Status Of Coral Reefs Research Articles

Missing the Reef for the Corals: Unexpected Trends Between Coral Reef Condition and the Environment at the Ecosystem Scale

It is incontrovertible that many coral reefs are in various stages of decline and may be unable to withstand the effects of global climate change, jeopardizing vital ecosystem goods and services to hundreds of millions of people around the world. An estimated 50% of the world's corals have already been lost, and those remaining may be lost by 2030 under the “business as usual” CO2 emissions scenario. However, the foundation of these predictions is a surprisingly sparse dataset, wherein ~0.01–0.1% of the world's reef area has been quantitatively surveyed. Further, the available data comprise observations at the 1–10 m scale, which are not evenly spaced across reefs, but often clustered in areas representing focused survey effort. This impedes modeling and predicting the impact of a changing environment at the ecosystem scale. Here we highlight deficiencies in our current understanding of the relationship between coral reefs and their environments. Specifically, we conduct a meta-analysis using estimates of coral cover from a variety of local surveys, quantitatively relating reef condition to a suite of biogeophysical forcing parameters. We find that readily available public data for coral cover exhibit unexpected trends (e.g., a positive correlation between coral cover and multi-year cumulative thermal stress), contrary to prevailing scientific expectations. We illustrate a significant gap in our current understanding, and thereby prediction, of coral reefs at the ecosystem scale that can only be remedied with uniform, high-density data across vast coral reef regions, such as that from remote sensing.

What is it about coral reefs? Translation of ecosystem goods and services relevant to people and their well-being.

There is an astonishing diversity of ways in which people benefit from coral reefs. They provide recreation, resource extraction, inspirational, and educational opportunities, among many others as well as being valued just for their existence. As the condition of coral reef ecosystems decline, so do their ability to provide these benefits. Prudent management of coral reefs and the benefits they provide are important as some predict most coral reefs globally will be lost by the mid-21st century. Meanwhile, coral reef managers have limited tools and relevant data to design and implement effective environmental management practices that will enable coral reefs to provide benefits demanded by society. We demonstrate an approach to identify and measure environmental components of coral reefs that directly benefit human well-being. The approach views ecosystems through the lens of a specific set of beneficiaries and the biophysical features directly relevant to each. We call these biophysical features Final Ecosystem Goods and Services (FEGS). In our demonstration, we (1) identify a range of beneficiaries of coral reefs; (2) identify metrics of FEGS for those beneficiaries; and (3) describe how data quantifying those biophysical metrics might be used to facilitate greater economic and social understanding.

The Status of the Coral Reefs of the Jaffna Peninsula (Northern Sri Lanka), with 36 Coral Species New to Sri Lanka Confirmed by DNA Bar-Coding

Sri Lanka, an island nation located off the southeast coast of the Indian sub-continent, has an unappreciated diversity of corals and other reef organisms. In particular, knowledge of the status of coral reefs in its northern region has been limited due to 30 years of civil war. From March 2017 to August 2018, we carried out baseline surveys at selected sites on the northern coastline of the Jaffna Peninsula and around the four largest islands in Palk Bay. The mean percentage cover of live coral was 49 ± 7.25% along the northern coast and 27 ± 5.3% on the islands. Bleaching events and intense fishing activities have most likely resulted in the occurrence of dead corals at most sites (coral mortality index > 0.33). However, all sites were characterised by high values of diversity (H’ ≥ 2.3) and evenness (E ≥ 0.8). The diversity index increased significantly with increasing coral cover on the northern coast but showed the opposite trend on the island sites. One hundred and thirteen species of scleractinian corals, representing 16 families and 39 genera, were recorded, as well as seven soft coral genera. Thirty-six of the scleractinian coral species were identified for the first time on the island of Sri Lanka. DNA barcoding using the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene (COI) was employed to secure genetic confirmation of a few difficult-to-distinguish new records: Acropora aspera, Acropora digitifera, Acropora gemmifera, Montipora flabellata, and Echinopora gemmacea.

