Chapter 12 337 Saudi Arabia Chapter 4 and 5 137&155 Seychelles Chapter 7 189 Singapore Chapter 9 235 Solomon Islands Chapter 12 337 Somalia Chapter 4 137 South Africa Chapter 6 171 Sri Lanka Chapter 8 213 St. Kitts and Nevis Chapter 19 493 St. Lucia Chapter 19 493 St. Vincents and Grenadines Chapter 19 493 Sudan Chapter 4 137 Taiwan Chapter 10 277 Tanzania Chapter 6 171 Thailand Chapter 9 235 Countries, States and Territories Trinidad and Tobago Chapter 19 493 Tokelau Chapter 13 363 Tonga Chapter 13 363 Turks and Caicos Chapter 17 451 Tuvalu Chapter 12 337 United Arab Emirates Chapter 5 155 USA (Florida, Gulf of Mexico) Chapter 16 431 US Virgin Islands Chapter 16 431 Vanuatu Chapter 12 337 Venezuela Chapter 20 509 Vietnam Chapter 9 235 Wallis and Futuna Chapter 13 363 Yemen Chapter 4 137 11. STATUS OF CORAL REEFS IN AUSTRALIA AND PAPUA NEW GUINEA IN 2004 IAN MILLER AND HUGH SWEATMAN WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM: MARK BAINE, PAUL CHATTERTON, ANDREW CHIN, BEN FITZPATRICK, VICTOR GOMELYUK, JOS HILL, AARON JENKINS, GEOFF JONES, JEFF KINCH, MICHAEL MARNANE, ROBERT THORN, HAMISH MALCOLM AND LUKE SMITH ABSTRACT The territorial waters of Australia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) are similar in that they contain extensive, biodiverse coral reef systems that remain in relatively good condition, despite some recent setbacks. However there are stark contrasts in the socio-economic environments of the two countries; Australia is a modern developed economy with a high level of affluence, while PNG is still in transition from a basic subsistence economy. The different socio-economic circumstances have lead to a marked difference between the two countries in the way reef resources are used, and consequently, how they are managed. Approaches to reef management have continued to diverge during the past decade. Australia is setting an example to the rest of the world for the conservation of coral reefs through a system of central planning, legislation and enforcement. Conversely in PNG, there is minimal central management, although there is recognition by government of the importance of state controls and legislation. An alternative model is developing in PNG for a decentralised, community-based system for reef resource management driven largely by NGOs, because there are limited resources for national control. Results from established or planned monitoring programs will determine the effectiveness of these differing approaches in the long-term. Since the establishment of the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) in 1994 and the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) in 1996, Australian State and Federal Governments continue to gazette Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to conserve valuable coral reef habitats. An outstanding example is the recent rezoning of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, where after an extensive period of public consultation, 33% of the total area has now been protected from extractive industries such as fishing and collecting (Box p 13 and p 325). Smaller, but equally important systems of MPAs have been gazetted recently in Western Australia, Northern Territory, New South Wales and the Coral Sea. This reflects a growing awareness of the economic and social importance of coral reefs by governments, industry and 303 Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2004 120° 130° 140° 150° E E E E Manus Islands : #New Ireland # Lihir Island Rabaul Madang New Britain PAPUA Kimbe Bay # N E W Bougainville I. 7°S INDONESI A GUINE A on 7°S Hu lf lf Gu Gu Muyua Island of a ## Papu Cobourg Milne Bay Peninsula Misima I. Melville Island G r Motupore Rossel I. Marchinbar e a Ashmore Reef Island Cape Sudest Island Joseph Grenville t Cartier Bonaparte Seringapatam Reef Gulf ## Island # G u l f ### # C o r a l o f # B a S e a Scott Reef #### C a r p e n t a r i a ## r r ### I n d i a n O c e a n ### i e ###Cairns ## #r 17°S ### 17°S Rowly # ## R e Shoals #######Townsville # ##### Dampier #### e f Archielago # ## # ## # ## # # Ningaloo## ### AUSTRALI A Swain Reefs # # ## # Shark Bay LEGEND 27°S # Monitoring Site 0 205 410 820 27°S Coral Reefs Houtman# Kilometers Abrolhos 120°E 130°E 140°E 150°E Map courtesy of The WorldFish Center Map courtesy of The WorldFish stakeholders.