Book of Abstracts Book of Abstracts MMM5 Book of Abstracts
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Book of Abstracts Book of Abstracts MMM5 Book of Abstracts Welcome to MMM5! This has been the largest mangrove conference yet, with 321 abstracts submitted. The accepted abstracts can be found in the following pages, listed in alphabetical order according to the lead author. This document is searchable using ‘Ctrl F’ and searching for the title or the presenting author. All abstracts underwent a rigorous review process, and we would like to thank the Scientific Committee (chaired by Chua Siew Chin, National University of Singapore): AUSTRALIA NEW CALEDONIA Norm Duke, James Cook University Cyril Marchand, University of New Caledonia Catherine Lovelock, University of Queensland SAUDI ARABIA BELGIUM Hanan Almahasheer, Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal Farid Dahdouh-Guebas, Université libre de Bruxelles University Patrick Grooteart, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences SINGAPORE Dan Friess, National University of Singapore CHINA Luzhen Chen, Xiamen University SOUTH AFRICA Janine Adams, Nelson Mandela University COLOMBIA Jose Ernesto Mancera, Universidad Nacional de PHILIPPINES Colombia Jurgene Primavera, Zoological Society of London- Martha Lucia Palacios, Universidad Autónoma de Philippines Occidente TANZANIA HONG KONG Mwita Mangora, University of Dar es Salaam Stefano Cannicci, University of Hong Kong Joe Lee, Chinese University of Hong Kong THAILAND Aor Pranchai, Kasetsart University INDONESIA Daniel Murdiyarso, CIFOR USA Frida Sidik, Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Affairs Ken Krauss, United States Geological Survey Lola Fatoyinbo, NASA Goddard Center MALAYSIA Candy Feller, Smithsonian Institution Aldrie Amir, University Kebangsaan Malaysia VIETNAM MYANMAR Tuan Quoc Vo, Can Tho University Toe Aung, Forestry Department Come Rain or Come Shine, Come Crane or Come Swine Guilherme Abuchahla, Leibniz Centre for Marine Tropical Research, Germany, [email protected] Martin Zimmer, Leibniz-Centre for Tropical Marine Research ZMT, Germany Mangroves dwell between the terrestrial and marine realms. Much has been studied on their connectivity to other coastal or marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs and seagrass meadows. The interface between mangroves and terrestrial ecosystems, by contrast, is still widely understudied, possibly being one of the reasons for mismanagement and ill compartmentalization of the coastal sea- and landscapes. The present research aims to enhance the understanding of how mangroves and terrestrial ecosystems relate to, and interact with, each other, taking into consideration regions on both sides of the Atlantic where the dry season is long and hot. We hypothesise that (1) runoff water plays an important role in the transport of nutrients and organic matter during rainy season, resulting in a uni-directional flow from land towards the sea; and (2) the motile megafauna supplant that role in the dry season, potentially driving bi-directional fluxes. For testing the above-mentioned hypotheses, samples of surface sediment, runoff and porewater, leaves of the main vegetation species, and faeces of the motile megafauna will be collected along nine transects, six in Brazil and three in Senegal. Analyses will take into account nutrients, the content, structure and origin of organic matter, environmental DNA, and sediment grain characteristics. We expect to find a gradient of influence (mangrove - salt flat - terrestrial forest), according to the above hypotheses, indicating that the path for a better ecological understanding of mangrove ecosystems includes their terrestrial-most margins. Session: T005 - Mangrove genetics and connectivity Abstract ID: T005-A001 Presentation mode: Poster Avoided Emissions and Conservation of Scrub Mangroves: Potential for a Blue Carbon Project in the Gulf of California, Mexico Fernanda Adame, Griffith University, Australia, [email protected] Catherine Lovelock, The University of Queensland, Australia Chris Brown, Griffith University, Australia Eduardo Najera, Wildcoast, Mexico Mangroves are considered ideal ecosystems for Blue Carbon projects. However, because of their short stature, some mangroves (“scrub” mangroves, < 2m) do not fulfil the current definition of “forests” which makes them ineligible for emission reduction programs such as REDD+. Short stature mangroves can be the dominant form of mangroves in arid and poor nutrient landscapes, and emissions from their deforestation and degradation could be substantial. Here, we describe a potential Blue Carbon project in the Gulf of California, Mexico, to illustrate that projects which avoid emissions from deforestation and degradation could provide financial resources to protect mangroves that cannot be included in