Pioneer assessment on megabenthic community suggest the recent ecological condition of coral reef in Senggigi Beach, Western Lombok Island, Indonesia

Abstract. Ghafari MIA, Fitrianti V. 2021. Pioneer assessment on megabenthic community suggests the recent ecological condition of coral reef in Senggigi Beach, Western Lombok Island, Indonesia. Indo Pac J Ocean Life 5: 14-21. Megabenthic communities are among the excellent bioindicator used nowadays. This study was the first to conduct in Senggigi Beach and provide preliminary useful information regarding the condition of coral reef ecosystem on-site, through assessing the megabenthic community from 2019-2020 to 202-2021. Benthos Belt Transect (BBT) method was used to collect data from 6 different observation sites. There are 3 groups of targeted megabenthic fauna assessed: the bioindicator group (sea urchin and blue starfish), the corallivorous group (drupella snail and crown-of-thorns starfish), and the commercially valued group (edible sea cucumber, giant clam, spiny lobster, and commercial top shells). Sea urchin was found to dominate all stations, indicating a decreasing live coral cover after bleaching. Presence of corallivorous megabenthos was very rare, as it is not a potential threat to corals. There is a trend of increasing density of edible sea cucumber and giant clam by 30% and 50% respectively, with a mass giant clam recruit in 2021. We suspect less or no impact of anthropogenic activity to megabenthic community dynamic in Senggigi Beach to date, but their community dynamic is purely influenced by the decline condition of coral reef ecosystem due to recent 2016 mass bleaching.

A study on sea condition of Seribu Islands, Jakarta and the potential of floating PV Systems.

This paper presents an initial study on the potential of the utilization of floating PV system for Seribu Island sea waters. Seribu Islands is an area consisting of many islands and there are many coral reefs and algae. From several existing studies, the condition of coral reefs and the algae, particularly the Zooxanthellae are quite alarming. This is not only because of human actions, but also because of the water’s condition such as water temperature, salinity and pH. Additionally, the incoming light is also influence the growth of the algae. This paper, therfore, focus on study the sea condition particularly the condition of the corall reefs and the zooxanthallae and an initial plan of the floating PV system application.

Tube dwelling gastropod an indicator of coral reef status at the tropical reef of Palk Bay region, southeast coast of India

Porites coral colonies at Olaikuda reef, Palk Bay region were observed with pink spot and covered with mucus. Close examination of these spots revealed the presence of polychaete tubeworm and vermitid snail. The polychaete worm made aberrant growth with pink spot and this would change the growth pattern or morphology of coral colonies. In addition to that, mucus produced by vermetid snail stressed the corals in the Palk Bay region by covering the corals with their sediment trapped mucus. This is the first report of stresses imposed by coral associates on coral colonies from the Indian waters. The presence of tube dwelling vermetid snail, the stressor factors could be an indication to understand the health status of coral reefs.

Peran Operator Wisata Bahari dan Wisatawan Terhadap Pelestarian Terumbu Karang di Pulau Menjangan Kawasan Taman Nasional Bali Barat


 
 
 Menjangan Island is a small island located 5 miles northwest of the island of Bali and is part of the West Bali National Park area. Activities that can be carried out by tourists visiting Menjangan Island, namely diving, snorkeling, jungle tracking, walking around Menjangan Island. The condition and condition of good coral reefs on Menjangan Island is certainly inseparable from the role of a person or group in preserving and conserving coral reefs in this island. This study aims to determine how the role of Marine and Tourist Tourism Operators on coral reef preservation on Menjangan Island.This research used a qualitative method with qualitative data analysis techniques. Sources of data from this study come from primary data and secondary data. The results of this study indicate that marine tourism operators and tourists are very instrumental in preserving coral reefs on Menjangan Island because it can be seen from the efforts made to maintain the beauty of the underwater world on Menjangan Island. The form of preservation carried out in the form of providing education to tourists related to how to do snorkeling and diving activities so as not to damage the coral reefs.
 Keyword: Roles, Marine Tourism Operators, Tourist, Coral Reef Conservation, Menjangan Island
 
 

Keterlibatan Voluntourist dalam Pelaksanaan Konservasi Terumbu Karang di Pantai Tianyar, Kecamatan Kubu, Kabupaten Karangasem


 
 
