MOZAMBIQUE CORAL REEF MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME Coral Reef Monitoring Programme Coral Reef Monitoring in Mozambique. II: 2000 Report Helena Motta Marcos A M Pereira Miguel Gonçalves Tyrone Ridgway Michael H Schleyer MOZAMBIQUE CORAL REEF MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME Coral Reef Monitoring Programme Coral Reef Monitoring in Mozambique. II: 2000 Report Helena Motta Marcos A M Pereira Miguel Gonçalves Tyrone Ridgway Michael H Schleyer The printing of this publication was made possible by a generous support from WWF. Please cite as: Motta H, M A M Pereira, M Gonçalves, T Ridgway & M H Schleyer (2002). Coral reef monitoring in Mozambique. II: 2000 report. MICOA/CORDIO/ORI/WWF. Maputo, Mozambique Coral Reef Management Programme. 31 pp. Cover: Lionfish (Pterois miles) a common inhabitant of sheltered areas in southern Mozambique reefs (photo: M A M Pereira). Maputo, July 2002 Co-ordinated by the Centro de Desenvolvimento Sustentável das Zonas Costeiras (CDS-ZC, MICOA) with the assistance of Coral Reef Degradation of the Indian Ocean (CORDIO), Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI) and DANIDA Motta et al. Coral Reef Monitoring in Mozambique. II: 2000 Report EXECUTIVE SUMMARY MICOA initiated a project for the development of a National Coastal Zone Management Programme (NCZMP) for Mozambique in conjunction with a number of institutions and donors. The programme encompasses the entire coastal zone and is multi-disciplinary in its approach. One aspect will address the ecosystems of which the coastal environment is comprised such as coral reefs. A management plan is consequently being formulated for the coral reefs within the NCZMP. A new development arose concurrently with the above, viz. the increasing problem of regional coral bleaching associated with global warming and climate change. The 1997-1998 El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) caused elevated sea temperatures that resulted in the most severe occurrence of this phenomenon. This precipitated a SIDA/Sarec funded programme on Coral Reef Degradation in the Indian Ocean (CORDIO). Mozambican scientists and international collaborators are participating in the programme, which is giving added impetus to the national research effort on coral reefs. A preliminary survey has been completed (Schleyer, et al. 1999) and the present report covers an extension of the early work and the commencement of that associated with the NCZMP. The objectives of the coral reef monitoring programme form a sub-component of the Mozambique Coral Reef Management Programme and part of the activities of the SIDA supported CORDIO project. They are to: q Monitor the occurrence of further coral bleaching, COTS and other natural/human disturbances; q Monitor the biophysical impacts of coral mortality; q Develop effective measures for sustainable management of the coral reefs and potential restoration of damaged reefs; q Develop alternative pilot activities for the fishing communities affected by coral degradation. The sites selected are representative of different reef environments: some are protected, some are over- utilised, some lie in embayments and others are exposed to oceanic conditions. Mozambican reefs manifest great biodiversity. Many are degraded from bleaching and the ravages of crown-of-thorns starfish. There is evidence of recovery on some reefs in which soft corals are emerging to be primary colonisers. Degraded reefs recolonised by algae have a preponderance of herbivorous fish and reefs subjected to fishing pressure only have fish in the smaller size classes. There is clearly a need for ongoing monitoring. Results from the second year of monitoring show that reefs in protected areas or protected by depth are still in much better condition. There is a slight improvement in some reefs such as Goa reef in Mozambique Island. However, reefs still under great fishing pressure such as the Quirimbas and Sete Paus reefs show signs of decline. i Motta et al. Coral Reef Monitoring in Mozambique. II: 2000 Report ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would like to express their gratitude to DANIDA and SIDA/Sarec for funding the development of the project and the second year of monitoring. Special thanks go for CORDIO Co-ordinator, Dr. Olof Lndin. The authors would also like to thank all the officials and individuals for their kind support and the valuable information they provided during the survey which facilitated the work. In this regard, special thanks go to Mr. David Law, from Barra Lodge, Inhambane, who provided free accommodation; Rhalda Few, Johan Pears and Michael Burgin, of Barra Lodge Dive Charters, who contributed with their time, the use of diving equipment, a boat and fuel for the work at Barra, Inhambane; Mr. António Reina and Mr. Augusto Correia, of the Bazaruto National Park, who contributed with their time, transport and free accommodation; Mrs. Lieglind Gessner and Mr. Joachim Gessner, who gave their time and attention to assist the team at Quirimba Island as well as free transport to the team and equipment; Mr. Monteiro Júnior and spouse, do