Indicators of herbivorous fish biomass in community-based marine management areas in Fiji

Abstract

There has been a resurgence in community-based management of coral reef resources in the developing world over the last two decades. However, many of the threats to reef ecosystems are increasing at a rate beyond local knowledge acquisition. Consequently, there is a continuing need for management tools and monitoring to support community-based approaches. Using algal, fish and reef indicators we provide a rapid assessment method of herbivorous fishes in Locally Managed Marine Areas in Fiji. The algal indicator technique provided a time-integrated assessment of the process of herbivory within Locally Managed Marine Areas and could be used by untrained community members to quantify management responses. Generally, reefs with higher herbivore biomass had a diverse low biomass of algae typical of healthy reefs. Reefs with fewer herbivores had a higher biomass of turf or leathery algae typical of degraded reefs. These results show that simple ecological indicators can be a useful addition to the existing local knowledge that underpins community-based management.