 As the Island of God Bali is favorite tourism destinations in Indonesia. It has many tourist attractions can found in Bali like art tourist, beauty nature, and the others. One of them is Tianyar Beach located in Tianyar Village, Kubu District, and Karangasem Regency. It is very natural beach and has a beauty of coral reefs. There are several activities that could be done by tourists in Tianyar Beach, such as fishing, diving, and snorkeling. It also has black sand that is suitable for health therapies, reduce aches and back pain, and to relax the neck muscles, waist and blood circulation. For some tourist may come for sunbathing only and relaxing their body.
 However, the damage of coral reefs happened in Tianyar, Les, and Pemuteran Beach in the year of 1990s. It caused by 2 (two) main factors that is natural and human reasons. The natural factors are the climate chance, abrasion, and the occurrence of strong waves that cause the destruction of coral reefs. The human factor is an unsustainable fishing by using the unfriendly tools for the environmental (i.e. dynamite, electric, and pesticide. The damage of coral reefs also caused by ignorance of the local people to use the coral reefs as building materials. They used coral reefs to make a limestone to build houses.
 The damage of coral reef encourages I Ketut Sujana, the young local activist, to conserve the environment. He involves the volunteers to participate on several programs. He motivated to do conservation by seeing the bad condition of coral reefs, unsustainable fishing and reduced catches of fish. He was also motivated by seeing a correlation between conservation activity and people, when this activity is able to process their owned resources, then it will have social and economic impacts. Then He established a foundation called “Yayasan Bakti Segara “in 2012 which was assisted by group of fishermans an Voluteers. They build an artificial coral structure with the materials of sand, cement, and calcium carbonate. The making is done every day. From those materials, they make it in various form (i.e. turtle, flowers, tree, etc.). Then left it to harden. The artificial coral moved to the beach on Wednesday, to be dried in the sun to make it harder, then it will be submerged on every Thursday depend on the situation of the beach. It is planted about 5 until 10 meters in the ocean, where they are still exposed to sunlight. The content of water and sunlight enables the coral reefs to grows well. When it is ready, the artificial coral will be transported by boat to the designated conservation area. The people who participate will dive in and arrange the location and position of the coral according to the standard of Yayasan Bakti Segara. Local fishermen also support these activities. They become the members of organization and participate of all conservation programs. There are 20 members in it. They used to be peoples who often helped Mr. I Ketut Sujana, so they invited to be a member, because they knew the situation and condition of the beach.
 Keyword: conservation, coral reefs, participation, voluntourist, voluntourism.
 
 

Condition of coral reef in Batee Island waters, Peukan Bada Sub-District, Aceh Besar

Batee Island is one of the small islands in the Aceh Besar region and is uninhabited and directly faces the Indian Ocean. Batee Island's waters have the potential for marine biota, especially coral reef ecosystems, and other associated biotas. This study aims to determine the percentage and comparison of live coral cover in Batee Island waters and determine the genus' composition in Batee Island waters. This research was conducted in October-November 2016. Collecting coral reef data using the LIT (Line Intercept Transect) method. The results showed that the live coral cover in Batee Island's waters differed between the East and West Batee Islands. The coral reefs' average condition in Batee Island waters at shallow depths (0-5m) is 41.41%, and deep (6-10m) is 36.52%. Overall, the conditions and live coral cover in the waters of Batee Island are classified as moderate. In the waters of Batee Island, there are 31 coral genera. The highest percentage of corals was the genus Acropora (50.02%).Keywords:Batee IslandConditionCoral reefCoral cover

Experimental Techniques to Assess Coral Physiology in situ Under Global and Local Stressors: Current Approaches and Novel Insights

Coral reefs are declining worldwide due to global changes in the marine environment. The increasing frequency of massive bleaching events in the tropics is highlighting the need to better understand the stages of coral physiological responses to extreme conditions. Moreover, like many other coastal regions, coral reef ecosystems are facing additional localized anthropogenic stressors such as nutrient loading, increased turbidity, and coastal development. Different strategies have been developed to measure the health status of a damaged reef, ranging from the resolution of individual polyps to the entire coral community, but techniques for measuring coral physiology in situ are not yet widely implemented. For instance, while there are many studies of the coral holobiont response in single or limited-number multiple stressor experiments, they provide only partial insights into metabolic performance under more complex and temporally and spatially variable natural conditions. Here, we discuss the current status of coral reefs and their global and local stressors in the context of experimental techniques that measure core processes in coral metabolism (respiration, photosynthesis, and biocalcification) in situ, and their role in indicating the health status of colonies and communities. We highlight the need to improve the capability of in situ studies in order to better understand the resilience and stress response of corals under multiple global and local scale stressors.

