Marine Ecological Baseline Report for Amal/Crab Bay Tabu Eria, Malekula Island, Vanuatu
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ISSN 1818-5614 Marine ecological baseline report for Amal/Crab Bay Tabu Eria, Malekula Island, Vanuatu By Francis Hickey IWP-Pacific Technical Report (International Waters Project) no. 45 Global United Nations Pacific Regional Environment Development Environment Facility Programme Programme SPREP IRC Cataloguing-in-Publication data Hickey, Francis Marine ecological baseline report for Amal/Crab Bay Tabu Eria, Malekula Island, Vanuatu. / by Francis Hickey. – Apia, Samoa : SPREP, 2007. vi, 133 p. ; 29 cm. - (IWP-Pacific Technical report, ISSN 1818-5614 ; no.45). ISBN: 978-982-04-0368-0 1. Marine protected areas – Vanuatu, Malekula Island. 2. Ecological assessment – Shorelines – Vanuatu, Malekula Island. 3. Coastal ecology – Assessment – Vanuatu, Malekula Island. 4. Community participation – Planning – Policy – Vanuatu, Malekula Island. I. International Waters Project (IWP). II. Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). III. Title. IV. Series. 333.917 14 This study (originally written in 2005) was funded under the International Waters Project (IWP). The views expressed in this report are not necessarily those of the publisher. Cover design by SPREP's Publication Unit Editing and layout: Mark Smaalders, IWP editorial consultant SPREP PO Box 240, Apia Samoa E: [email protected] T: +685 21 929 F: +685 20 231 Website: www.sprep.org © Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, 2007 All rights for commercial/for profit reproduction or translation, in any form, reserved. SPREP authorises the partial reproduction of this material for scientific, educational or research purposes, provided that SPREP and the source document are properly acknowledged. Permission to reproduce the document and/or translate in whole, in any form, whether for commercial or non-profit purposes, must be requested in writing. Original SPREP artwork may not be altered or separately published without permission. ii Contents Abbreviations.................................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgements.......................................................................................................................... vi Executive summary.......................................................................................................................... 1 1 Introduction................................................................................................................................... 2 1.1 Objectives ................................................................................................................................ 2 1.2 Geography................................................................................................................................ 2 1.3 Population ................................................................................................................................ 2 1.4 Geology.................................................................................................................................... 2 1.5 Biodiversity.............................................................................................................................. 4 1.6 Nearshore marine resources and management......................................................................... 6 1.6.1 Habitat............................................................................................................................... 6 1.6.2 Use of marine resources.................................................................................................... 6 1.7 Survey methodology ................................................................................................................ 8 2 Documentation of terrestrial flora............................................................................................... 9 2.1 Rationale .................................................................................................................................. 9 2.2 Methodology ............................................................................................................................ 9 2.3 The flora of Vanuatu................................................................................................................ 9 2.3.1 Moist lowland forests...................................................................................................... 10 2.4 Results of botanical sampling within the AKTE.................................................................... 11 2.4.1 Amal................................................................................................................................ 11 2.4.2 Crab Bay ......................................................................................................................... 12 3 Mangroves of Vanuatu................................................................................................................ 15 3.1 Overview................................................................................................................................ 15 3.2 Malekula mangroves.............................................................................................................. 15 3.3 Mangal zonation patterns and functional classifications........................................................ 16 3.4 Vernacular terms.................................................................................................................... 17 3.5 Mangroves of Amal/Crab Bay ............................................................................................... 18 3.5.2 Effects of tectonic uplifting in the Port Stanley area ...................................................... 20 3.5.3 Complimentary management measures in Crab Bay area .............................................. 23 4 Avifauna of Crab Bay ................................................................................................................. 24 5 Mammals of Crab Bay................................................................................................................ 27 6 Crabs of Crab Bay ...................................................................................................................... 29 6.1 Land crab biology .................................................................................................................. 29 6.1.1 Reproductive biology......................................................................................................29 6.1.2 Ecology and foraging......................................................................................................31 6.2 Traditional knowledge of land crabs in Crab Bay ................................................................. 31 6.3 Land crab surveys in Crab Bay .............................................................................................. 33 6.4 Marine crabs of Crab Bay ..................................................................................................... 36 6.4.1 Mud crabs (Scylla serrata) .............................................................................................. 36 6.4.2 Mud crab monitoring and management .......................................................................... 36 iii 7 Finfish of Crab Bay ..................................................................................................................... 37 7.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................ 37 7.2 General observations on reef habitat and biota of Crab Bay.................................................. 37 7.3 Threats.................................................................................................................................... 37 7.4 Prior finfish surveys ............................................................................................................... 38 7.4.1 Mangrove-related finfish surveys ................................................................................... 38 7.4.2 Baitfish of Crab Bay ....................................................................................................... 39 7.5 IWP Crab Bay finfish survey .................................................................................................39 7.5.1 Survey methodology ....................................................................................................... 39 7.5.2 IWP finfish survey results for Crab Bay......................................................................... 41 7.5.3 Difference between fished and closed reef areas ............................................................ 47 7.5.4 Effects of uplifting on coral reefs and seagrass beds ...................................................... 47 8 Shellfish of Crab Bay .................................................................................................................. 47 8.1 Trochus................................................................................................................................... 47 8.2 Other molluscs ....................................................................................................................... 49 9 Turtles of Crab Bay..................................................................................................................... 49 10 Dugongs of Crab Bay ...............................................................................................................