Cocos Island (Pacificof Costa Rica) Coral Reefs After the 1982-83 El Niño Disturbance

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Cocos Island (Pacificof Costa Rica) Coral Reefs After the 1982-83 El Niño Disturbance Rev. Biol. Trop., 40(3): 309-324, 1992 Cocos Island (Pacificof Costa Rica) coral reefs after the 1982-83 El Niño disturbance Héctor M. Guzmán! y Jorge Cortés2 1 Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 2072, Balboa, Panamá. 2 Centro de Investigación en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología and Escuela de Bic!ogía, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica. (Rec. 27-X-1991. Acep. 8-VI-1992) Cocos Island coral reefs were adversely affected by tbe 1982-83 El Niño warming event. Surveys made in 1987Abstract: indicated dramatic coral mortality at aH depths (l-24m). Live coral cover on tbree studied coral reefs was 2.6, 2.9 and 3.5%. Population den sities of the coraHivores Acanthaster planci and Arothron meleagris were relatively high witb tbeir feeding activities concentrated on tbe few surviving colonies. Density of Diadema mexicanum was also high, being responsible for tbe erosion of large reef framework areas. It is predicted that recovery of the original reef-framework tbickness is in tbe order of centuries. Eastern Pacific, coral reef, El Niño, Cocos Island, recovery. Key words: Widespread death of reef-building corals after catastrophic predation by Acanthaster occurred in the eastem Pacific, associated with planci (Linnaeus) was faster than expected abnormally high sea surface temperatures that because the structural integrity of the reef persisted for long periods during the 1982-1983 framework was not destroy ed and cry ptic El Niño (Glynn et al. 1988, Glynn 1990). There colonies survived (Colgan 1987). There has were significant reductions in live coral (SO- been sorne recovery of the coral community 100 %) on reefs in the Galápagos, Colombia, after the 1982-1983 El Niño in sorne areas of Panamá and Costa Rica (review in GIy nn the tropical eastem Pacific, but in other areas 1990). The distribution and abundance of recovery has been impeded by intensification several reef-associated invertebrates such as of corallivore activity (Glynn 1985a, Guzmán Diadema mexicanum Agassiz, Jenneria Robertson 1989), red tides (Guzmán et al. & pustulata (Lightfoot), Trapezia spp., and 1990), low recruitment rates (G lynn et al. Alpheus lottini Guerin experienced major 1991), and an increase in the destruction of changes (Gly nn 1985a, b). the reef framework by echinoids (G ly nn Pearson (1981) has suggested that 1988). These disturbances may eventually recovery of coral reefs after major natural lead to a replacement of the coral s by fleshy disturbances can take several decades. and crustose algae and to changes in the reef Recovery occurs through one or a community structure. combination of three mechanisms: (l) The purpose of this paper is twofold: to regeneration of surviving colonies (Colgan describe the coral reef community structure at 1987), (2) fragmentation of surviving Cocos Island after the 1982-83 El Niño event, colonies (Highsmith 1982), and (3) larval and second, to speculate about possible settlement (Loya 1976). In Guam, recovery recovery times of the reefs. 310 REVISTA BIOLOGIA TROPICAL DE Caribbean Sea 0 10 --� Manuelita Pacific Cocos Is. Ocean F Isl. '-...... " E B � ®Chatham ay � @ O Go � ° ' Punta 5 33 _��_�_�� Wafer Bay Presidio Punta Pacheco J ... Cerro Iglesias I o =::.::::::i2 _3 .... Yglesias O __ © Kilometers oC Bay ' 87°03 Fig. l. Cocos Island Reef sites A through C, were visited in 1978; sites A through K in 1986; and sites A, B and G in 1987. MATERIAL AND METHODS National Park in 1978 (Boza 1978). 1984 the protected area was extended to includeIn the marine Study area: Cocos Island (Isla del Coco) is environment within 5 of the island and in located at 5°32'N and 87°04'W (Fig. 1), 1991 it was again expandedkm to within 25 approximately 500 southwest of Costa Rica Cocos Island is the only subaereallykm. and 630 northeastkm of the Galápagos Islands. exposed portion of the aseismic Cocos Ridge, Its perimeterkm is 23.3 and the area 46.6 and is of volcanic origin associated with the The highest point (575km m) is CerroIglesias onkm2• the Galápagos hot spot and superimposed by more west side (Castillo et al. 1988). The island was recent seamount volcanism (Castillo et al. claimed by Costa Rica in 1832 and declared a 1988). GUZMAN & CORTES: Cocos Island coral reefs after El Niño