Saba and the Saba Bank References can be found in BioNews Issue 24 Open sea and deep sea (EEZ) Figure 1: Habitats of Saba (Verweij & Mücher, 2018) Saba and St. Eustatius are two special mu- Governments are beginning to understand nicipalities which make up the Caribbean that managing nature goes beyond just Netherlands leeward islands. Saba con- protecting natural assets, but can also sists of the main island, Saba, and a large help promote positive economic growth submerged carbonate platform, the Saba (Ministry of Economic Affairs, 2013). Bank. The Saba Bank is the largest national Protecting the environment means pro- park in the Kingdom of the Netherlands tecting the services they provide such as (Saba Bank: 268.000 hectares; Wadden natural coastal protection and recreational Sea 240.000 hectares), and has some of the use for locals and tourists (de Knegt, 2014). richest biodiversity within the Caribbean TEEB (The Economics of Ecosystems and Sea (Sabapark.org). From the cloud and Biodiversity) recently valued the annual rain forests on top of Mount Scenery vol- total economic value of nature on Saba at cano to the rich coral reefs and seaweed 28.4 million USD (Cado van der Lely et al., fields underwater, Saba is rich with a variety 2014). It was also found that nature-orient- of different habitats. Unfortunately, the ed tourism made up 27% of this value (van recent Wageningen Research report shows de Kerkhof et al., 2014). This clearly shows that many of these areas, both above the importance of properly protecting and and below water, are showing signs of managing natural environmental resources. degradation. Cloud forest Rainforest Dry tropical forests Severely degraded Relative habitat surface dry tropical forests (excluding open sea and deep sea & Saba Bank) Caves Beaches Seagrass and seaweed fields * seaweed fields Saba Bank** Coral Reefs Coral Reefs Saba Bank ** * Seagrass has a surface of 20 hectares. Seaweed and Open sea and deep sea algae fields have a surface of 570 Bare rock hectares. Buildings and agriculture ** The Coral Reefs and Seaweed fields on the Saba Bank are estimated figures. State of Nature in the Caribbean Netherlands - Content ... 11 12 13 14 15 ... Tropical cloud, tropical states against historical data, it can be seen that limited permanent beach areas and therefore, rainforest and dry tropical forest these areas have been negatively affected due to very little beach vegetation to stabilize sediment Coral Reefs Saba is 1 of the 2 Dutch Caribbean islands which changes in the island’s land use. Agriculture and as it is washed ashore (De Freitas et al., 2016). Due Over the last 25-40 years coral reefs around the has tropical cloud, rain and dry forests. Starting livestock grazing have degraded the dry forest to to the steep bathymetry and high wave action world have seen downward trends, with one study at sea level, its typical to find tropical dry, rain mostly grasses and shrubbery. Invasive species of around Saba, very little sand is available in shallow indicating that groundcover of coral has fallen by and then cloud forests as height increases. Since insects have wiped out almost all local white cedar waters. It is for these reasons that beaches are not over 50% in the Caribbean over the past 40 years Saba has been mostly isolated, this has allowed and Opuntia cacti population along the coast. For very common on Saba. The conservation status of (Bak et al. 2005a, de Bakker et al. 2016, de Bakker the vegetation and fauna of these forests to be these reasons, the conservation status of the dry beaches has been evaluated as “very unfavorable”. et al. 2017). The Saba Bank hosts over 255 km2 of quite unique (De Freitas et al., 2012, 2016). Using forests has been evaluated as “very unfavorable”. coral reef, whereas Saba has around 8 km2 (van a classification system set up by the World Wildlife Seagrass and Seaweed Fields der Land 1977, Bak 1977). There are differences Fund (WWF) Neotropical Ecoregion, the status of It is recommended that measures be taken to Seagrass and seaweed fields play an important between these two areas, the Saba Bank hosts a the tropical cloud and rain forest of Saba has been minimize overgrazing by free roaming feral role in the environment as they provide food, traditional coral reef, where coral skeletons pro- labeled “critical/threatened” while the tropical livestockstray. In addition, protection of native shelter and nurseries for many different reef spe- vide the support structure as the coral colonizes dry forest has been classified as “vulnerable” species can only be done through the careful cies (Chaves et al., 2013). In addition to this, sea- and grows, whereas around Saba corals grow on (WWF, 2017). managing of invasive species. Finally, it is recom- grass can capture CO2, improve water quality and solidified lava rock. mended that research should be