Complexo Nautilus in Pemba City for their support with accommodation, Mr. Pieter Jacobs, of C.I.Divers in Pemba, who made is equipment available at special rates; Mr. Carlos Pacheco Faria, of ENACOMO, who provided free accommodation at Mozambique Island and Mrs. Flora Magalhães, in Mozambique Island, who contributed with her time and useful information to the team; Mr. Cacú Amaral Dias, from Dugong Dive Center, who provided his diving equipment and boat free to the team in Mozambique Island. MICOA also appreciated the assistance of Bazaruto Lodge staff, Mr. Maurício Gelo from the Center for the Sustainable Development of Urban Areas in Nampula, Mr. César Augusto dos Santos, Provincial Director of MICOA in Pemba, Mr. José Rosado in Maputo, and many others not referred to here. The views of the authors contained in this report do not necessarily represent the views of MICOA, UEM, CORDIO, ORI, SIDA/Sarec, DANIDA or the Government of Mozambique. ii Motta et al. Coral Reef Monitoring in Mozambique. II: 2000 Report TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii TABLE OF CONTENTS iii 1. INTRODUCTION 1 Objectives 1 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS 3 Criteria for site selection 3 Sites Surveyed 4 Methods 4 3. RESULTS 6 Benthic Surveys 6 Fish Surveys 10 4. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUDING REMARKS 17 Status and Condition of the Reefs 17 Comparing Results Between Monitoring Years (1999-2000) 18 Accomplishments 18 Concluding Remarks 20 5. REFERENCES 21 6. ANNEXES 22 iii Motta et al. Coral Reef Monitoring in Mozambique. II: 2000 Report 1. INTRODUCTION Mozambique possesses the third longest coastline along the Western Indian Ocean, extending 2 700 km, much of which adjoins areas of coral reefs. This ecosystem constitutes an important biological resource in terms of its complex biodiversity and is the basis for tropical fisheries and marine ecotourism. The coral reefs represent one of Mozambique's main marine assets and coastal communities and the growing tourism industry rely mainly on reef-based resources. Today, about 6.6 million people live within Mozambique's 48 coastal administrative districts. This represents 42% of the current population of Mozambique (15.7 million) which is expected to grow at 3% p.a. (INE, 1998). Reefs along the Mozambican coast consist of fossilised dune and beach rock colonised by corals to a varying degree. The shoreline has been successively exposed and submerged during the millennia, forming a compound shoreline (Tinley, 1971; Rodrigues et al., 1999) in which the coral reefs are distributed in three regions. The northernmost section of the coast extends for 770 km from the Rovuma River in the north to Pebane in the south (17º20'S). It is characterised by numerous small islands that form the Quirimbas Archipelago and the Primeiras and Segundas Islands. Coral reefs constitute an almost continuous fringing reef on the eastern shores of the islands and the more exposed sections of the mainland coast. The central section of the coast between Pebane (17º20'S) and Bazaruto Island (21º10'S), a distance of about 950 km, is classified as a swamp coast. Twenty-four rivers discharge into the Indian Ocean along this section, each with an estuary supporting well-established mangrove stands. The coastal waters are shallow and this, combined with the sediment loading from the rivers, causes high turbidity levels. Coral reef formation in this area is consequently severely limited. The southern section stretches for 850 km from Bazaruto Island southwards to Ponta do Ouro (26º50’S). High dunes, north facing bights and barrier lakes characterise the coastline. The dune systems attain heights of 120 m and are amongst the highest vegetated dunes in the world. The distribution of reefs along the coast and nearshore islands is patchy and the reefs are more sparsely inhabited by corals. There is a break between Xai-Xai and Inhaca Island in their distribution, again due to the discharge of four major rivers within Maputo Bay. There are three types of fisheries in Mozambique, comprising industrial, semi-industrial and artisanal fisheries. These three sectors land about 90,000 tons/year from an estimated MSY of about 300,000 tons/year (Schleyer et al. 1999). The industrial and semi-industrial fleets currently earn 40% of Mozambique’s foreign revenue, gained largely from prawn fisheries dependent on mangroves and estuaries for their productivity. The artisanal fishery, on the other hand, is responsible for about 70% of the total catch. These fisheries are largely centered on the reefs and are clearly important to the coastal communities and Mozambican economy. Coral reefs represent the main attraction for the coastal tourist industry in Mozambique. Most tourism occurs where the best infrastructure for tourism is established, especially near the reefs of Pemba, Mozambique Island, Bazaruto Archipelago, Inhambane, Inhaca Island and Ponta do Ouro. OBJECTIVES The objectives of the coral reef monitoring programme form a sub-component of the Mozambique Coral Reef Management Programme and part of the activities of the SIDA CORDIO project.