disturbance 311 Sampling: COCOS Island was first visited in Chatham (each 200 m) reefs, were run July 1978. Three reefs were surveyed at perpendicular to the shore from the shallow depths between 5 and 25 m (Fig. 1, sites A, B, part of the reef to its base. C). In December 1986, three years after the The sea urchins Eucidaris thouarsii event, eleven reefs were visited between and (Valenciennes) in Galápagos (Gly nn 1988, 1 30 m depth (Fig. 1, sites A to K). Colgan 1990) and D. mexicanum in Panamá Unfortunately, only general observations, and (Glynn 1988) and Caño Island, Costa Rica underwater photography of the coral species (Guzmán 1988) are eroding the reef composition and distribution could be made frameworks. To determine D. mexicanum during both expeditions. The information density at Cocos Island, lOxl m long transects conceming sites I and J was provided by J.K. were surveyed parallel to the shore, at 5 m Reed, who visited those reefs during the same intervals, at two stations in each of the three cruise. reefs. In December 1987, four years after the El Reef thickness was estimated measuring Niño event, quantitative surveys were with a metric tape the maximum height of performed (during a five days expedition) at exposed block s of framework or on larger three of the reefs visÍted previously (Fig. 1, colonies. sites A, B, G). Those reefs, namely Punta Temperature deviations relative to a 20 year Presidio (A), 10-30 m depth, Bahía Chatham average (1947-1967) were obtained from data (B), 3-20 m, and Punta Pacheco (G), 1.5-20 based on 4000 to 6000 ship observations per m, represent three of the four well month, with a precision of 0.2 oC a.'1d of 1 to 3 developed reefs around the island (the nautical miles in position (F. Miller, per. fourth is at site C). comm.) We ran 10m line transects (Loya 1978) at distance intervals of 5 m (reefs A and B) and 8 m (reef G), following depth contours, at three stations haphazardly selected at each of RES ULTS the three reefs. We did 72 transects at Punta Presidio, 80 at Bahía Chatham and 147 at A total of 29 coral species, of which 20 Punta Pacheco (total 2990 m of reefs). The are shallow-water dwellers, have been sections with dead coral framework were reported for the island (Table 1). The massive scrutinized to identify the species, and coral Pavona gigantea Verrill is reported reconstruct the structure (i.e. coral zonation, from Cocos Island for the first time. Several abundance, colony size and composition) of species have not been found after the El Niño the former reef. Colony size was measured evento along the maximum length of living tissue. Before the 1982/83 coral mortality, all Diversity was calculated using the Shannon­ the reefs had high live coral coverage (Fig. Weaver index (Margalef 1957) and compared 2a, pero obser. ), and large areas of agariciid using Hutchenson's formula (Hutchenson corals (Pavona spp. and Gardineroseris 1970). planulata (Dana») were commonly We estimated the density (ind./ha) of the observed. A. planci was abundant and it was corallivorous seastar A. planci and the never observed feeding upon poritid corals pufferfishA. meleagris (Bloch and Schneider) (Fig. 2c). Bakus (1975) reported that the at the three reef areas; these two species can subtidal community was dominated (about influence the cornmunity structure of the coral 95 % of the live coral cover) by the massive reefs in the eastern Pacific (Gly nn 1974, coral Porites lobata Dana (erroneously 1985a, b, Guzmán 1988, Guzmán and identified as P. californica). In 1987 the Robertson 1989). All individuals encountered reefs at Punta Presidio and Punta Pacheco on an estimated 15 m wide independent belt­ had a continuous reef framework, while the transect were recorded. The transects (census), Chatham reef framework was solid from 3 four and five for A.planci and A. meleagris to 7 m in depth and was then formed by respectively at Presidio reef (each 180 m long), large coral patches intermixed with sand and four at Pacheco (each 235 m) and 4 at coral rubble down to 20 m. 312 REV ISTA DE BIOLOGIA TROPICAL TABLE I Sc/eractinian corals from Cocos Island, Costa Rica Suborder ASTROCOENIINA Family THAMNASTERIIDAE l. Psammocora stellata Verrill a, d, g 2. Psammocora supeificialis (Gardiner) b Family POCILLOPORIDAE 3. Poci/lopora capitata Verrill e 4. Poci/lopora damicornis (Linnaeus) b, d 5. Poci/lopora elegans Dana b, d 6. Pocillopora eydouxi Milne Edwards & Haime d 7. Pocillopora meandrina Dana b, d g 8. Poci/lopora verrucosa Squires b Suborder FUNGIINA Family AGARICIIDAE 9. Pavona c/avus Dana d, g lO. Pavona gigantea Verrill g 11. Pavona varians Verrill b, d, g 12. Gardineroseris planulata (Dana) a, b, g 13. Leptoseris papyracea (Dana) a, e Family FUNGIIDAE 14. Fungia (Cyc/oseris) curvata (VerriU) e 15 . Fungia (Cyc/oseris) distorta Michelin a, e Family PORITIDAE . 