VOL 11 SOLOMON ISLANDS VOL 11 SOLOMON ISLANDS GLOBAL REEF EXPEDITION FINAL REPORT Renée D. Carlton, Alexandra C. Dempsey, Katie Lubarsky, Ivory Akao, Mohammed Faisal, and Samuel Purkis NEWKINGDOM CALEDONIA OF TONGA TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................ 2 1.0 INTRODUCTION .............................................. 6 2.0 METHODS 2.1 Site Descriptions............................................. 12 ©2020 Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation. All Rights Reserved. 2.2 Habitat Mapping ............................................. 12 Science Without Borders® 2.2a) Satellite Imagery ............................................. 15 2.2b) Benthic Video ................................................ 15 The findings presented in this report were collected as part of the Global Reef Expedition through the support provided by His Royal Highness Prince Khaled bin Sultan. 2.2c) Habitat Classifications ......................................... 16 2.2d) Acoustic Water Depth Soundings................................ 16 All research was completed under an MOU between the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources and KSLOF (MFMR Ref F/12/11 issued 20 August 2014) and under Research Permit Number RP/2014/006 issued by the Ministry of Environment, 2.3 Coral Reef Community Surveys ................................. 18 Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology on 21 August 2014. Further permissions were acquired from 2.3a) Benthic Cover Assessment ..................................... 18 the Provincial Governments in Temotu Province, Isabel Province and Western Province. This report was developed as one 2.3b) Fish Assessments............................................. 20 component of the Global Reef Expedition: Solomon Islands research project. 3.0 RESULTS The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation (KSLOF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing science-based 3.1 Habitat Mapping ............................................. 24 solutions to protect and restore ocean health. KSLOF was incorporated in California as a 501(c)(3), public benefit, Private Operating Foundation in September 2000. Since then, the Living Oceans Foundation has worked to conserve the world’s 3.2 Benthic Community Assessment ................................ 26 oceans through research, outreach, and education. 3.2a) Western Province ............................................. 26 www.livingoceansfoundation.org 3.2b) Isabel Province ............................................... 28 Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation 3.2c) Temotu Province .............................................. 30 7 Old Solomons Island Road, Suite 200 3.3 Fish Community Assessment ................................... 32 Annapolis, MD 21401 3.3a) Species Richness of the Fish Assemblage ........................ 33 [email protected] 3.3b) Fish Density.................................................. 34 Chief Scientist: Dr. Samuel Purkis 3.3c) Fish Biomass................................................. 35 Director of Science Management: Alexandra C. Dempsey 3.3d) Size Distribution of Fish ........................................ 36 Marine Ecologist: Renée D. Carlton 4.0 DISCUSSION ................................................ 40 Photo Credits: 5.0 CONSERVATION RECOMMENDATIONS ........................... 46 Cover: Ken Marks Pg. 4, 10, 18, 21, 31, 38, 44, 47, and 49 by Ken Marks ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ........................................... 48 Pg. 22 by João Monteiro LITERATURE CITED .............................................. 50 Citation: Global Reef Expedition: Solomon Islands. Final Report. Carlton, R., Dempsey, A., Lubarsky, K., Akao, I., Faisal, M., and APPENDICES ................................................... 52 Purkis, S. (2020) Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, Annapolis, MD. Vol 11. ISBN: 978-0-9975451-6-6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY NEWSOLOMON CALEDONIA ISLANDS the diversity and conditions of the reef were mapped, relatively high average live coral cover, measuring 42% including mangroves, seagrasses, and multiple reef and 44% respectively. These were some of the highest On the Global Reef Expedition—one of the largest coral reef studies in history—the habitats both inside and outside of the lagoons. These percentages of live coral found within the Province and in are high-resolution maps with a resolution of 2 m x 2 m. nearly all of the stations surveyed. Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation conducted research in the Solomon These maps are all available to view on our website at Islands to map and characterize shallow marine habitats and assess the status of www.lof.org/maps and will be valuable to marine spatial FISH COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT planning efforts in these areas. We encourage the public, coral reef benthic and fish communities. Working in partnership with local officials scientists, and policymakers to consult with these maps, The fish communities in the Solomon Islands showed and scientists from around the world, the Foundation surveyed reefs in the Western, particularly those interested in marine management, to distinct patterns across sites that likely reflected patterns better understand the areas that might require protection. in fishing pressure across the archipelago. The fish Isabel, and Temotu Provinces from October 26 through November 24, 2014. The communities in the Temotu Province, where fishing Global Reef Expedition: Solomon Islands Final Report summarizes the Foundation’s pressure is likely much less, were more diverse, had the BENTHIC COVER ASSESSMENTS findings from this research mission and provides recommendations that can help highest fish species richness, density, and biomass. More The benthic habitats of the Solomon Islands were generally populated areas, such as around Gizo, had much smaller preserve these coral reefs for generations to come. in moderate condition with notable variability among the fish in lower trophic levels, indicating over-exploitation of Provinces. In the Western Province, sites surveyed near nearshore fisheries. Overall, even with relatively higher Marovo had the highest live coral cover, while areas with metrics being observed in the Temotu Province, the the lowest live coral were found near Munda. The substrate fish communities were in dire shape, having some of that was unoccupied by coral was instead dominated the worse metrics seen on the Global Reef Expedition, The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation The Solomon Islands are found at the eastern edge of the by crustose coralline algae (CCA) which indicates the especially when compared to nearby South Pacific (KSLOF) was established by His Royal Highness Prince Coral Triangle, making it a valuable country to include on invertebrate and fish communities near Munda may be nations. Khaled bin Sultan with a mission to study and provide the GRE. In October-November 2014, KSLOF visited the regulating macroalgal growth. Gizo also had a notably valuable knowledge to better preserve coral reefs Western, Isabel, and Temotu Provinces of the Solomon low live coral cover with the reefs being dominated by turf around the world. To do this, KSLOF embarked on the Islands with the objectives: CONSERVATION RECOMMENDATIONS algae and CCA. Nono Lagoon had slightly better live coral Global Reef Expedition (GRE) with the goal of surveying cover, though still not as high as would be expected. The Solomon Islands are a treasure to the world, with coral reefs and their benthic and fish communities Map and characterize the shallow marine some of the most unique coral and fish assemblages. on a global scale. With the help of local experts and habitats; and Isabel Province has the most protections in place because Unfortunately, it appears these habitats are in need of a team of international scientists, KSLOF was able to of the designated Arnavon Conservation Area. KSLOF aggressive conservation efforts. Conservation of the fish use standardized methodology to collect the most surveyed both within the conservation area around Sikopo communities should be a priority for the communities comprehensive global coral reef data to date. Conduct assessments and research and Kerehikapa and outside near Malakobi. The reefs that rely on them for sustenance. Regulating catch size of Kerehikapa had an average of 51% live coral cover and number will help improve the overall biomass and During the GRE, collecting data in the Coral Triangle was to understand the current status which was some of the best we observed in the Solomon abundance in all trophic levels, as they are currently important to the Foundation as this region of the world of Solomon Islands coral and fish Islands. However, Sikopo had only 30% live coral which being dominated by few, small fish. boasts some of the highest tropical marine diversity and communities. may be attributed to damage sustained during the tsunami up to 76% of the world’s marine species. that hit the region in 2007. Malakobi had similar live coral While in the Solomon Islands, KSLOF scientists observed On the mission to the Solomon Islands, the Foundation cover as Sikopo and may have sustained similar damage evidence of elevated numbers of Crown-of-Thorns brought together a team of scientists, working closely during the tsunami, however, continued monitoring is Starfish (COTS), a poisonous corallivore. When an local officials to conduct 473 benthic surveys and 632 recommended. outbreak occurs, COTS can have detrimental effects on This report provides an fish surveys at 68 dive sites among