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Global Reef Expedition: Chagos Archipelago Final Report

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Global Reef Expedition: Chagos Archipelago Final Report VOL 13 CHAGOS ARCHIPELAGO VOL 13 CHAGOS ARCHIPELAGO GLOBAL REEF EXPEDITION FINAL REPORT Renée D. Carlton, Alexandra C. Dempsey, Katie Lubarsky, Mohammed Faisal, Ph.D., and Samuel Purkis, Ph.D. CHAGOS ARCHIPELAGO TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................ 2 ©2021 Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation. All Rights Reserved. 1.0 INTRODUCTION .............................................. 6 Science Without Borders® 2.0 METHODS The findings presented in this report were collected as part of the Global Reef Expedition through the support provided by His 2.1 Site Descriptions............................................. 12 Royal Highness Prince Khaled bin Sultan. 2.2 Coral Reef Community Surveys ................................. 13 All research was completed under a permit issued by the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) Administration, Immigration 2.3a) Benthic Cover Assessments .................................... 13 Ordinance 2006 Permit Number OV 2015-008. This report was developed as one component of the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation’s Global Reef Expedition: Chagos Archipelago research project. 2.3b) Fish Assessments............................................. 15 3.0 RESULTS The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation (KSLOF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing science-based solutions to protect and restore ocean health. KSLOF was incorporated in California as a 501(c)(3), public benefit, Private 3.1 Benthic Community Assessment ................................ 20 Operating Foundation in September 2000. Since then, the Living Oceans Foundation has worked to conserve the world’s 3.2a) Speakers Bank ............................................... 21 oceans through research, outreach, and education. 3.2b) Blenheim .................................................... 22 www.livingoceansfoundation.org 3.2c) Peros Banhos ................................................ 24 Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation 3.2d) Salomon Islands.............................................. 25 821 Chesapeake Avenue #3568 3.2e) Victory Bank ................................................. 26 Annapolis, MD 21403 3.2f) Great Chagos Bank-North ...................................... 28 [email protected] 3.2g) Great Chagos Bank-West ...................................... 29 Chief Scientist: Dr. Samuel Purkis 3.2h) Egmont ..................................................... 30 Director of Science Management: Alexandra C. Dempsey 3.2 Fish Community Assessment ................................... 32 Marine Ecologist: Renée D. Carlton 3.3a) Fish Species Richness......................................... 32 Photo Credits: 3.3b) Fish Density.................................................. 34 Cover Photo by Derek Manzello. 3.3c) Fish Biomass................................................. 35 Photos by Ken Marks (Pg. 4, 10, 18, and 45), Phil Renaud (Pg. 38) and Derek Manzello (Pg. 43). 3.3d) Size Distribution of Fish ........................................ 36 All photos ©Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation unless otherwise noted. 4.0 DISCUSSION ................................................ 40 Citation: Global Reef Expedition: Chagos Archipelago. Final Report. Carlton, R., Dempsey, A., Lubarsky, K., Faisal, M., and ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 44 Purkis, S. (2021) Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, Annapolis, MD. Vol 13. ........................................... LITERATURE CITED .............................................. 46 ISBN: 978-0-9975451-8-0 APPENDICES ................................................... 48 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CHAGOS ARCHIPELAGO One priority of the Global Reef Expedition was to study reefs that experienced minimal anthropogenic disturbance, and there was no better place on Earth to The Khaled Bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation (KSLOF) embarked on the This report provides a do that than the Chagos Archipelago. In March through Global Reef Expedition (GRE) to assess the state of coral reefs around the world. May of 2015, KSLOF scientists and partners surveyed comprehensive assessment This ambitious five-year scientific mission was designed to evaluate the status of the reefs of the Chagos Archipelago in order to map and characterize the shallow marine habitats, and assess the of the coral reef communities the benthic and reef fish communities, assess the impact of anthropogenic and status of the coral reefs and reef species. in the Chagos Archipelago. natural disturbances on coral reef ecosystems, and provide communities with The GRE surveyed coral reefs around the atolls of