16. Porites lobata Dana' b, e, g Suborder FAVIINA Family FAVIIDAE * 17. Cladocora debilis Milne Edwards & Haime a * 18. Cladocora pacifica Caims f Family RHIZANGIIDAE 19. Astrangia dentata Verrill b 20. Culicia rubeola Dana f Suborder CARYOPHYLLIINA Family CARYOPHYLLIIDAE * 21. Anomocora carinata Cairns f * 22. Caryophy/Jia diomedeae Marenzeller f * 23. Desmophyllum cristagalli Milne Edwards & Haime f * 24. Polycyathus hondaensis (Durham & Bamard) a Family FLABELLIDAE * 25. Javania cailleti (Duchassaing & Michelotti) f Suborder DENDROPHYLLIINA Family DENDROPHYLLIIDAE * 26.
Recommended publications
  • Long-Term Monitoring of Coral Reefs of the Main Hawaiian Islands Final
    Long-Term Monitoring of Coral Reefs of the Main Hawaiian Islands Final Report Hawaiʹi Island Monitoring Report NOAA AWARD: NA11NOS4820006 10/01/2009 – 12/31/2012 William Walsh, Stephen Cotton, Camille Barnett, Courtney Couch, Linda Preskitt, Brian Tissot, Kara Osada-D’Avella, Hawaii Coral Reef Management Grant NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program Award to State of Hawaii Department of Land & Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources Contents SUMMARY OF FINDINGS ............................................................................................... 4 CONTRIBUTORS ............................................................................................................. 8 HAWAI’I ISLAND SURVEYS ........................................................................................... 9 Benthic Monitoring Methods .............................................................................................. 9 Results .............................................................................................................................. 9 Puakō................................................................................ ... ...........................................11 Octocoral Distribution ...................................................................................................... 12 Coral Disease.................................................................................................................. 14 Methodology...................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Training Manual Series No.15/2018
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by CMFRI Digital Repository DBTR-H D Indian Council of Agricultural Research Ministry of Science and Technology Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute Department of Biotechnology CMFRI Training Manual Series No.15/2018 Training Manual In the frame work of the project: DBT sponsored Three Months National Training in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology for Fisheries Professionals 2015-18 Training Manual In the frame work of the project: DBT sponsored Three Months National Training in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology for Fisheries Professionals 2015-18 Training Manual This is a limited edition of the CMFRI Training Manual provided to participants of the “DBT sponsored Three Months National Training in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology for Fisheries Professionals” organized by the Marine Biotechnology Division of Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), from 2nd February 2015 - 31st March 2018. Principal Investigator Dr. P. Vijayagopal Compiled & Edited by Dr. P. Vijayagopal Dr. Reynold Peter Assisted by Aditya Prabhakar Swetha Dhamodharan P V ISBN 978-93-82263-24-1 CMFRI Training Manual Series No.15/2018 Published by Dr A Gopalakrishnan Director, Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CMFRI) Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute PB.No:1603, Ernakulam North P.O, Kochi-682018, India. 2 Foreword Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Kochi along with CIFE, Mumbai and CIFA, Bhubaneswar within the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Department of Biotechnology of Government of India organized a series of training programs entitled “DBT sponsored Three Months National Training in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology for Fisheries Professionals”.
