The reef aquarium industry comes under threat again as scientists call on the US to stem the ecological impact of trade in coral reef wildlife.
A paper in the journal, Marine Policy, from a team of 18 scientists says that International law has failed to protect coral reefs and tropical fish from being decimated by a growing collectors market, but that U.S. reforms could lead the way in making the trade more responsible, ecologically sustainable, and humane.
Using data from the United Nation’s conservation monitoring program the authors say trade in coral and coral reef species is substantial and growing, removing 30 million fish and 1.5 million live stony corals a year. The aquarium industry targets some 1,500 species of reef fishes. Many die in transit, leading collectors to gather even more animals to compensate for their losses.
“Our actions have a big impact on these coral reef ecosystems, which are already hit hard by global warming, ocean acidification, and over fishing,” said Brian Tissot, lead author and professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Washington State University, Vancouver. The result is some species have gone “virtually extinct,” citing as an example the Banggai Cardinalfish, unique to a remote Indonesian archipelago, which has had its numbers reduced and even eliminated through much of its range after it became a popular aquarium fish in the late 1990s.
The paper’s origin goes back to a meeting of more than 40 scientists, NGOs, and policy experts during the 2009 International Marine Conservation Congress. When the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) took no action on key groups of corals this March, concerns grew. Authors include experts from the U.S. Agency for International Development, the National Marine Fisheries Service, Humane Society International, the Pew Environment Group, and the Environmental Defense Fund.
The U.S. accounts for more than half the world trade in live coral, fishes, and invertebrates, the authors recommend using U.S. market power to reduce the trade’s environmental effects. They suggest laws to protect a wider variety of species, enforcement that includes tracking a product’s chain of custody, and reforms in source countries. Also recommended are changes in marketing to promote the sales of species certified as being humane and sustainable. The authors add, “The U.S. should assume its role as an international leader in coral reef conservation and take steps to reform the international trade it drives.”
Over two days, 3 - 4 February 2010, tropical cyclone Oli passed by the west of Tahiti subjecting the islands of Bora Bora, Raiatea-Tahaa, Huahine and Maupiti to waves six to seven meters high accompanied by wind gusting to 170 km/hour. Following this, it was the turn of Tahiti and Moorea followed by the island of Tubuai to undergo the cyclone’s impact, experiencing mean wind speeds of 210 km/hour. This was classed as a severe tropical cyclone, category 4, the second highest storm classification.
Centre National de la Recherché Scientifique, CNRS, the largest governmental research organization in France, has a Coral Observation Department based on Moorea which has been regularly collecting data on coral communities and fish populations in the area. Four days later, after repairing damage to their facilities, they undertook an inventory of the cyclone’s effects after it had passed over two reference sites. Their scientists discovered the extent of the damage to the coral reef, already been made vulnerable by the invasion of a coral predator, was one of almost complete destruction. Their observations revealed that cyclone Oli had flattened the coral population finishing off a reef that was already vulnerable.
The Crown of Thorns Sea Star, Acanthaster planci, notorious for preying on coral, had already nearly wiped out the coral populations on the outer slopes of Moorea. Since the start of an explosion in Acanthaster populations in 2006, the percentages of live coral coverage at 12 meters depth has fallen by around 96 % on the north coast of Moorea, reducing coral cover to roughly 1.0 %. Although this invasion has been a cause for concern, the physical structure of the reefs, particularly the outer slope, the most favourable area for reef growth because of the water’s high level of oxygenation, had been little affected as the skeletons of the dead colonies were still in place, holding out the promise of recovery.
However, once the cyclone had passed, the physical structure of Moorea’s outer slopes, especially the northern side, were found to be seriously and lastingly affected. Comparison of data before and after the cyclone struck reveals a very significant reduction in the relief of the outer slope. The rugosity indices were found to have fallen by 50% at all depths down to 30 meters. Rugosity is an important coral reef parameter that describes the amount of “wrinkling” or roughness of the reef profile. It is an index of substrate complexity. Areas of high complexity are likely to provide more cover for reef fishes and more places of attachment for algae, corals and various sessile invertebrates. A large number of coral colonies previously present were torn off by the wave action and broken up by boulders. The three-dimensional structure of the reef has been badly affected, which may be detrimental to long-term recovery.
