DOCSLIB.ORG

The Coral Triangle Initiative: What Are We Missing? a Case Study from Aceh

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Coral Triangle Initiative: What Are We Missing? a Case Study from Aceh Short Communication The Coral Triangle Initiative: what are we missing? A case study from Aceh E DI R UDI,STUART J. CAMPBELL,ANDREW S. HOEY,NUR F ADLI,MATTHEW L INKIE and A NDREW H. BAIRD Abstract The Coral Triangle Initiative is an ambitious he terrestrial fauna and flora of South-East Asia has attempt to conserve the marine biodiversity hotspot known Tbeen a source of inspiration for biogeography since the as the Coral Triangle. However, the reef fauna in many field was founded following Alfred Russell Wallace’s voyage nearby regions remains poorly explored and, consequently, through the Malay Archipelago in the 19th century the focus on the Coral Triangle risks overlooking other areas (Wallace, 1869). Many marine organisms, including corals of high conservation significance. One region of potential and reef fish, also have their global centre of diversity in significance, Aceh, Indonesia, has not been visited by coral South-East Asia (Veron, 1995; Roberts et al., 2002). More taxonomists since the Dutch colonial period. Here we recent compilations of the global scleractinian and reef fish document the species richness of scleractinian corals of fauna have revealed a hotspot within South-East Asia now Pulau Weh, Aceh. We also compare the species richness of called the Coral Triangle (Allen, 2008; Veron et al., 2009), the genus Acropora at 3–5 sites in each of nine regions in bounded by the Philippines to the north, the Solomon Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Although dominated by Islands to the east and Bali to the west (Fig. 1). Veron et al. widespread Indo-Pacific species, the coral fauna of Pulau (2009) further divided the Coral Triangle into 16 ecoregions, Weh is also the eastern and western boundary for many each with . 500 scleractinian species. The Coral Triangle Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean species, respectively. We contains a total of 605 scleractinian species, 76% of the identified a total of 133 scleractinian species, of which three world’s total, including c. 15 (2.5%) endemic to the area have been previously recorded only in the western Indian (Veron et al., 2009). The reefs of the Coral Triangle are also Ocean and five are presently undescribed. The mean species amongst those most threatened globally by human activities richness of the Acropora at Pulau Weh is similar to regions such as destructive fishing and pollution (Todd et al., 2010; within the Coral Triangle. This high species richness plus Fisher et al., 2011). Consequently, the protection of this the high proportion of endemics suggests that the Andaman hotspot of biodiversity is one of the major goals of marine Sea is of similarly high conservation value to the Coral conservation (Clifton, 2009). Triangle. We suggest that an international initiative similar The Coral Triangle Initiative is a collaborative conserva- to the Coral Triangle Initiative is required to conserve this tion project that includes the governments of Indonesia, region, which includes the territorial waters of six countries. Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and the Solomon Islands (Clifton, 2009). Areas outside the Keywords Aceh, biodiversity, conservation, coral reefs, Coral Triangle, however, are important given the regional Coral Triangle Initiative variation of the scleractinian fauna within Indonesia (e.g. This paper contains supplementary material that can be Wallace, 1999) but may be overlooked with such intense found online at http://journals.cambridge.org focus on the Coral Triangle (Fisher et al., 2011). Sumatra, although part of Indonesia, is not considered part of the Coral Triangle and is therefore not a focus of the Initiative. In particular, the province of Aceh, in northern Sumatra, is likely to be of high biogeographical significance because EDI RUDI and NUR FADLI Centre for Marine and Fisheries Studies, Syiah Kuala of its position at the junction of the Andaman Sea, the University, Banda Aceh, Aceh, Indonesia Indian Ocean and the Straits of Malacca (Brown, 2007). STUART J. CAMPBELL Wildlife Conservation Society, Bogor, Indonesia Because of political instability over most of the last 150 years ANDREW S. HOEY* and ANDREW H. BAIRD (corresponding author) ARC Centre of Aceh remains almost completely unexplored scientifically Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, (Brown, 