Theme section on the “Aspects of interactions between humans and coral reefs”

Abstract

Humans have been collecting coral reef associated organisms for food and other uses for at least 35,000 years (see Kirch 2000) making them an unavoidably key component of coral reef ecology. While some have claimed that these early interactions were relatively benign, including development of traditional management (e.g., Johannes 1978, 1981), others have presented relatively clear evidence that prehistoric, non-industrialized humans had major impacts on island ecosystems, including coral reefs (Dodsen 1992; Kirch and Hunt 1997). These early impacts were both direct (e.g., collection of Xora and fauna) and indirect (e.g., siltation resulting from land clearing for agriculture). As human population densities increased, increasing demand on coral reef ecosystems for food (associated Xora and fauna) and building material (the coral itself) multiplied impacts on coral reefs. Attempts to maximize Wsh catches for growing demand sometimes resulted in use of materials and techniques highly destructive to coral (e.g., dynamite and poison Wshing, as well as beating on coral with rocks and other material to drive Wsh into nets). These techniques resulted in destruction of vast areas of coral in some parts of the world (e.g., the Philippines). Increasing human population densities in watersheds adjacent to coral reefs also resulted in run-oV with negative impacts on coral reef ecosystems. Finally, human activities have been identiWed as a factor involved in global warming, impacting seawater temperature and coral bleaching. Clearly, humans are an important aspect of coral reef ecology. The papers in this special section examine aspects of this long history of human interaction with coral reefs. The Wrst four papers examine behavior of humans in the coral reef ecosystem during the past several millennia using both archeological and ethnographic data. Fitzpatrick’s analyses of data from Palau clearly indicate the impacts of humans on the coral reefs through the past 3,000 years. While the majority of impacts are due to human activities, he notes that some may be due to other factors. LeFevre provides evidence that between ca. A.D. 400–1300, humans at Grand Bay on the island of Carriacou in the Grenadines, West Indies exploited vertebrates from marine sources, especially coral reef habitats, and she links these early hunting patterns to present day marine resource harvesting activities. While the Wrst two papers emphasize human impacts on coral reefs, Amesbury examines the impact of nonanthropogenic environmental change on a shift to coral reef resources from mangrove areas. She presents evidence that sealevel declines in the Marianas between about 3,500 and 1,000 years ago resulted in the demise of mangrove habitats and a shift from harvesting mangrove arc clam Anadara antiquata to Strombus gibberulus gibbosus in the coral reefs of Tumon Bay, Guam and Chalan Piao, Saipan. Finally, Allen uses archeological, historic and ethnographic information to provide a comprehensive overview of the role of humans in the reduction of sea turtles since about 2,800 years ago in Polynesia, possibly resulting in major changes in the local coral reef ecosystems. The next three papers concern relatively recent human interactions with coral reefs. The anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski (1922) was one of the Wrst to write a detailed ethnography of peoples living in coral reef environments, and anthropologists continued the tradition throughout the twentieth century. Oles paper, using an anthropological approach, examines the meaning of coral reefs in Mwoakilloa (Federated States of Micronesia) within a small, ethnically homogeneous population. He points out that the R. B. Pollnac (&) Marine AVairs, University of Rhode Island, Washburn Hall, Kingston, RI 02881, USA e-mail: rpo4903u@postoYce.uri.edu