Damage to the reef varies with depth:
From 0 to 6 meters there’s severe destruction. Most of the scattered live colonies being broken off at the base. The area is now totally covered with fine pale yellow algal matting of an algal bloom and there’s no live coral coverage remaining.
From 6 to 10 meters although many live, branched colonies are damaged their bases are intact, which means recovery may be possible.
From 10 to 15 meters the flanks of this area are in a critical state of destruction. The large branched colonies, most of which were already dead following Acanthaster predation but intact before the cyclone, are no longer visible, no algal growth is observed.
From 15 to 30 meters depth there is an abnormal covering of small coral debris, 5 cm on average.
The populations of fish, molluscs and sea urchins associated with the reefs have also suffered considerably with many shellfish being seen in a state of decomposition between the surface and a depth of 6 meters.
As to the future of the reef, there seem to be two possibilities:
Either the algae will increase and continue to dominate the system by overgrowing the substrate, leading to the death of the reef, as has happened to many reefs around the world.
Or the reef will start from scratch recruiting new assemblages of coral from larval settlement resulting in a reef likely to be different from the pre-existing one regards species present, and bio-diversity.
Given that algae are already encroaching on the remains of the reef, I find the second possibility remote, although one can always hope.
Scientists have been monitoring the resilience of these reefs since the1980s. During this period, the reefs have been suffered seven episodes of massive bleaching (1983, 1987, 1991, 1994, 2002, 2003 and 2007), several cyclones, and two outbreaks of Acanthaster planci, the starfish that preys on coral.
Although in the past these reefs have always recovered, this recent series of stresses, coral bleaching, cyclones, local pollution, and predation gives little cause for optimism. It’s too soon to make an accurate assessment of the impact of the cyclone on other species such as fish, and non-coral invertebrates but changes in their numbers and diversity are to be expected. Data about fish populations is being collected, which in time will provide a clearer picture of the extent of the damage caused by the cyclone. It could take up to ten years before the reefs recover, if they are able to, making long-term monitoring of reefs essential in order to take the measure of the resilience of coral reefs in Polynesia today.
It would appear though that cyclone Oli may have been one cyclone too many for the reefs of some of the Polynesian islands, including Moorea, Tahiti, Raiatea, Tahaa, and Bora-Bora.
Afterword.
This incident serves as an example of the plight of many tropical reefs around the world. If a reef is healthy, say in a MPA not subject to manmade pollution and over fishing, it can weather natural disasters such as a cyclone and recover over time. However, where a reef has been constantly affected by stressors such as pollution unbalanced ecosystem owing to over-fishing, damage from shipping etc, there comes a time when it can no longer recover. It becomes added to the statistics as one of the increasing number of reefs lost over the last 50 years, joining the estimated 19% of the world’s coral reefs already lost and the 35% seriously threatened (Wilkinson, 2008), a process which is continuing with little sign of abatement.
The New England Aquarium in Boston, Massachusetts, joined up with Rogers Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island, in a project to raise the world’s first captive-bred Queen Triggerfish.
The New England Aquarium’s Bahamian coral reef exhibit features a pair of Queen Triggerfish, Balistes vertula, which have been seen to spawn since their early days in the aquarium. Although these fish regularly lay tens of thousands of eggs every 18 to 20 days, the resulting larvae need live food of a small size, making them difficult to feed and keep alive.
Most marine fish larvae are very small and need live food of a correspondingly smaller size. Whereas some species, such as clownfishes, can be successfully raised using rotifers, organisms that grow and reproduce at a fast rate and in high densities, these are too large for many other species or don’t have the correct nutritional profile needed.