2007). Neither Veron (2000) nor Wallace (1999) Queensland 4811, Australia. E-mail [email protected] examined material from Aceh and to the best of our MATTHEW LINKIE Fauna & Flora International, Kuta Alam Lampriet, Banda Aceh, Indonesia knowledge the area has not be visited by a coral taxonomist since the Dutch colonial period. Consequently, we have *Also at: Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia a poor understanding of the scleractinian fauna of this fi Received 23 October 2011. Revision requested 6 December 2011. region. Data de cient areas, such as Aceh, the Andaman and Accepted 7 February 2012. Nicobar Islands, and the Mergui Archipelago in Myanmar, © 2012 Fauna & Flora International, Oryx, 46(4), 482–485 doi:10.1017/S0030605312000178 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.34.90, on 02 Oct 2021 at 11:34:17, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605312000178 The Coral Triangle Initiative 483 Aceh N Sulawesi Riau Halmahera West Sumatra New Britain West Java S Sulawesi Bali FIG. 1 Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, showing the Coral Triangle and the location of the nine regions used to compare the species richness of Acropora. require biodiversity surveys to facilitate assessment of 30 regional conservation priorities (Brown, 2007; Fisher et al., 25 b 2011 ab ). ab ab ab The aim of this study is to describe the shallow water 20 ab ab Scleractinia of Pulau Weh, Aceh, to facilitate an assessment a of its conservation significance. A species list for Pulau Weh 15 a 4–810 was compiled from -m line intercept transects at 10 11 sites in 2005 (Baird et al., 2005), six of which were resurveyed in November 2009. The list was supplemented 5 Species richness (mean ± SE) with species encountered incidentally during these surveys. 0 We also compare the species richness of the Acropora of Bali Pulau Weh with another eight regions within Indonesia and Aceh Riau fi West Java Papua New Guinea, ve of which are within the Coral S SulawesiN SulawesiHalmaheraNew Britain Triangle. For this comparison the number of Acropora West Sumatra FIG. 2 Mean number of Acropora species per 10 m line intercept species was estimated in 40-minute haphazard swims at four 2009 3–5 transect at nine regions in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea sites on Pulau Weh in November and sites in each (Fig. 1). Sites within the Coral Triangle are in grey; sites outside of the further eight regions (Fig. 1). Sites in these eight the Coral Triangle are in white. An ANOVA indicated there regions were surveyed by AHB between 2001 and 2007. were significant differences in the mean species richness among 5 3 52 5 0 005 A one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post-hoc test sites (F(8, 30) . ,P . ). Letters indicate groups for which was used to test for difference in the mean number means are not significantly different, as determined by Tukey’s of Acropora species among the regions. All data were post-hoc test. collected by snorkelling, restricting the surveys to depths , 4 m. All species identifications where performed by AHB Acropora digitifera), Indian Ocean species (e.g. Acropora in the field, from images taken in the field, or from small branchi, Acropora roseni), Pacific Ocean species (e.g. samples of the colony skeleton with reference to Wallace Acropora globiceps, Acropora lutkeni, Scapophyllia cylind- (1999) and/or Veron (2000). All reference material for rica) plus locally abundant species found mainly in identifications is stored at the Centre for Marine and Indonesia (e.g. Acropora pinguis, Acropora bifurcata). A Fisheries Studies, Syiah Kuala University, Banda Aceh, total of 133 hermatypic scleractinian species were identified, Aceh, Indonesia. including three new records for the region (A. branchi, The scleractinian fauna of Pulau Weh is unique, being a A. roseni, Montastrea serageldini) and five taxa potentially composite of widespread Indo-Pacific species (e.g. Acropora new to science (Appendix 1). Pulau Weh is the western hyacinthus, Acropora humilis, Acropora gemmifera, boundary of 13 Pacific Ocean species and the eastern © 2012 Fauna & Flora International, Oryx, 46(4), 482–485 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.34.90, on 02 Oct 2021 at 11:34:17, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605312000178 484 E. Rudi et al. boundary of four Indian Ocean species (Appendix 1). Eight Initiative will be required to conserve the reefs of this area, species are found only within the Indonesian archipelago which include the territorial