done to establish mitigate erosion by stabilizing sediment. Saba has Saba hosts 71 hectares of rainforest and 6 hec- breeding methods of local plant species to aid in some small seagrass and seaweed fields, measur- Saba has also experienced a downward trend for tares of cloud forest. Unfortunately, historical reforestation efforts. ing 20 and 22 hectares respectively. The Saba its coral coverage, which has been documented values of these areas are unknown, which makes Bank does not have any known seagrass fields over the last 25 years. Due to limited data col- determining shifts in habitat coverage, area and Caves but it does have a very large seaweed field, recent lected within the Saba Bank prior to 2010, trends distribution very difficult. However, by comparing Caves provide important habitat for many differ- estimates put it at >25.500 hectares. The seaweed for historical data are limited with consistent data current maps with vegetation maps from 60 years ent types of bats and other animals. Since Saba fields of the Saba Bank are considered to be the only available for the last decade. Since 2010, ago, researchers have highlighted some of these has a volcanic origin, there are not as many caves most diverse area for seaweeds in the Caribbean. regular trips have been taken to study the status at differences. Hurricanes and tropical storms can here as on other Dutch Caribbean islands. The sul- The surface area of the seaweed fields of the Saba 10 unique locations. Overall, there has been a de- have devasting affects on the local cloud and rain phur mine serves as a type of cave system, along Bank do not appear to be shrinking over time, cline in coral coverage, especially after Hurricane forests, however, if given enough time to recover, with natural caves which form along the steep however, they are threatened by degraded water Lenny in 1999 and two bleaching events in 1998 most of these forests’ “return” to their earlier state cliff edges of Hell’s Gate. Caves on the island can quality due to climate change and pollution. and 2005. These results are particularly interesting (Freitas et al. 2016). In 2017, hurricanes hit Saba, be threatened by urbanization and disruption by due to the remoteness of the Saba Bank, as it can levying damage both on land and underwater. visitors, along with water quality issues if sewage Since 2011, large patches of floating seaweed, be assumed this area is minimally affected by Unfortunately, damage done by hurricanes cou- is untreated and drained near the caves. This can Sargassum (S. fluitans and S. natans), has been landpollution, yet still shows similar downward pled with grazing by free roaming feral livestock have negative impacts on the various species of a Caribbean wide problem. This seaweed floats trends as the other Caribbean islands. limited the recovery of these areas. For these rea- animals living in and around these caves. For these into shallow waters or onto shore where it sons, the conservation status of the cloud and rain reasons, the conservation status of caves has been decomposes, creating a thick mat along the Changes in sea water temperature, water quality, forest have been evaluated as “very unfavorable”. evaluated as “moderately unfavorable”. sandy bottom. This mat can cause damage to the increase in algae and overfishing of herbivore graz- local seaweed and seagrass fields. This is an issue ers has led to an overall decrease in coral coverage Dry tropical forests account for 972 hectares of Beaches that is continuing to get worse and will need to be throughout the entire Caribbean. It is recom- land on Saba, all of which show signs of degrada- Beaches around the Caribbean are under severe carefully monitored in the future. The assessment mended that measures are taken to maintain a tion and a 40% of this area even shows signs of pressure due to urbanization, tourism, climate for the state of seaweed has been evaluated coral coverage of at least 30% , a value derived off heavy degradation. Although long-term monitor- change (rising sea levels), invasive species, pol- as “moderately unfavorable”. historical averages. The conservation status of ing data are lacking, when comparing current lution and illegal mining of sand. Saba has very coral has been evaluated as “very unfavorable”. Saba and the Saba Bank State of Nature in the Caribbean Netherlands - Content ... 11 12 13 14 15 ... Open Sea and Deep Sea marine mammals. These waters are especially im- A decrease in available beaches along with water For this report, any water depth deeper than 100m portant for wintering humpback whales, migrating quality issues which affect the sea turtles and their is treated as “deep sea” and or “open sea”. Due to dolphins and a local population of sperm whales food supply has led to increase in stress for these the steep bathymetry of Saba and the Saba Bank, (Debrot et al.