In the wild larval marine fish eat copepods, micro-crustaceans found virtually everywhere in the oceans, but raising copepods in large enough quantities is currently difficult. This is one of the reasons why far fewer species of marine aquarium fish are captive bred than are wild caught.
Eggs were collected from the aquarium and taken to the university’s marine laboratory where, at the first attempt, there was a successful hatching.
Although thousands of larvae hatched, work was concentrated on a relatively small number, which were initially fed with a local species of copepod grown by the lab.
Although the majority of the larvae died, four were successfully raised to the point where they could eat dry food and now, at more than four months old, remain alive, three at the university and one at the aquarium, the first triggerfishes to have been successfully bred in captivity.
The success of this project was largely due to Dr. Rhyne’s research into copepods, the critical live food for marine fish larvae.
Dr Andy Rhyne, assistant professor of biology at Roger Williams and a research scientist at New England, was hired in August 2009 in a collaboration between the aquarium and the university to study larval fish production at the aquarium and to start a program in aquarium science and aquaculture at the university.
Today many species of fish are threatened by a combination of overfishing, climate change, and environmental degradation, indeed the Queen Triggerfish is listed on the IUCN red list as being vulnerable. The species is important both as a food fish and for public aquarium displays. It’s a large species; reaching up to 60 cms total length and its bright colours make them a favourite of public aquariums although too large for the majority of home aquaria.
This is an important step in the cultivation of marine species, as researchers such as Andy Rhyne develop new feeding strategies, it increase the chances of being able to raise further species of marine aquarium and food fish in captivity, rather than continuing to take them from the increasingly vulnerable and deteriorating oceans.
To find out more about this wonderful achievement go to MOFIB to see Andy Rhyne’s diary recording the day-by-day progress of the project.
One of the world’s largest coral atolls which, surprisingly, belongs to Britain, may soon become the biggest Marine Protected Area (MPA) on Earth.
A three-month public consultation is underway to persuade the UK government to protect the Chagos Archipelago, a group of 55 tropical British islands, in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
This week the 10,000th person signed up in support of the campaign.
The Chagos Environment Network (CEN) who put forward the proposal to protect the giant reef, which is twice the size of Britain, 544,000 sq km area, and boasts the cleanest seawater ever recorded on Earth.
The Chagos contain some of the world’s healthiest coral reefs and the world’s largest surviving coral atoll. It is home to over 220 coral species and 1000 fish species, including the endemic Chagos clownfish, Amphiprion chagosensis.
The pollutant levels in Chagos waters are exceptionally low. Analyses in 1996 suggested that the marine environment of the Chagos Archipelago as a whole is exceptionally pristine, and that it was the cleanest water tested in the world at that time.
In addition the Chagos is a breeding ground and refuge for important populations of sharks, dolphins, marine turtles, and other vulnerable marine and island species.
The area includes deep-sea habitats including 6000 m deep trenches, oceanic ridges, and seamounts, each harbouring specially adapted species. Despite a Fisheries Conservation Management Zone with commercial catches limited by licence, legal and illegal fishing has impacted the area. Sharks, sea cucumbers, turtles, and fish are all known to have declined as a result of illegal fishing and the by-catch from legal fishing. Protecting this area would contribute to a richer Indian Ocean, benefiting people living in and around it
This is one of the best quality reefs remaining on the planet and, from a reef science perspective, it provides a good comparison to reefs damaged by climate change, rising sea temperatures, and other anthropogenic factors. The Chagos Archipelago is an area comparable in importance to better known areas such as the Galapagos or the Great Barrier Reef.
The Chagos Environment Network (CEN) is a collaboration of nine conservation and scientific organisations: The Chagos Conservation Trust, The Linnean Society of London, The Marine Conservation Society, The Pew Environment Group, The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, The Royal Society, The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, The Zoological Society of London, and Professor Charles Sheppard of Warwick University.
The consultation, ends on 12th February, and examines three options for protection:
A full, no-take, marine reserve for the entire territory.
A marine reserve of the same size that allows some seasonal deep-sea fishing in certain zones.