waters of India, Indonesia, (Appendix 1). Myanmar, Malaysia and Thailand. This species composition supports Wallace’s(1999) description of a distinct Sumatran Acropora fauna but the Acknowledgements presence of a number of Indian Ocean species and potential endemics suggest that the fauna of Aceh may be even more The research was supported by an International distinct. The high proportion of potential new species also Collaborative Grant for International Publication Batch II supports Allen & Adrim’s(2003) suggestion that the area is from the Director General of Higher Education, Depart- a distinct province in the Indo-Pacific. Both Veron (2000) ment of National Education Indonesia (Contract number: and Wallace (1999) suggest there are many more species to 656/SP2H/PP/DP2M/VII/2009, 30/07/2009). WCS was be found in the area and Wallace & Muir (2005) described supported by the Kezler Foundation.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • State of the Coral Triangle: Solomon Islands
    State of the Coral Triangle: Solomon Islands One of a series of six reports on the status of marine resources in the western Pacific Ocean, the State of the Coral Triangle: Solomon Islands describes the biophysical characteristics of Solomon Islands’ coastal and marine ecosystems, the manner in which they are being exploited, the framework in place that governs their use, the socioeconomic characteristics of the communities that use them, and the environmental threats posed by the manner in which STATE OF THE CORAL TRIANGLE: they are being used. It explains the country’s national plan of action to address these threats and improve marine resource management. Solomon Islands About the Asian Development Bank ADB’s vision is an Asia and Pacific region free of poverty. Its mission is to help its developing member countries reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of their people. Despite the region’s many successes, it remains home to approximately two-thirds of the world’s poor: 1.6 billion people who live on less than $2 a day, with 733 million struggling on less than $1.25 a day. ADB is committed to reducing poverty through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Based in Manila, ADB is owned by 67 members, including 48 from the region. Its main instruments for helping its developing member countries are policy dialogue, loans, equity investments, guarantees, grants, and technical assistance. Asian Development Bank 6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City 1550 Metro Manila, Philippines www.adb.org Printed on recycled paper Printed in the Philippines STATE OF THE CORAL TRIANGLE: Solomon Islands © 2014 Asian Development Bank All rights reserved.
    [Show full text]
  • The AREA's RICHNESS
    The AREA’S RICHNESS hile there is little doubt that the Coral Triangle is the richest marine environment on the planet, the reasons for the richness are hotly debated. Is it because Wthe richest taxonomic groups originated in the Coral Triangle and dispersed to the rest of the world? Or is it because of the overlap of flora and fauna from the West Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean? As it turns out, the only thing that is clear is that the reasons for the area’s richness are complex and no single model explains it all. Some of the many factors that influence the diversity of the Coral Triangle are the geological history of the region, including plate tectonics and sea-level fluctuations; how species disperse and the factors that facilitate or inhibit dispersal; general biogeographic patterns and evolutionary forces. The tropics are generally more species rich than temperate and polar areas particularly because of the constant sunlight regime and weather stability. Without a winter period, organisms can flourish year round and put more energy into specialization than into preparing for long periods with reduced sunlight. This is as true in the marine realm as it is in the forests, where light and relatively constant warm water temperatures persist throughout the year. However, coastal tropical waters are relatively nutrient poor. The annual changes in water temperatures of the temperate and polar seas produce mixing when the surface waters cool and sink to the bottom. The displaced bottom waters, rich with dead plankton that has sank to the depths, are forced to the surface and result in Due to ocean circulation patterns and the rotation of the Earth, As the glaciers melted and sea levels rose, the newly evolved species huge explosions of zooplankton and fish populations.