KONDISI EKOSISTEM TERUMBU KARANG DI PERAIRAN KRUENG RAYA, KABUPATEN ACEH BESAR

This study aims to analyze the condition of the coral reef ecosystem including the substrate, genus composition, and the level of coral mortality in the waters of the Malacca Strait, Masjid Raya District, Aceh Besar District. The research was conducted from October 2016 to October 2019 in the waters of the Malacca Strait, Masjid Raya District, Aceh Besar District. The research site is divided into three stations consisting of Lhok Mee Station, Ahmad Rhang Manyang and Benteng Inong Balee Station. Data were collected using the Point Intercept Transect method. The results showed that the condition of coral reefs at Lhok Mee Station was in the damaged category with coral cover ranging from 6.56% - 13.44%. Ahmad Rhang Manyang Station is included in the moderate to good category with coral cover ranging from 38.75% - 67.19%. Meanwhile, Benteng Inong Balee Station is included in the medium category with coral cover ranging from 45.94% - 56.88%. The monitoring results found that 30 coral genera with the highest composition of the coral genera came from the Porites genus, while other coral genera were unevenly distributed. The value of the mortality index for Lhok Mee Station shows a high increase in mortality of live coral to dead coral. Meanwhile, Ahmad Rhang Manyang and Benteng Inong Balee stations have low coral mortality index values.

Coral reef condition in the coastal waters of Kei Besar Island, Southeast Maluku-Indonesia

A study on coral reefs condition in the coastal waters of Kei Besar Island was conducted in 2019 with the aimed to provide data on taxa composition, density and colony diameter of stony corals, coral reefs condition, and ecological indices of the coral community. It was found during the study that there are 17 families of stony coral, which consist of 62 genera and 206 species. Among those species of stony coral, 79 species are classified as protected species and 50 species as ornamental coral. Coral families of Acroporidae, Faviidae, Fungiidae, and Poritidae have high species richness. The density of stony coral colonies between reef stations ranged from 3.0 colonies m−2 (low) with a relatively large colony diameter until 16.3 colonies m−2 (high) with a small coral colony diameter. The only one reef station was in Excellent condition, while seven reef stations in Good, four reef stations in Fair, and two coral reef sites were in Poor condition. The coral community in the coastal waters of Kei Besar Island had moderate species diversity of stony coral and low species dominance with stable condition.

Kondisi Terumbu Karang di Perairan Gili Gede, Sekotong Lombok Barat

Protection and sustainable data collection are very important in order to protect the coral reef ecosystem. This research was conducted to monitor and determine the condition of coral reefs in the eastern part of Gili Gede Island, which is administratively located in Sekotong Sub-District, West Lombok Regency, NTB. The method used is Line Intercept Transect (LIT). Furthermore, the starting point of the transect stretch is recorded using GPS coordinates and the depth gauge is used to estimate the depth of the water. The results showed that the status of coral reefs tended to be badly damaged with the mean value of all stations (21.92%). Fishery activities and pressure from the land are thought to be several factors that tend to affect the poor coastal ecosystem

Status of health and conservation classification of tropical coral reefs in Lakshadweep archipelago

Coral reefs of Lakshadweep perform a range of vital ecosystem functions and sustain the livelihoods of island communities. Coral reefs provide ecosystem services that are vital to human societies and industries through fisheries, coastal protection and tourism. The present study was undertaken during September and October 2015 to assess the status of reef health in 10 inhabited Islands of Lakshadweep following reef classification to imply conservation measures and also for the sustainable management by the dependent communities. Live coral cover, habitat complexity index, coral species richness, reef condition index, mortality index, morphological dominance, morphological diversity and coral conservation class were used to get an aggregate value of ‘composite condition’ index for determining the overall conservation values of coral reefs in these Islands. Kadmat reef had the highest live coral cover of 64.50% among the 10 inhabited islands. Bitra and Kiltan reef had good live coral cover of 62.75 and 52.25% respectively. The major benthic component in all the studied islands is live coral except in Amini and Andrott Islands. The recovery of corals has increased significantly in the last 5 years in Kadmat, Bitra, Kiltan and Bangarm after the 2010 mass bleaching event. Among the eight attributes, significant positive correlations were found between coral reef condition and live coral cover (r = 0.93, p 60% of stress tolerators. CC3 was assigned to Bangaram and Kadmat due to the presence of > 75% of ruderals. Mixed coral morphology was recorded in Agatti, Andrott, Kalpeni, Kavaratti, and Kiltan with approximately equal proportions of ruderals, competitors and stress tolerators, and these coral reefs were designated as CC4. Protection and conservation management measures, as well as sustainable resource use, have been suggested based on the live coral cover, conservation class, and coral reef health status.