No-take reserves protecting only the vulnerable reef systems.
The Moral Dilemma.
Unfortunately creating this MPA is not as straightforward as might be hoped, owing to the ongoing court case brought by relocated Chagossians at the European Court of Human Rights, which is expected to be decided later this year.
Between 1967 and 1971 the entire population of the Chagos islands, numbering around 2,000 people, was evicted from the archipelago to make way for the Diego Garcia military base. The islanders were forcibly relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles, where many have lived in poverty ever since.
In 2008 the islanders lost a long-running battle with the British government when the House of Lords, the final court of appeal in the UK, overturned High Court rulings that had repeatedly found in favour of the Chagossians. Whereas the High Court found that the Chagossians, as British dependent Citizens, had been unlawfully dispossessed and ordered that they be allowed to return to their home, the House of Lords overturned this ruling in favour of the British government.
The Guardian, a UK newspaper, recently reported that Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour MP chairing the all-party parliamentary group for the Chagos islands, said he was “concerned” that the marine protection consultation had not sought the views of exiled islanders. “The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is completely at variance with UK marine conservation policy that seeks to involve the local community,” he said.
Corbyn also said there was concern among Chagos island groups over media reports that portrayed their return as a negative for the environment, that would mean the construction of an airport and town and increasing tourism.
“You will get a small number of people living [in the Chagos] who will support sustainable fishing and ecotourism. If the ‘ultras’ in the marine reserve brigade get their way they will have to have people there to protect the environment. It’s extraordinary that islanders are not trusted but the marine community is. Wealthy people land there in yachts and stay on the islands all time. They are trusted but the islanders are not. I find it patronising and extraordinary.”
It’s Your Decision.
This is not a simple clear-cut subject. As a marine aquarist I’m in favour of the MPA, given the deteriorating state of reefs around the world conserving the Chagos would be a great step forward. I’m particularly interested in the idea that it could be used as a comparative instrument against which the health of other reefs could be measured.
I do however have sympathy with the Chagossians, who I believe have been badly mistreated by the British Government, I also find myself a little uneasy with the idea of an area where access might be restricted to scientists alone. Everywhere else in the world, wherever reef conservation is carried, out it’s considered good practice to get local people involved as much as possible.
There is an alternative to just signing up to the www.protectchagos.org proposal, if you go to http://www.marineeducationtrust.org/petition/protect-chagos you’ll find a petition organised by the Marine Education Trust that is in favour of the MPA, urging the Foreign Secretary to work with the Chagos islanders and the Government of Mauritius to devise an MPA solution that makes provision for resettlement and that protects Mauritius’ legitimate interests.
To find out more about the various issues, in addition to the previously mentioned links, take a look at the following:
Also take a look at, “Stealing a Nation”, the John Pilger documentary, winner of the 2005 Royal Television Society Award, that tells the story of the expulsion of the entire population of the Chagos islands.
If you do decide that you’d like to add your support to the proposed MPA, visit: http://www.marineeducationtrust.org/petition/protect-chagos or www.protectchagos.org, according to your conscience, before the February 12th 2010 deadline, to register your support for the creation of a Chagos no-take Marine Protected Area.
By the way, my conscience moved to me to sign the Marine Education Trust petition.
When this film first appeared on Channel 4, and was available online for a limited period during October 2009, I tried to draw it to the attention of reef keepers as an illustration of the future of the environment from which our fish and corals are taken.
I’ve recently found that the film is available in episode form, so once again I’d like you to take the time out to view this remarkable documentary.
Endorsed by, and with support from, National Geographic, Greenpeace and the Waitt Family Foundation,The End of the Line is the first major feature documentary film revealing the impact of overfishing on our oceans. The film is narrated by Ted Danson and has been described as ‘The inconvenient truth about the impact of over-fishing on the oceans’. The film is based on the book by Charles Clover, narrated by Ted Danson and directed by Sundance veteran Rupert Murray (Unknown White Male).