    [Show full text]
  • Checklist of Fish and Invertebrates Listed in the CITES Appendices
    JOINTS NATURE \=^ CONSERVATION COMMITTEE Checklist of fish and mvertebrates Usted in the CITES appendices JNCC REPORT (SSN0963-«OStl JOINT NATURE CONSERVATION COMMITTEE Report distribution Report Number: No. 238 Contract Number/JNCC project number: F7 1-12-332 Date received: 9 June 1995 Report tide: Checklist of fish and invertebrates listed in the CITES appendices Contract tide: Revised Checklists of CITES species database Contractor: World Conservation Monitoring Centre 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3 ODL Comments: A further fish and invertebrate edition in the Checklist series begun by NCC in 1979, revised and brought up to date with current CITES listings Restrictions: Distribution: JNCC report collection 2 copies Nature Conservancy Council for England, HQ, Library 1 copy Scottish Natural Heritage, HQ, Library 1 copy Countryside Council for Wales, HQ, Library 1 copy A T Smail, Copyright Libraries Agent, 100 Euston Road, London, NWl 2HQ 5 copies British Library, Legal Deposit Office, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS23 7BQ 1 copy Chadwick-Healey Ltd, Cambridge Place, Cambridge, CB2 INR 1 copy BIOSIS UK, Garforth House, 54 Michlegate, York, YOl ILF 1 copy CITES Management and Scientific Authorities of EC Member States total 30 copies CITES Authorities, UK Dependencies total 13 copies CITES Secretariat 5 copies CITES Animals Committee chairman 1 copy European Commission DG Xl/D/2 1 copy World Conservation Monitoring Centre 20 copies TRAFFIC International 5 copies Animal Quarantine Station, Heathrow 1 copy Department of the Environment (GWD) 5 copies Foreign & Commonwealth Office (ESED) 1 copy HM Customs & Excise 3 copies M Bradley Taylor (ACPO) 1 copy ^\(\\ Joint Nature Conservation Committee Report No.
    [Show full text]
  • Taxonomic Checklist of CITES Listed Coral Species Part II
    CoP16 Doc. 43.1 (Rev. 1) Annex 5.2 (English only / Únicamente en inglés / Seulement en anglais) Taxonomic Checklist of CITES listed Coral Species Part II CORAL SPECIES AND SYNONYMS CURRENTLY RECOGNIZED IN THE UNEP‐WCMC DATABASE 1. Scleractinia families Family Name Accepted Name Species Author Nomenclature Reference Synonyms ACROPORIDAE Acropora abrolhosensis Veron, 1985 Veron (2000) Madrepora crassa Milne Edwards & Haime, 1860; ACROPORIDAE Acropora abrotanoides (Lamarck, 1816) Veron (2000) Madrepora abrotanoides Lamarck, 1816; Acropora mangarevensis Vaughan, 1906 ACROPORIDAE Acropora aculeus (Dana, 1846) Veron (2000) Madrepora aculeus Dana, 1846 Madrepora acuminata Verrill, 1864; Madrepora diffusa ACROPORIDAE Acropora acuminata (Verrill, 1864) Veron (2000) Verrill, 1864; Acropora diffusa (Verrill, 1864); Madrepora nigra Brook, 1892 ACROPORIDAE Acropora akajimensis Veron, 1990 Veron (2000) Madrepora coronata Brook, 1892; Madrepora ACROPORIDAE Acropora anthocercis (Brook, 1893) Veron (2000) anthocercis Brook, 1893 ACROPORIDAE Acropora arabensis Hodgson & Carpenter, 1995 Veron (2000) Madrepora aspera Dana, 1846; Acropora cribripora (Dana, 1846); Madrepora cribripora Dana, 1846; Acropora manni (Quelch, 1886); Madrepora manni ACROPORIDAE Acropora aspera (Dana, 1846) Veron (2000) Quelch, 1886; Acropora hebes (Dana, 1846); Madrepora hebes Dana, 1846; Acropora yaeyamaensis Eguchi & Shirai, 1977 ACROPORIDAE Acropora austera (Dana, 1846) Veron (2000) Madrepora austera Dana, 1846 ACROPORIDAE Acropora awi Wallace & Wolstenholme, 1998 Veron (2000) ACROPORIDAE Acropora azurea Veron & Wallace, 1984 Veron (2000) ACROPORIDAE Acropora batunai Wallace, 1997 Veron (2000) ACROPORIDAE Acropora bifurcata Nemenzo, 1971 Veron (2000) ACROPORIDAE Acropora branchi Riegl, 1995 Veron (2000) Madrepora brueggemanni Brook, 1891; Isopora ACROPORIDAE Acropora brueggemanni (Brook, 1891) Veron (2000) brueggemanni (Brook, 1891) ACROPORIDAE Acropora bushyensis Veron & Wallace, 1984 Veron (2000) Acropora fasciculare Latypov, 1992 ACROPORIDAE Acropora cardenae Wells, 1985 Veron (2000) CoP16 Doc.
