Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2002 Edited by Clive Wilkinson PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Dedication This book is dedicated to all those people who are working to conserve the coral reefs of the world – we thank them for their efforts. It is also dedicated to the International Coral Reef Initiative and partners, one of which is the Government of the United States of America operating through the US Coral Reef Task Force. Of particular mention is the support to the GCRMN from the US Department of State and the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. I wish to make a special dedication to Robert (Bob) E. Johannes (1936-2002) who has spent over 40 years working on coral reefs, especially linking the scientists who research and monitor reefs with the millions of people who live on and beside these resources and often depend for their lives from them. Bob had a rare gift of understanding both sides and advocated a partnership of traditional and modern management for reef conservation. We will miss you Bob! Front cover: Vanuatu - burning of branching Acropora corals in a coral rock oven to make lime for chewing betel nut (photo by Terry Done, AIMS, see page 190). Back cover: Great Barrier Reef - diver measuring large crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) and freshly eaten Acropora corals (photo by Peter Moran, AIMS). This report has been produced for the sole use of the party who requested it. The application or use of this report and of any data or information (including results of experiments, conclusions, and recommendations) contained within it shall be at the sole risk and responsibility of that party. AIMS does not provide any warranty or assurance as to the accuracy or suitability of the whole or any part of the report, for any particular purpose or application. Subject only to any contrary non-excludable statutory obligations neither AIMS nor its personnel will be responsible to the party requesting the report, or any other person claiming through that party, for any consequences of its use or application (whether in whole or part). © Australian Institute of Marine Science, 2002 Office locations: Townsville, Queensland (main laboratories) 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) 8946 6716 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 PDF compression,ii OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor FOREWORD Our two governments have responded to the plight of coral reefs outlined since the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992, and reiterated in Johannesburg at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in 2002. The Philippines and Sweden have combined to guide the Secretariat of the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) with the goal of bringing developing and developed countries together to conserve coral reefs. Our coral reefs are being damaged by both natural and human pressures and unless we act now, it is predicted that over half of the world’s coral reefs could be severely degraded within a generation. Coral reefs can recover from natural threats, but recovery is slow from the direct and indirect damage that people are doing to reefs. Often that damage is inadvertent as people seek food or cultural items from the reefs, but unfortunately some of the damage is deliberate through constructing airports, ports and dredging channels. Damage is caused indirectly through poor land use practices that result in sediments and excess nutrients pouring over the reefs and through the release of sewage and industrial wastes that cause eutrophication. Even our excessive use of plastic bags ends up damaging coral reefs. The responses to these alarm calls have been the establishment of ICRI, the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, CORDIO (Coral Degradation in the Indian Ocean), Reef Check, ReefBase and the World Resources Institute Reefs at Risk project, to mention just some. All people in the world are ‘stakeholders’ in coral reefs as we have inherited their wealth of biodiversity and natural beauty, therefore we all share the responsibility for conserving them. We now understand what damages coral reefs and the critical measures that users, local and national governments, international agencies and NGOs have to do in partnership to conserve reefs. We are pleased to see that in the Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2002 report, there are many global and local initiatives being implemented to arrest the damage, conserve coral reefs and establish more protected areas. One example is Apo Island, in the Philippines, where the local university and the community have worked together to conserve their resources for the benefit of all. Another initiative is to ensure that the trade in live fish for restaurants and the aquarium trade is ecologically sustainable, and not damaging the reefs of Southeast Asia and the Pacific. The Government of the Philippines, one of the founding countries of ICRI, hosted in 1995 the first ICRI international workshop in Dumaguete City, which outlined the pioneering global strategy for coral reefs through the ICRI Call to Action and Framework for Action. In March 2003, the Philippines will host the 2nd International Tropical Marine Ecosystem Management Symposium (ITMEMS 2) in Manila. It is expected to become another PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressoriii Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2002 milestone conference to identify strategies on coral reef and associated ecosystems management when strong resolve is needed to respond to the WSSD Plan of Implementation. Then and now, the Philippines continues to be instrumental in bringing forth strategies and actions for implementation at global and national levels. A significant Philippines national strategy is the devolution of ecological management responsibility to the municipality and ‘barangay’ level under the Local Government Code passed by Congress in 1991. The case studies on Pages 127, 143, 146 and 148 illustrate that when communities are given the responsibility for managing their own resources with help from government and scientists, the damage to the reefs can be reversed. In addition, the Philippine Government has been proud to declare the large Tubbataha National Marine Park as a World Heritage Site. It is jointly managed by the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines. In March 2002, as President of the Philippines, I had the wonderful opportunity to dive at Tubbataha, which enabled me to experience the natural beauty of Palawan. Even more rewarding is the genuine concern that the Filipinos have for conserving and managing these reefs. The same tourism potential can be developed in other Philippine reef areas. We must start increasing the awareness of our people about how they can conserve and benefit from reef resources. We expect that the recommendations and assistance from the Symposium will greatly contribute to our efforts. Sweden, also one of the founding countries of ICRI when it first met in 1994, has continued as an active member since then. In 2001 and 2002, Sweden together with the Philippines, served as Secretariat of ICRI. Sweden has also supported coral reef-related activities in the Indian Ocean region through the CORDIO Program (Coral Reef Degradation in the Indian Ocean; Page 363). The program was initiated when the major coral bleaching and mortality event of 1998 struck reefs in East Africa, the Maldives, the Seychelles, Comoros and Sri Lanka. As Prime Minister of Sweden, I am proud of the pro- active initiatives that our government has launched to assist countries with the sustainable development of coral reefs. We are pleased to endorse this report and hope that it will stimulate international efforts to conserve coral reefs. We need action at all levels, from assisting local communities with co-management agreements, to truly global initiatives like managing the trade in coral reef products and reducing the release of greenhouse gases which apparently are linked to coral bleaching. We need to conserve coral reefs because of their magnificent resources of biodiversity, unparalleled beauty and enormous tourism potential, and particularly because sustainably managed reefs can provide food and shoreline protection for hundreds of millions of people around the world. More power to ICRI! Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Goeran Persson President Prime Minister Government of the Republic of the Philippines Government of Sweden PDF compression,iv OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor CONTENTS Countries, States and Territories vii Acknowledgements x Introduction 1 Executive Summary Clive Wilkinson 7 1. Coral Bleaching and Mortality – the 1998 Event 4 Years Later and Bleaching to 2002 Clive Wilkinson 33 2. Status of Coral Reefs in the Red Sea-Gulf of Aden Moshira Hassan, Mohammed M. A. Kotb and Abdulmohsin A. Al-Sofyani 45 3. Status of Coral Reefs of the Persian/Arabian Gulf and Arabian Sea Region Simon Wilson, Seyed Mohammad Reza Fatemi, Mohammad Reza Shokri and Michel Claereboudt 53 4. Status of Coral Reefs in Eastern Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa David Obura and Contributors – Louis Celliers, Haji Machano, Sangeeta Mangubhai, Mohammed S. Mohammed, Helena Motta, Christopher Muhando, Nyawira Muthiga, Marcos Pereira and Michael Schleyer 63 5. Status of Coral Reefs in the South West Indian Ocean Island Node: Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion and Seychelles Said Ahamada, Lionel Bigot, Jude Bijoux, Jean Maharavo Jean, Sabrina Meunier, Marylène Moyne-Picard and Naidoo Paupiah 79 6. Status of Coral Reefs in South Asia: Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Sri Lanka Arjan Rajasuriya, Venkataraman K., Muley E.V., Hussein Zahir and Ben Cattermoul 101 7.