Coral reef condition at north coastal of Haruku Island Maluku Tengah

This research was conducted in the waters on the north coastal of Haruku Island, in 2018, to analyze the condition of coral reefs in the area. The application of the manta-tow method was used as an initial survey of coral reef ecosystems at three research stations (Pelau, Waimital, and Hulaliu), and then the Point Intercept Transect (PIT) method approach was used to analyze the life form of benthic growth at each location at a depth of 3 and 10 meters. Analysis of the percentage of existing life forms was performed to determine the level of damage to coral reefs. The results showed that the percentage of hard coral cover at a depth of 3 meters for the three locations of Pelau, Waimital, and Hulaliu was 16.33%, 14.67%, and 65.3%, respectively. Meanwhile, the depth of 10 meters is 40.67%, 35%, and 66.67%. The condition of coral reefs at Pelau and Waimital stations at a depth of 3 meters is classified as poor, and at a depth of 10 meters is classified as moderate. Meanwhile, at Hulaliu Station, the condition of coral reefs at both depths was classified as good.

A coral reef health study and its problem in Leti, Moa and Wetar Island, Mollucas Province

A study on coral reefs status was conducted on the island of Wetar, Leti, and Moa of Southwest Maluku District. Nine stations were assigned as sampling stations to analyze the coral reefs’ condition of these three islands. The Underwater Photo Transect method was applied to analyze the percentage of biotic and abiotic components of coral reef communities with Coral Point Count Excel (CPCe) software, whilst the underwater visual census for reef fish data. Coral reef health indices were determined based on benthic lifeform components and reef fish biomass. Our findings showed that the coral cover in Wetar, Moa, and Letti island consists of 124 species that belong to 44 genera and 15 families of hard coral. The condition of coral reefs was considered at category 3 due to the high percentage of coral cover that range between 20.85 – 71.55 % with an average of 42.87 %. The average biomass of target fish in the waters of Wetar, Letti, Moa, and its surrounding areas was 129.309 g/m2 or 3,694 kg/ha. The Kaiwatu site (BWI03) was recorded to have the highest biomass of 305,487 g/m2 or 8,728 kg/ha and the lowest was the Klis site ((BWI 08) with a value of 1285 g/m2 or 36,70 kg/ha. The coral reef health index values of nine study sites ranged between grade 5 and 10, of which two locations got a score of 10 (very good) categories, five locations got a good category and two locations got a low score. The overall results indicate that the coral reef is in a healthy condition, yet, the use of non-environmental friendly fishing gears partly damages coral reef beds.

Coral reef ecosystem health status of Paladan Islands, Indonesia: An assessment criteria using coral cover percentage

Abstract. Widodo ERS, Katili AS, Ibrahim M. 2021. Coral reef ecosystem health status of Paladan Islands, Indonesia: An assessment criteria using coral cover percentage. Indo Pac J Ocean Life 5: 8-13. This study aims to analyze the health of coral reef ecosystems in Paladan Island waters, Tojo Una-una District, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. This research is a quantitative descriptive study using roaming data collection techniques and measuring the overall length of coral reef cover in a 5x5 meter2 plot. The research was conducted for 4 months using survey methods. The percentage of live coral cover and mortality index was calculated and categorized according to coral reef health criteria reported from literature. The result showed that coral reefs in the Paladan Island waters exhibit 72.9% life coral cover with an IMK value of 0.09. A comparison of this result with the standardized coral reef health criteria indicates that the percentage coral cover is within a healthy range (50-100%) with an IMK value of ? 0, suggesting that coral reef conditions have not changed or deteriorated. Based on the value of coral cover obtained, it is suggested that the coral reef of Paladan island is still in good condition. The rapid assessment criteria reported here may be useful for monitoring of coral reef ecosystem health.