other emission reduction programs. The goal of the project is to protect 16,058 ha of mangroves through conservation concessions from the Mexican Federal Government. The cumulative avoided emissions of the project are 2.84 million Mg CO2 over 100 years, valued at $US 426,000 per year (US$15 per Mg CO2 in the California market). The funds could be used for community-based projects that will improve mangrove management, such as surveillance, eradication of invasive species, rehabilitation after tropical storms, and environmental education. The strong institutional support, secure financial status, community engagement, and clear project boundaries provide favourable conditions to implement this Blue Carbon project. Financial resources from Blue Carbon projects, even in mangroves of short stature, can provide substantial resources to enhance community resilience and mangrove protection. Session: T008 - Blue carbon Abstract ID: T008-A009 Presentation mode: Oral Status, Threats and Management of Mangroves at a Southern Distributional Limit Janine Adams, Nelson Mandela University, South Africa, [email protected] Anusha Rajkaran, University of the Western Cape, South Africa A status assessment of mangrove area cover was completed in 2018 and changes described in relation to threats and pressures. Because of the high energy coastline, mangroves in South Africa occur in 31 of the sheltered estuaries distributed along the ~3000 km coast. Although small in total extent (1 685 ha) these ecosystems are important for biodiversity conservation as they serve as critical habitat for invertebrates and fish. Harbour development has removed 438 ha of mangrove in Durban Bay; however a larger area (682 ha) area has established in an estuarine bay (Mhlathuze) as a result of the construction of an artificial mouth to the sea and expansion of intertidal habitat. This novel ecosystem now houses 762 ha of mainly Avicennia marina. The second largest area of mangrove occurs in St Lucia Estuary (210 ha), these are fast disappearing as restoration of the freshwater inflow to this system has created fresh, turbid conditions. Thus the management of mangroves in these dynamic South African systems poses some challenges. Other threats include encroaching development, harvesting for wood and browsing by goats and cattle that roam free in rural areas. Recent mangrove die-backs have been recorded in response to multiple stressors, namely drought, freshwater abstraction and browsing. The former leads to mouth closure of estuaries, causing inundation and flooding of mangroves. Mangroves along the east coast form the interface between subtropical and warm temperate regions and are expected to be significantly influenced by climate change. Ongoing monitoring and research is tracking these changes. South Africa has some of the best environmental legislation in the world; but it is the lack of implementation that fails to protect estuaries and their mangroves. This study addresses the country’s management responses using a DPSIR framework. Session: T003 - Mangrove loss and deforestation Abstract ID: T003-A025 Presentation mode: Oral What Lies Beneath? Quantifying Mangrove Crab Bioturbation Potential in Hong Kong Mangroves Laura Elisabeth Agusto, Integrated Mangrove Ecology Lab, the Swire Institute of Marine Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, [email protected] Aline Quadros, Integrated Mangrove Ecology Lab, the Swire Institute of Marine Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR Sara Fratini, Department of Biology, University of Florence, Firenze, Italy, Italy Stefano Cannicci, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR Crab burrow morphology has been argued to impact several important biogeochemical processes. A larger, more complex burrow may provide a different impact on nutrient and organic matter distribution and water flow than a simple small burrow, by increasing belowground surface area, or bacterial microhabitat, and volume. Burrow morphology has been shown to be similar across species within the same family but variable between families. Therefore, the potential ecosystem impact of burrowing crabs depends on their community structure and composition. However, a detailed quantification of the scale to which different families impact the mangrove ecosystem through such mechanisms has not been done. Here we quantified the bioturbation potential of five crab species belonging to three families, in three Hong Kong mangroves. Using a polyester resin to cast burrows, 3D- scanning and the MeshLab Open-Source Mesh Processing Tool, we obtained the mean species-specific burrow surface area, volume and depth of three Ocypodid, one Sesarmid (Parasesarma bidens) and Varunid species (Metaplax longipes). Next, we assessed burrow density (openings m-2) and identified their ownership. By combining these data,