    [Show full text]
  • Scleractinian Reef Corals: Identification Notes
    SCLERACTINIAN REEF CORALS: IDENTIFICATION NOTES By JACKIE WOLSTENHOLME James Cook University AUGUST 2004 DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.24656.51205 http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.24656.51205 Scleractinian Reef Corals: Identification Notes by Jackie Wolstenholme is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................................................ i INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................. 1 ABBREVIATIONS AND DEFINITIONS ............................................................................................................. 2 FAMILY ACROPORIDAE.................................................................................................................................... 3 Montipora ........................................................................................................................................................... 3 Massive/thick plates/encrusting & tuberculae/papillae ................................................................................... 3 Montipora monasteriata .............................................................................................................................. 3 Massive/thick plates/encrusting & papillae ...................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Delineating the Coral Triangle
    Galaxea, Journal of Coral Reef Studies 11: 91-100（2009） Original paper Delineating the Coral Triangle J.E.N. VERON1, 2, *, Lyndon M. DEVANTIER1, 2, Emre TURAK1, 2, Alison L. GREEN3, Stuart KININMONTH2, Mary STAFFORD-SMITH1, and Nate PETERSON3 1 Coral Reef Research, 10 Benalla Road, Oak Valley, Townsville 4811, Australia 2 Australian Institute of Marine Science, MSO Townsville 4811, Australia 3 The Nature Conservancy, 51 Edmondstone Street, South Brisbane 4101, Australia * Corresponding author: J.E.N. Veron E­mail: [email protected] Communicated by Makoto Tsuchiya Abstract Spatial analyses of coral distributions at spe- Introduction cies level delineate the Coral Triangle and provide new insights into patterns of diversity and endemism around “If we look at a globe or a map of the Eastern Hemi­ the globe. This study shows that the Coral Triangle, an sphere, we shall perceive between Asia and Australia a area extending from the Philippines to the Solomon number of large and small islands, forming a connected Islands, has 605 zooxanthellate corals including 15 re- group distinct from those great masses of land and having gional endemics. This amounts to 76% of the world’s total little connexion with either of them. Situated upon the species complement, giving this province the world’s equator, and bathed in the tepid water of the great tropical highest conservation priority. Within the Coral Triangle, oceans, this region enjoys a climate more uniformly hot highest richness resides in the Bird’s Head Peninsula of and moist than almost any other part of the globe, and Indonesian Papua which hosts 574 species, with indi- teems with natural productions which are elsewhere vidual reefs supporting up to 280 species ha−1.