    [Show full text]
  • OSTRACIIDAE Boxfishes by K
    click for previous page 3948 Bony Fishes OSTRACIIDAE Boxfishes by K. Matsuura iagnostic characters: Small to medium-sized (to 40 cm) fishes; body almost completely encased Din a bony shell or carapace formed of enlarged, thickened scale plates, usually hexagonal in shape and firmly sutured to one another; no isolated bony plates on caudal peduncle. Carapace triangular, rectangular, or pentangular in cross-section, with openings for mouth, eyes, gill slits, pectoral, dorsal, and anal fins, and for the flexible caudal peduncle. Scale-plates often with surface granulations which are prolonged in some species into prominent carapace spines over eye or along ventrolateral or dorsal angles of body. Mouth small, terminal, with fleshy lips; teeth moderate, conical, usually less than 15 in each jaw. Gill opening a moderately short, vertical to oblique slit in front of pectoral-fin base. Spinous dorsal fin absent; most dorsal-, anal-, and pectoral-fin rays branched; caudal fin with 8 branched rays; pelvic fins absent. Lateral line inconspicuous. Colour: variable, with general ground colours of either brown, grey, or yellow, usually with darker or lighter spots, blotches, lines, and reticulations. carapace no bony plates on caudal peduncle 8 branched caudal-fin rays Habitat, biology, and fisheries: Slow-swimming, benthic-dwelling fishes occurring on rocky and coral reefs and over sand, weed, or sponge-covered bottoms to depths of 100 m. Feed on benthic invertebrates. Taken either by trawl, other types of nets, or traps. Several species considered excellent eating in southern Japan, although some species are reported to have toxic flesh and are also able to secrete a substance when distressed that is highly toxic, both to other fishes and themselves in enclosed areas such as holding tanks.
    [Show full text]
  • Modos De Reclutamiento Coralino Y Efectos De La Depredación Por Arothron Meleagris En Corales Pocilopóridos De Isla Gorgona
    Modos de reclutamiento coralino y efectos de la depredación por Arothron meleagris en corales pocilopóridos de Isla Gorgona Carlos G. Muñoz Modos de reclutamiento coralino y efectos de la depredación por Arothron meleagris en corales pocilopóridos de Isla Gorgona Tesis doctoral presentada por: Carlos G. Muñoz, bajo la dirección de: Fernando A. Zapata. Doctorado en Ciencias del Mar Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas Universidad del Valle Cali, Colombia 2017 II RESUMEN Los arrecifes coralinos son ecosistemas vulnerables que se han venido deteriorando a escala mundial al desarrollarse en condiciones ambientales restringidas, pero también son sistemas altamente dinámicos al exhibir ciclos naturales de perturbación-recuperación que apenas estamos comenzando a entender. El reclutamiento, o la entrada de nuevos individuos a las poblaciones, determina en gran medida el proceso de recuperación natural después de perturbaciones, y puede darse tanto por asentamiento de larvas derivadas de reproducción sexual, como por fragmentación física de colonias y supervivencia de esos fragmentos. En el Pacífico Tropical Oriental los escasos estudios sobre reclutamiento coralino de origen sexual han sido poco exitosos, y a pesar de la potencial importancia de la reproducción asexual por fragmentación, aspectos básicos sobre la ecología de este proceso aún se desconocen. Esta investigación por medio de un amplio trabajo de campo, aportó información novedosa sobre la ecología reproductiva de los corales del Pacífico colombiano. Se proporcionó por primera vez evidencia sobre la presencia de reclutas coralinos de origen sexual en diversos sitios de Isla Gorgona, y mediante monitoreos y experimentos in situ estudiamos algunas causas física y bióticas de la fragmentación de coral en el arrecife de La Azufrada.