Great the findings so they can inform marine conservation and management plans. Chagos Bank, Peros Banhos, Salomon Islands, and Egmont as well as the submerged atolls of Blenheim The Global Reef Expedition mission to the Chagos Archipelago in 2015 allowed Reef, Victory Bank, and Speakers Bank. Across the CONSERVATION CONCLUSIONS archipelago, a total of 106 stations were surveyed, within an international team of scientists to study some of the most remote and The reefs of the Chagos Archipelago were remarkable. which 1,554 benthic habitat surveys and 1,222 fish At the time of surveying, these reefs had some of the undisturbed coral reefs in the world. When the expedition began, the coral surveys were conducted. reefs in the Chagos Archipelago were stunning, with high live coral cover and most impressive benthic and fish communities seen on the Global Reef Expedition. Many of the differences in the an astounding abundance of fish. However, towards the end of the research BENTHIC COVER ASSESSMENTS fish and benthic communities can be attributed to local oceanographic influences, such as localized upwelling. mission, KSLOF scientists witnessed the beginning of what would become The benthic communities of the Chagos Archipelago It is also possible sea bird presence may be contributing were impressive. Across all locations surveyed, all of a catastrophic mass global bleaching event, illustrating that negative human to nearshore productivity, influencing the fish and benthic the smaller northern atolls had higher live coral cover impacts reach even the most isolated and well-protected coral reefs on Earth. communities as well. However, major disturbances than observed around Great Chagos Bank. Although such as bleaching events and crown-of-thorn starfish the average live coral cover ranged from 31-52%, some outbreaks may help explain some of the differences in individual survey sites, such as Site 72 at Peros Banhos the benthic communities among the different locations. and Site 96 at Speakers Bank, had exceptionally high live coral cover reaching 72% and 86% respectively. Large THE GLOBAL REEF EXPEDITION CORAL REEFS IN THE CHAGOS ARCHIPELAGO One of the most significant discoveries KSLOF made table Acroporids and massive Porites spp. were common was the beginning of a massive bleaching event that The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation was The Chagos Archipelago in the British Indian Ocean throughout all locations, but some of the most interesting started during our research mission. While conducting founded by His Royal Highness Prince Khaled bin Territory (BIOT) is home to some of the most remote coral findings were the monospecific stands of Lobophyllia spp. our surveys in April of 2015, KSLOF witnessed the Sultan to protect, preserve, and restore coral reefs and reefs in the world. Found in the central Indian Ocean, and Heliopora spp. observed at some sites. Compared beginning of one of the most damaging bleaching events other marine ecosystems around the world. Prince the archipelago is comprised of five main atolls and to other countries surveyed, the reefs of the Chagos ever recorded. Studies that took place immediately Khaled envisioned a foundation that utilizes science, numerous submerged coral banks that have been largely Archipelago had some of the highest live coral cover following our research mission showed live coral education, and outreach, all working together, to expand undisturbed by humans for the last 50 years. The reefs of observed on the GRE. cover was reduced to only 5-10%, a drastic difference conservation efforts on a global scale. After witnessing the Chagos Archipelago are home to at least 784 species from the 31-52% that was observed by KSLOF. The the decline of coral reefs himself, Prince Khaled funded of fish and 300 species of reef building corals. In 2015, it research described herein should be considered an FISH COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT a research mission that would circumnavigate the globe was estimated that 50% of the remaining healthy reefs in important baseline study for what the reefs of the Chagos to assess the status of coral reefs: the Global Reef the Indian Ocean were found in Chagos. The ecological The Chagos Archipelago had the highest fish density and Archipelago were like immediately prior to the 2015-2016 Expedition. This expedition is an embodiment of the importance of this area was recognized by the British the second-highest fish biomass of all countries surveyed bleaching event. Foundation’s motto, Science Without Borders®. The GRE government in 2010 as they designated the region a on the GRE. Fish populations were uniformly diverse Continued conservation and long-term studies of the brought together an international team of scientists to Marine Protected Area (MPA). This is the largest no-take across all locations surveyed in the Chagos Archipelago, 2 reefs of the Chagos Archipelago is imperative. These conduct
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