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Alert…the reef is under attack!!

Written by Administrator
Friday, 15 January 2010 14:10
There are no translations available. They are under attack! Maybe this is a good expression to describe the current coral reef condition in Kepulauan Banyak, Aceh. Based on the survey undertaken by WCS Marine Program Indonesia and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (ARCCoERS), the coral reefs in Kepulauan Banyak have suffered from massive outbreaks of the coral eating Crown-of-Thorn (COT) starfish, Acanthaster planci. From 17 sites surveyed, COT was found almost at every site. At some locations, 95% of existing coral colonies were dead and in some locations where corals were healthy, COT had started to invade. Acanthaster planci is one of several Indo-Pacific asteroids that prey on coral polyps. Acanthaster undergoes occasional population outbreaks that have severely reduced coral cover on many reefs over the last 30 years. Damage was reported from many reefs in the world. One example was in Great Barrier Reef that has occurred over some 1000 km of reef. The causes of these outbreaks remain obscure. The outbreak may be natural phenomena with a long history of occurrence, or they may be relatively recent in origin, brought about as a result of human activities. A combination of both explanations is also possible. (Johnson and Babcock, 1994). Johnson, G. and R.C. Babcock. 1994. Temperature and the larval ecology of the crown-of-thorns starfish, Acanthaster Planci. Biology Bulletin. 187: 304-308.
Last Updated on Friday, 15 January 2010 14:14

Overview of coral reef condition in Pulau Simeulue and Kepulauan Banyak, Aceh.

Written by Administrator
Friday, 15 January 2010 13:37
There are no translations available. From March 17-29, an extensive survey was undertaken by scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society - Marine Program, Indonesia and the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (ARCCoERS). The aim was to assess the status of coral reefs in Pulau Simeulue and Pulau Banyak, siuated off the south-west coast of Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia (See map). The survey was conducted at 35 sites (16 in Pulau Simeulue, 2 on west coast of Sumatra, and 17 in Kepulauan Banyak). Pulau Simeulue and Kepulauan Banyak have coral assemblages that are unique and different to those in the northern Aceh region of Pulau Aceh and Pulau Weh. Species of scleractinian coral that are rarely found in Pulau Weh and Pulau Aceh were abundant in Simeulue and Banyak, included Pectinia sp. and Stylophora sp. The Simeulue and Banyak islands, located off the south-west coast of Aceh, has a higher coral species diversity compared to reefs in the northern region. In terms of fish species found, this south-west region has many species commonly found in the Indian Ocean, while the northern region of Weh and Aceh islands has a fish fauna comparable to that found in the Andaman Sea. Species of fish found in Simeulue and Banyak islands but not found in northern Aceh included Cheiloprion labiatus (damselfish), Cheilinus fasciatus and Choerodon anchorago (wrasses) and Chaetodontoplus mesoleucus (angelfish). We also recorded for the first time a fish never before seen in Indonesian waters – stay tuned for more press on this! One of challenge for coral reef management in this region is there is no proper institution that working well. In the other hand, low awareness of the locals also can be a serious threat for coral reefs in the region. In past decade coral reefs in the region also get a major threat from destructive fishing activities, in particular bombing and cyanide fishing. This is confirmed by evidence found in the field during the survey. Currently, cyanide fishing is still occurred especially in Simeulue for lobster fishery.
Last Updated on Friday, 15 January 2010 13:49

Newsflash

There are no translations available.

In December 2007, WCS Indonesia conducted a detailed coral reef survey of the Kayoa Islands in the Halmahera Seascape, in the heart of the Coral Triangle. The area is located 90 km south of Ternate, the capital of Maluku Utara. Importantly it has existing traditional fishing rules that local fishers follow and it is also one of few conservation areas in Halmahera dedicated to tourism. Local fishers use hand lines, traps and other simple forms of fishing gear, and have placed bans on their communities from using nets on the reefs. Fishers who live outside Kayoa Islands pose the greatest ongoing threat to the 'progressive' local rules set up by local fishers. Prohibitions on net fishing are commonly disregarded by outside fishers and threaten the fisheries management in place that has been established in the absence of formal government management. The rules adopted by the Kayoa fishers are tacit recognition that netting is capable of plundering reef fish and that community support for “progressive” fishing practices is high. Alternatives to fishing from tourism may also reduce impacts on reefs, yet our encounters with fishers demonstrated a willingness to continue fishing and adopt fisheries practices that prohibit destructive techniques and limit use of gears that are simply harvest too many fish too efficiently.

The surveys' key findings were the presence of high densities of reef fish including the functionally important bumpheaded parrotfish which can facilitate coral recruitment and recovery after disturbance. Areas of high coral and habitat diversity were also found, along with potentially new species of coral. Information from the surveys has been added to the Indonesian Coral Reef Resilience Database (www.konservasi-laut.net) to help identify areas most resilient to future impacts from climate change. The primary disturbances in the area had resulted from outbreaks of the crown of thorn starfish, causing widespread damage to some of the reefs surveyed. However, it should also be noted that macro-algal cover was also relatively high, which, given the reasonable density of herbivores suggests nutrient levels may be high and that resilience of these systems is being eroded by poor water quality.

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