    [Show full text]
  • Population and Feeding Responses of the Corallivorous Pufferfish Arothron Meleagris to Coral Mortality in the Eastern Pacific
    MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES Vol. 55: 121-131. 1989 Published July 27 Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. Population and feeding responses of the corallivorous pufferfish Arothron meleagris to coral mortality in the eastern Pacific Hector M. Guzman, D. Ross Robertson* Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (Panama) APO. Miami, Florida 34002-0011, USA ABSTRACT: Arothron meleagris occurs at densities rangng from 0 to 320 fish ha-' of live coral on eastern Pacific coral reefs of Costa hca, Panama, Colombia and the Galapagos Islands. On reefs in Panama and Costa hca, over 50n& of corals died during the 1982-83 El Nino event and 40% of remaining corals at Cano Island, Costa Rica, died during red tides in 1985. The population density of A. meleagns is not related to coral density on different reefs and fish densities did not change in a consistent manner follow~ngthe coral mortalities. Diets and feeding preferences of A. meleagris at different sites are not related in a consistent way to the abundance of various corals or to changes in coral abundances following coral mortalities. At Cafio Island A. meleagn's prefers Pontes lobata over the less abundant Pocillopora damicornis. At Uva Island, Panama, where P. damlcornis is the more abundant species, A. rneleagns does not prefer either coral. The relationship between the availability and consumption of the uncommon coral Psamrnocora stellata also differs among localities. Changes in this fish's diet following the mass coral mortalities varied among sites. At Cano Island fish switched first to coralline algae and then to corals. Fish do grow when expenmentally fed only coralline algae, but grow better when fed corals.
    [Show full text]
  • 61661147.Pdf
    Resource Inventory of Marine and Estuarine Fishes of the West Coast and Alaska: A Checklist of North Pacific and Arctic Ocean Species from Baja California to the Alaska–Yukon Border OCS Study MMS 2005-030 and USGS/NBII 2005-001 Project Cooperation This research addressed an information need identified Milton S. Love by the USGS Western Fisheries Research Center and the Marine Science Institute University of California, Santa Barbara to the Department University of California of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service, Pacific Santa Barbara, CA 93106 OCS Region, Camarillo, California. The resource inventory [email protected] information was further supported by the USGS’s National www.id.ucsb.edu/lovelab Biological Information Infrastructure as part of its ongoing aquatic GAP project in Puget Sound, Washington. Catherine W. Mecklenburg T. Anthony Mecklenburg Report Availability Pt. Stephens Research Available for viewing and in PDF at: P. O. Box 210307 http://wfrc.usgs.gov Auke Bay, AK 99821 http://far.nbii.gov [email protected] http://www.id.ucsb.edu/lovelab Lyman K. Thorsteinson Printed copies available from: Western Fisheries Research Center Milton Love U. S. Geological Survey Marine Science Institute 6505 NE 65th St. University of California, Santa Barbara Seattle, WA 98115 Santa Barbara, CA 93106 [email protected] (805) 893-2935 June 2005 Lyman Thorsteinson Western Fisheries Research Center Much of the research was performed under a coopera- U. S. Geological Survey tive agreement between the USGS’s Western Fisheries
    [Show full text]
  • Kenya Diani Marine Reserve Expedition 1993: Report on the Distribution of Habitats and Species of the Diani Coast - Part 1