    [Show full text]
  • Scleractinia Fauna of Taiwan I
    Scleractinia Fauna of Taiwan I. The Complex Group 台灣石珊瑚誌 I. 複雜類群 Chang-feng Dai and Sharon Horng Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University Published by National Taiwan University, No.1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei, Taiwan Table of Contents Scleractinia Fauna of Taiwan ................................................................................................1 General Introduction ........................................................................................................1 Historical Review .............................................................................................................1 Basics for Coral Taxonomy ..............................................................................................4 Taxonomic Framework and Phylogeny ........................................................................... 9 Family Acroporidae ............................................................................................................ 15 Montipora ...................................................................................................................... 17 Acropora ........................................................................................................................ 47 Anacropora .................................................................................................................... 95 Isopora ...........................................................................................................................96 Astreopora ......................................................................................................................99
    [Show full text]
  • A Guide for Vulnerability Assessment and Local Early Action Planning
    Climate Change Adaptation for Coral Triangle Communities: A Guide for Vulnerability Assessment and Local Early Action Planning (LEAP Guide) The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID, NOAA or the US Government. This publication may be reproduced or quoted in other publications as long as proper reference is made to the source. The recommended citation is listed below. The U.S. Coral Triangle Initiative (US CTI) Support Program was established through the support of the U.S. Government to assist the leadership of the Coral Triangle countries to take action to maintain the coral reefs, fisheries, and food security of the Coral Triangle. US CTI is a coordinated effort of the Coral Triangle Support Partnership (CTSP, a consortium of World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Conservation International (CI), and The Nature Conservancy); the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); the U.S. Department of State; and other partners. Spearheaded by the U.S. Agency for International Development Regional Development Mission Asia in collaboration with USAID/ Indonesia, USAID/ Philippines, and USAID/ Timor-Leste, the program assists the six countries of the Coral Triangle and the CTI Regional Secretariat to implement their Regional and National Plans of Action through technical assistance and capacity-building, and access to cutting-edge science. US CTI Support Program Document No. 11-USCTI-13 Suggested citation: U.S. Coral Triangle Initiative Support Program. (2013). Climate Change Adaptation for Coral Triangle Communities: Guide for Vulnerability Assessment and Local Early Action Planning (LEAP Guide). Prepared with support from the United States Agency for International Development.
    [Show full text]
  • Identifying Gaps in the Coral Triangle Marine.Indd
    IDENTIFYING GAPS IN THE CORAL TRIANGLE MARINE PROTECTED AREA SYSTEM AS CONSERVATION PRIORITIES This publication was prepared in cooperation with the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, with funding from the United States Agency for International Development’s Coral Triangle Support Partnership (2013) Cover photo: © Maria Beger IDENTIFYING GAPS IN THE CORAL TRIANGLE MARINE PROTECTED AREA SYSTEM AS CONSERVATION PRIORITIES October 2013 USAID Project Number GCP LWA # LAG-A-00-99-00048-00 Citation: Beger, M., J. McGowan, S. F. Heron, E. A. Treml, A. Green, A. T. White, N. H., Wolff, K. Hock, R. van Hooidonk, P. J. Mumby, and H. P. Possingham. 2013. Identifying conservation priority gaps in the Coral Triangle Marine Protected Area System. Coral Triangle Support Program of USAID, The Nature Conservancy, and The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. This is a publication of the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security (CTI-CFF). Funding for the preparation of this document was provided by the USAID-funded Coral Triangle Support Partnership (CTSP). CTSP is a consortium led by the World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy, and Conservation International with funding support from the United States Agency for International Development’s Regional Asia Program. For more information on the six-nation Coral Triangle Initiative, please contact: Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security Interim Regional Secretariat Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of the Republic of Indonesia Mina Bahari Building II, 17th Floor Jalan Medan Merdeka Timur No 16 Jakarta Pusat 10110 Indonesia www.thecoraltriangleintitiave.org © 2011 Coral Triangle Support Partnership.