The coral reef health index in Teluk Sebong, Bintan Island

Teluk Sebong is one of the areas around Bintan Island, Indonesia, that has potential coral reef resources. Bintan borders directly with neighbouring countries and with a major shipping lane (ALKI I) traversing the Indonesian Archipelago. This makes the coral reef ecosystems in this region particularly vulnerable to disruption from changes in the aquatic environment. There is a need for primary data on the coral reef ecosystem condition as a basis for understanding changes in this ecosystem. One commonly used method is the Coral Reef Health Index (CRHI), which can describe the current status in terms of live coral cover, the level of resilience (potential for recovery) during times of stress, the condition of economically important reef fish biomass, and ecologically related functions. The CRHI can be used in monitoring coral reef status and can provide a basis for the management of coral reef ecosystems. This study examined five sampling sites located in Teluk Sebong, Bintan Island. The in-situ data collection included the condition of coral reefs using the Underwater Photo Transect (UPT) method and reef fish condition using the Underwater Visual Census (UVC) method. The coral data collected were analyzed using the CPCe (Coral Point Calculate with Excel extension) software version 4.0 to determine the percentage benthic cover. The coral reef fish data were analyzed to provide target fish density and biomass values (carnivores and herbivores). The live coral cover in Teluk Sebong ranged from 30.87 - 45.40%. Out of the five research sites, Berakit, Pengudang, and Lagoi Bay had coral cover in the high category while coral cover at Banyan Tree and Rawa Island was in the medium category. Reef fish biomass in Teluk Sebong ranged from 9.26 - 108.07 kg/ha, and at all research sites fish biomass was in a low category. The coral reef ecosystem resilience in Teluk Sebong was high at the Berakit and Banyan tree sites; in contrast, Pengudang, Lagoi Bay, and Rawa Island were in the low resilience category. The coral reef index (CRHI) value was highest in Berakit (CRHI = 6), followed by Banyan Tree (CRHI = 5), Pengudang (CRHI = 4), Lagoi Bay (CRHI = 4), and Rawa Island (CRHI = 2).

Coral Reef Coverage and Reef Fish Abundance in Menyawakan Island, Karimunjawa

Karimunjawa is one of the National Parks in Indonesia, a marine conservation area known for its diverse coral reefs, and mangrove forest. This study aims to determine coral reef status in Menyawakan Island at the northwest part of Karimunjawa Archipelago. Coral coverage as well as reef fish data were collected from the South, West, North, and East side of Menyawakan Island. Surveys were conducted at a depth of 5 and 10 meters, using the Line Intercept Transect (LIT) for coral coverage and visual census for reef fish abundance. The highest coral cover, categorized as good condition, was found in the North side of Menyawakan Island at a depth of 5 m (64.94%). Pomacentrus shows the greatest abundance with 291 individuals on the South side of Menyawakan Island. Overall coral cover in Menyawakan Island is categorized as medium to good condition, while the highest reef fish abundance is dominated with family of Pomacentridae, which are native habitat in coral reef area.

KONDISI TERUMBU KARANG DI KAWASAN WISATA PULAU BOKORI, KENDARI, PROVINSI SULAWESI TENGGARA

Bokori Island has been a tourist destination managed by the Tourism Office of the Southeast Sulawesi Provincial since 2014. The location is close to the city center, making this island visited by many tourists. In addition to the beauty of the island, it is also necessary to maintain the beauty of coral reefs as objects for underwater recreation. The study was conducted on 24–25 July 2019 at three sites of observation. The research purpose was to determine the condition of coral reefs of the island, which is used as a tourist destination. The result indicates that the condition of coral reefs is categorized good by having coral cover about 50.67%. The dominant coral at the island is the foliose coral (CF) group with percent cover about 22%, followed by coral branching (CB) 10%, Acropora tabulate (ACT) 8.57%, mushroom coral (CMR) 6%, encrusting coral (CE) 2% and massive coral (CM) 1.33%. The dominant type of substrate was dead coral with algae (DCA) about 37.3%, and the damage due to explosion could still be seen in the location. The current condition of coral needs to be maintained and improved supervision so that live coral can improve so that the function to support underwater tourism can be achieved.