    Kenya Diani Marine Reserve Expedition 1993: Report on the Distribution of Habitats and Species of the Diani Coast - Part 1. Item Type Report Publisher Universities of York & Hull Download date 27/09/2021 21:10:40 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/1834/7240 KENYA DIANI MARINE RESERVE EXPEDITION. 1993 REPORT ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF HABITATS AND SPECIES OF THE DIANI COAST. PAR T 1. MAY, 1994 UNIVERSITIES OF YORK & HULL, UK. 2 PAR T 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CON TEN T S PAGE PART 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. 2 l. INTRODUCTION 8 2. THE SURVEY AREA: GENERAL CHARACTER AND TOPOGRAPHY 19 3. HABITAT DISTRIBUTION SURVEY 22 4. IMPACT STUDY 28 5. CORALS AND REEFS 47 6. FISHES 57 7 . INVERTEBRATES- 92 8. CONCLUDING REMARKS 105 3 REPORT ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF COASTAL AND MARINE HABITATS AND SPECIES OF THE DIANI COAST. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. INTRODUCTION This report arises from field work carried out between November 1993 and December 1993 in response to recommendations made by Schoorl and Visser (1991) in their discussion paper 'Towards sustainable coastal tourism' environmental impacts of tourism on the Kenya Coast \ commissioned by the Netherlands Minister of Agriculture, j Nature Management and Fisheries. Funding and support for J • this project was provided by the Royal Geographical Society UK, the Kenya Wildlife Service and various companies and trusts. 2. OBJECTIVES Specific targets for the project were as follows:­ 1) To determine the occurrence and distribution of species which may be of conservational concern and/or which serve to indicate the general pattern of distribution of species within the study area.
    [Show full text]
  • The Spotfin Burrfish (Chilomycterus Reticulatus), a New Host Record for Cymothoa Pulchra (Isopoda, Cymothoidae)
    Crustaceana 85 (7) 893-896 THE SPOTFIN BURRFISH (CHILOMYCTERUS RETICULATUS), A NEW HOST RECORD FOR CYMOTHOA PULCHRA (ISOPODA, CYMOTHOIDAE) BY KAZUYA NAGASAWA1,3) and HIROYUKI DOI2) 1) Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University, 1-4-4 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan 2) Shimonoseki Marine Science Museum, 6-1 Arcaporte, Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi 750-0036, Japan The cymothoid isopod Cymothoa pulchra Lanchester, 1902 is a parasite found in the buccal cavity of puffers and porcupinefish (Tetraodontiformes, Tetraodonti- dae and Diodontidae) in the central and western Pacific and the Indian Ocean. This species was originally described by Lanchester (1902) based on a single female specimen collected at Pulau Bidan in the Malacca Strait, Malaysia. It has been re- ported since from Sri Lanka (Monod, 1924), Australia (Avdeev, 1978), Indonesia (Nierstrasz, 1915, 1931; Trilles, 1975), Vietnam (Monod, 1934), Gulf of Thailand (Trilles, 1975), French Polynesia (Galzin & Trilles, 1979), China (Yu & Li, 2003a, b) and Japan (Shiino, 1951; Williams et al., 1996; Kuramochi et al., 2003). It was redescribed by Galzin & Trilles (1979) using material of male and female adults and juveniles (pullus II) from French Polynesia. Known hosts of C. pulchra are the stellate puffer (Arothron stellatus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801), as Tetraodon stellatus Bloch & Schneider, 1801 or Arothron alboreticulatus (Tanaka, 1908)) (cf. Monod, 1934; Avdeev, 1978; Galzin & Trilles, 1979), the guineafowl puffer (Arothron meleagris (Lacepède, 1798)) (cf. Galzin & Trilles, 1979), the longspined porcupinefish (Diodon holacanthus Linnaeus, 1758) (cf. Shiino, 1951; Williams et al., 1996; Kuramochi et al., 2003), the spot- fin porcupinefish (Diodon hystrix Linnaeus, 1758) (cf. Galzin & Trilles, 1979; Williams et al., 1996) and the black-blotched porcupinefish (Diodon liturosus Shaw, 1804) (cf.