    [Show full text]
  • State of the Coral Triangle Report
    oceans. All the main islands are volcanic in Executive Summary origin and are surrounded by barrier, patch, lagoonal, and fringing reefs. !us, the !e Solomon Islands National Plan of Action smaller islands are mostly raised coral (SI-NPOA): Coral Triangle Initiative on islands and atolls. Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security State of the (CTI-CFF) provides visionary guidance for !e climate in the Solomon Islands is the management of coral reefs and related characterized by a wet and a dry season. !e ecosystems in the Solomon Islands (Ministry mean temperature experienced all year round Coral of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster is 27°C (80°F), but with a few extremes of Management and Meteorology and warm and cold temperatures. !e southeast trade winds (ara) blow continuously with Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, varying intensity during April to November, Triangle 2010). It is consistent with the CTI Regional while winds blow from west to northwest Plan of Action (RPOA), but also incorporates (koburu) from November to April. Tropical local situations and circumstances. Related cyclones and consequent strong winds are Report national initiatives, such as the Strategy for likely to occur from November to April. the Management of Inshore Fisheries and Marine Resources (Ministry of Fisheries and HIGHLIGHTS Marine Resources, 2010), complement the Biodiversity of coastal and actions outlined in the SI-NPOA. Another marine ecosystems important national initiative that !e Solomon Islands have one of the most complements the CTI NPOA is the diverse coral reef systems in the world. National Biodiversity Strategic and Action Such diversity is attributed to the highly Plan 2009.
    [Show full text]
  • Ancestral Genetic Diversity Associated with the Rapid Spread of Stress-Tolerant Coral Symbionts in Response to Holocene Climate Change
    Ancestral genetic diversity associated with the rapid spread of stress-tolerant coral symbionts in response to Holocene climate change Benjamin C. C. Humea, Christian R. Voolstrab, Chatchanit Arifb, Cecilia D’Angeloa,c, John A. Burtd, Gal Eyale,f, Yossi Loyae, and Jörg Wiedenmanna,c,1 aCoral Reef Laboratory, Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, Southampton SO14 3ZH, United Kingdom; bRed Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia; cInstitute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom; dMarine Biology Laboratory, Centre for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi 129188, United Arab Emirates; eDepartment of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; and fThe Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences in Eilat, Eilat 8810369, Israel Edited by Nancy Knowlton, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, and approved March 3, 2016 (received for review February 4, 2016) Coral communities in the Persian/Arabian Gulf (PAG) withstand change from cooler and moister to warmer and more arid, reaching unusually high salinity levels and regular summer temperature today’s conditions only ∼4,000 y ago (8–10). Hence, the coral maxima of up to ∼35 °C that kill conspecifics elsewhere. Due to the communities of the PAG, composed mostly of a subset of Indian recent formation of the PAG and its subsequent shift to a hot cli- Ocean species (11), have had to adjust rapidly to temperatures not mate, these corals have had only <6,000 y to adapt to these ex- expected to occur in other parts of the world’soceansbeforethe treme conditions and can therefore inform on how coral reefs may next century (12).
    [Show full text]
  • Conservation of Reef Corals in the South China Sea Based on Species and Evolutionary Diversity
    Biodivers Conserv DOI 10.1007/s10531-016-1052-7 ORIGINAL PAPER Conservation of reef corals in the South China Sea based on species and evolutionary diversity 1 2 3 Danwei Huang • Bert W. Hoeksema • Yang Amri Affendi • 4 5,6 7,8 Put O. Ang • Chaolun A. Chen • Hui Huang • 9 10 David J. W. Lane • Wilfredo Y. Licuanan • 11 12 13 Ouk Vibol • Si Tuan Vo • Thamasak Yeemin • Loke Ming Chou1 Received: 7 August 2015 / Revised: 18 January 2016 / Accepted: 21 January 2016 Ó Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2016 Abstract The South China Sea in the Central Indo-Pacific is a large semi-enclosed marine region that supports an extraordinary diversity of coral reef organisms (including stony corals), which varies spatially across the region. While one-third of the world’s reef corals are known to face heightened extinction risk from global climate and local impacts, prospects for the coral fauna in the South China Sea region amidst these threats remain poorly understood. In this study, we analyse coral species richness, rarity, and phylogenetic Communicated by Dirk Sven Schmeller. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10531-016-1052-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. & Danwei Huang [email protected] 1 Department of Biological Sciences and Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore 2 Naturalis Biodiversity Center, PO Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands 3 Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of
    [Show full text]