Proceedings of the International Conference: Meeting on Mangrove ecology, functioning and Management (MMM3) 2-6 July 2012, Galle, Sri Lanka Edited by Farid DAHDOUH-GUEBAS & Behara SATYANARAYANA Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) & Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium This conference is jointly organized by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), the University of Ruhuna (UoR), VLIZ SPECIAL PUBLICATION 57 VLIZ SPECIAL PUBLICATION and hosted by the latter Proceedings of the International Conference : Meeting on Mangrove ecology, functioning and Management (MMM3) 2-6 July 2012, Galle, Sri Lanka Edited by Farid DAHDOUH-GUEBAS & Behara SATYANARAYANA Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) & Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium This conference is jointly organized by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), the University of Ruhuna (UoR), and hosted by the latter VLIZ Special Publication 57 Disclaimer The designation employed and the presentation of the material in this document do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), the University of Ruhuna (UoR), the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) or the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city, or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The ideas and opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of VUB, ULB, UoR, KMFRI or VLIZ. The authors are fully responsible for their submitted material and should be addressed for further information as desired. Reproduction is authorized, provided that appropriate mention is made of the source and copies sent to the authors and the publisher Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee - VLIZ (addresses below): Laboratory of Plant Biology and Nature Management Laboratory of Systems Ecology and Resource Management Mangrove Management Group Dept. of Organism Biology, Faculty of Sciences Vrije Universiteit Brussel - VUB Université Libre de Bruxelles - ULB Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium. Av. F.D. Roosevelt 50, CP 169, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium. Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee (VLIZ) InnovOcean site, Wandelaarkaai 7 B-8400 Oostende, Belgium. Bibliographic reference This document should be cited as: Dahdouh-Guebas, F. & B. Satyanarayana (Eds.). 2012. Proceedings of the International Conference ‘Meeting on Mangrove ecology, functioning and Management - MMM3’, Galle, Sri Lanka, 2-6 July 2012. VLIZ Special Publication 57, xxxix + 192 pp. ISBN 978-90-817451-6-1 Cover page photos Inside an Avicennia marina and Rhizophora mucronata-dominated mangrove creek in Gazi Bay, Kenya (Elisabeth Robert & Nele Schmitz). Mangrove leaf, flower and propagule litter (particularly Bruguiera gymnorrhiza) in the microtidal mangrove forest of Galle-Unawatuna, Sri Lanka (Diana Di Nitto). Two Uca urvillei males fighting in a Rhizophora mucronata-dominated stand in Gazi Bay, Kenya (Arimatéa C. Ximenes). Sponges attached to Sonneratia alba peg roots in Gazi Bay, Kenya (Diana Di Nitto). Published in 2012 by Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee (VLIZ) InnovOcean site, Wandelaarkaai 7 B-8400 Oostende, Belgium. Tel: +32 (0)59 34 21 30 E-mail: [email protected] / http://www.vliz.be ©VLIZ 2012 Printed in Belgium ISSN: 1377-0950 ii Organizing Committee . Prof. Dr. Farid DAHDOUH-GUEBAS, Chair (Université Libre de Bruxelles - ULB & Vrije Universiteit Brussel - VUB, Brussels, Belgium) . Prof. Dr. Loku Pulukkuttige JAYATISSA (University of Ruhuna - UoR, Matara, Sri Lanka) . Dr. Jared O. BOSIRE (Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute - KMFRI, Mombasa, Kenya) . Prof. Dr. Sanath HETTIARACHI (University of Ruhuna - UoR, Matara, Sri Lanka) . Dr. James G. KAIRO (Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute - KMFRI, Mombasa, Kenya) . Prof. Dr. Nico KOEDAM (Vrije Universiteit Brussel - VUB, Brussels, Belgium) Conference Secretariat . Dr. Behara SATYANARAYANA (Université Libre de Bruxelles & Vrije Universiteit Brussel - VUB, Brussels, Belgium) . Prof. Dr. Sanath HETTIARACHI (University of Ruhuna - UoR, Matara, Sri Lanka) . Prof. Dr. Loku Pulukkuttige JAYATISSA (University of Ruhuna - UoR, Matara, Sri Lanka) . Prof. Dr. Farid DAHDOUH-GUEBAS, Chair (Université Libre de Bruxelles - ULB & Vrije Universiteit Brussel - VUB, Brussels, Belgium) Scientific Committee . Prof. Dr. Uta BERGER (Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany) . Dr. Marília CUNHA-LIGNON (National Institute for Space Research, São Jose dos Campos, Brazil) . Prof. Dr. Ndongo DIN (University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon) . Prof. Dr. Norman C. DUKE (University