    [Show full text]
  • Exploitation of Coral Reef Fishes for the Marine Aquarium Trade in Kenya: a Preliminary Assessment - Final Technical Report Contract 19/2004
    Exploitation of Coral Reef Fishes For the Marine Aquarium Trade in Kenya: a Preliminary Assessment - Final Technical Report Contract 19/2004 Item Type Report Authors Okemwa, G.M.; Fulanda, B.; Ochiewo, J.; Kimani, E.N. Publisher Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) Download date 24/09/2021 06:45:39 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/1834/8990 Exploitation of Coral Reef Fishes For the Marine Aquarium Trade in Kenya: A Preliminary Assessment FINAL TECHNICAL REPORT CONTRACT 19/2004 Principal Investigator: G. M. Okemwa Co-investigators: B. Fulanda, J. Ochiewo and E. N. Kimani Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute P.O. Box 81651-80100, Mombasa Kenya September 2006 Okemwa G. M. et al. (2006) Exploitation of Coral Reef Fishes for the Marine Aquarium Trade in Kenya Table of Contents 1.0 BACKGROUND - 4 - 2.0 MATERIALS AND METHODS - 6 - 3.0 RESULTS - 10 - 3.1 Trade Links and Dynamics of the Supply Network - 10 - 3.2 Monitoring and Regulation of the Trade - 10 - 3.3 Harvest and Handling Methods Used - 11 - 3.4 Packaging and Transportation - 12 - 3.5 Key Collection Sites - 14 - 3.6 Export Markets - 14 - 3.7 Species Harvested - 16 - 3.8 Catch and Effort Trends in the Shimoni Area - 18 - 3.6 Post Harvest Mortality of Fish - 20 - 3.9 Impacts of Aquarium Fish Collection in the Shimoni Area - 21 - 4.0 Socioeconomic Dynamics of the Aquarium Industry in Kenya - 24 - 5.0 DISCUSSION - 27 - 5.1 Constraints and Limitations of the Study - 32 - 5.2 Recommendations - 33 - 6.0 REFERENCES - 36 - LIST OF FIGURES: Figure 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Reef Recovery 20 Years After the 1982-1983 El Mno Massive Mortality
    Mar Biol DOI 10.1007/s00227-006-0495-x RESEARCH ARTICLE Reef recovery 20 years after the 1982-1983 El Mno massive mortality Hector M. Guzman • Jorge Cortes Received: 17 August 2004 / Accepted: 9 July 2006 © Springer-Verlag 2006 Abstract For over 20 years the El Nino-Southern nies of P. lobata and Pavona spp. and with long dis- Oscillation (ENSO) has caused damage to the coral tance transport of larvae from remote reefs. We found reefs of the eastern Pacific and other regions. In the an overall 23% live coral cover by 2002 and with one mid-1980s scientists estimated that coral cover was reef above 58% indicating that Cocos Island coral reefs reduced by 50-100% in several countries across the are recovering. region. Almost 20 years (2002) after the 1982-1983 event, we assessed the recovery of the virtually destroyed reefs at Cocos Island (Costa Rica), previ- Introduction ously evaluated in 1987 and reported to have less than 4% live coral cover. We observed up to fivefold The El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) occurs in increase in live coral cover which varied among reefs the equatorial eastern Pacific with a periodicity of 2- surveyed in 1987 and 2002. Most new recruits and 7 years. It causes great environmental changes, such as adults belonged to the main reef building species from increase in sea surface temperature, that affect marine pre-1982 ENSO, Porites lobata, suggesting that a dis- populations and ecosystems in a variable manner turbance as outstanding as El Nino was not sufficient to (Enfield 2001; Fiedler 2002).