of Queensland, Brisbane James Cook University, Townsville, Australia) . Dr. François FROMARD (Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France) . Prof. Dr. Mark HUXHAM (Napier University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom) . Prof. Dr. Kandasamy KATHIRESAN (Annamalai University, Parangipettai, India) . Prof. Dr. Joe S.Y. LEE (Griffith University, Gold Coast Southport, Australia) . Prof. Dr. Victor RIVERA-MONROY (Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA) . Prof. Dr. Patrik RÖNNBÄCK (Gotland University, Visby, Sweden) . Prof. Dr. Martin SKOV (Bangor University, Menai Bridge - Anglesey, United Kingdom) . Prof. Dr. Nora Fung-Yee TAM (City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China) . Prof. Dr. Brad B. WALTERS (Mount Allison University, Sackville, Canada) iii iv Acknowledgements Our earnest thanks to all sponsors, who made this conference possible, and to the scientific community that made organizing this symposium a pleasure. Special thanks are due to financial and administrative authorities at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), the University of Ruhuna (UoR), and the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI). The MMM3 Proceedings layout/printing was supported by the Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee (VLIZ). v Foreword by the organizers MMM is an international conference on mangrove ecosystems that is held every 6 years. Although dealing with a variety of ecological themes, incl. flora, fauna, biogeochemical cycles and human impacts, this conference originally stood for the ‘International Meeting on Mangrove Macrobenthos’ and was organized by the Università degli Studi di Firenze (Italy) as MMM in Mombasa (Kenya), 7-11 September 2000. Six years later a consortium including Griffith University and University of Queensland organized ‘MMM2: Mangrove Macrobenthos Meeting’ in Coolangatta (Australia), 25-30 June 2006, where it was decided that the meaning of the MMM could be opened up in order to continue this conference as the first global recurrent conference on mangrove ecosystems. Hence, the name for MMM3: Meeting on Mangrove ecology, functioning and Management. MMM is to be organized by mangrove scientists world-wide, every 6 years, i.e. at an interval that allows scientific innovation. It is not aiming at massive attendance but at single sessions covering various topics, with plenty of time for discussion in each of them. As a matter of fact, macrobenthos will still form a solid theme together with vegetation, trophic relationships, restoration and management issues, just like MMM1 and MMM2. The conference is usually accompanied by a mid-conference excursion and followed by a mid-week workshop in a mangrove site aiming at identifying research gaps through joint-fieldwork, analyses and brainstorming. The conference MMM3: International Meeting on Mangrove ecology, functioning and Management is jointly organized by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), the University of Ruhuna (UoR) and the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), and will be held in the premises of the University of Ruhuna in Galle, Sri Lanka, from 2 to 6 July 2012. It will be followed by a mid-week workshop (9-13 July 2012) in the Pambala-Chilaw Lagoon complex (Sri Lanka) at the premises of the Small Fishers Federation of Lanka in Pambala-Kakkapalliya. In total, MMM3 received 190 abstracts (>150 registrations) from all over the world. Due to single session operation throughout the conference, the number of Oral presentations was limited to 38 only. With no choice, several quality research works have been considered for Poster presentations. However, the special session called ‘Oral pitching research highlights’ would be able to give you an opportunity to listen to some of the notable works from Poster presentations. In fact, each MMM3 abstract was peer-reviewed by 1-3 Scientific Committee members and the decisions were taken on the basis of their recommendations as well as conference program. Hope MMM3 would become a successful event and benefit all pioneer, young and mature mangrove researchers. Farid Dahdouh-Guebas, Chair On behalf of the MMM3 Organizing Committee vi vii viii Table of Contents Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………….. v Foreword by the organizers ………………………………………………………………. vi Preface ……………………………………………………………………………………. vii Plenary presentations Cannicci, S., F. Bartolini, G. Penha-Lopes, S. Fratini, M. Fusi & F. Dahdouh-Guebas. Functions of macrobenthos in mangrove forests : >20 years of research lessons…… 1 McKee, K.L. Ecological functioning of mangroves under changing climatic conditions.. 10 Primavera, J. A lifetime of mangrove research,