    [Show full text]
  • How Many Fish Could Be Vocal? an Estimation from a Coral Reef (Moorea Island)
    Belgian Journal of Zoology Royal Belgian Zoological Society www.belgianjournalzoology.be This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0). ISSN 2295-0451 Research article https://doi.org/10.26496/bjz.2021.82 How many fish could be vocal? An estimation from a coral reef (Moorea Island) Eric Parmentier 1,*, Frédéric Bertucci 2,3, Marta Bolgan 1 & David Lecchini 3,4 1 Université de Liège, Laboratoire de Morphologie fonctionnelle et évolutive, FOCUS, Institut de Chimie - B6c, Sart Tilman, Liège, 4000, Belgium. 2 Biology of Aquatic Organisms and Ecosystems (Unit BOREA), Université des Antilles- MNHN-SU-UCN-CNRS-IRD, Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe. 3 Laboratoire d’Excellence « CORAIL », BP 1013, 98729, Papetoai, Moorea, French Polynesia. 4 PSL Research University: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR3278 CRIOBE, BP 1013, 98729, Papetoai, Moorea, French Polynesia. * Corresponding author: [email protected] Abstract. A recurrent question arising in fish bioacoustics research concerns the number of vocal fish species that may exist. Although it is not possible to provide a precise globally valid number, an estimation based on recordings already collected at coral reefs (Moorea) and on morphological approaches indicates that approximately half of the fish families of this particular environment has at least one known sound- producing species. In light of this, acoustic behaviour should be fully considered in biology, ecology and management plans as it may provide information on a consistent portion of fish biodiversity. Fish bioacoustics has switched from anecdotal reports to long-term, large-scale monitoring studies, capable of providing high resolution information on fish populations’ composition and dynamics.
    [Show full text]
  • Only Reported for La Azufrada Reef
    Rev. Biol. Trop.,39 (2):203-206, 1991 Diet of tbe corallivorous pufferfisb Arothron meleagris (Pisces: Tetraodontidae) at Gorgona Island, Colombia. Héctor M. Guzmán and Juan D. López Smithsonian TropicalResearchInstitute, Apartado 2W2, Balboa, Panama . (Rec.13-IX-1990,Acep. 2O-II-1991) Abstrad: The density and diet of Arothro1'l meleagris and lhe abundance of corals are compared between Playa Blanca and La Azufradaree fs at Gorgona lsland,.Colombia.Corals, an important food resource for A. meleagris, are abundantafter lhe widespread coralmortality causedby lheEl Niño event in 1982-83. Bolhpuffee density and percent live coral cover were similar between reefs. The diet of A. meleagris showed strong preferences foc lhe abundant Pocilloporaspp. Arothro1'l may affect lhe recovety ofsome eastem Pacific reefs, where lhefish has been reportedfee­ ding on rare or less abundant corals.In contrast,lhe effect of A meleagris on Gorgona reefsmay be non significant; in fact, the fish may help lhe process of recovery,by fragmenting and dispersing colonies while feeding onpocilloporid coral!,but not feeding on raeecoral species. Key words: Corallivory, Colombia,coral reef s,eastemPacifiCo Arothron meleagris (Bloch & Schneider) is of me corallivores that consumed the greatest an Indo-Pacific pufferfish (Tetraodontidae)that amount of live coral, and fed mainly on poci­ is widely distributed throughout the eastern lloporids. Thisinference was basedon its abun­ Pacific Ocean. It lives on rocky shores,bom on dance and feeding habits, and not on stomach me mainland andoffshore islands (Thomson et contents. Prahl (1983) reported87% coral mor­ 'al. 1979). Almough its diet consists largely of tality at sorne reefs at Gorgona during the live corals (Glynn et al.
    [Show full text]