Lau Group Research Articles

Comparison of efficacy and safety between oral propranolol combined with and without intralesional injection of lauromacrogol for infantile hemangioma.

The purpose of this study was to compare efficacy and side effects between oral propranolol combined with and without intralesional injection of lauromacrogol for infantile hemangioma (IH). This was a single center randomized controlled prospective study, all participants were firstly diagnosed with IH between August 2022 and January 2023 in our hospital and without any treatment before. Patients were randomized into two groups. PRO group: oral propranolol (2 mg/kg/day) continued for 6 months; PRO + LAU group: oral propranolol (2 mg/kg/day) for 6 months and intralesional injection of lauromacrogol for 2-4 times within 6 months. The dimensions, color, consistency, photographic documentation were well recorded based on Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) before and after starting treatment. According to the treatment response after 6 months, the results were classified into four levels: Grade 1, complete resolution achieved; Grade 2, with ≥50% reduction in size of IH; Grade 3, with <50% reduction in size of IH; Grade 4, no response or worsening of IH. A total of 67 patients were involved in the study (17 boys, 50 girls; mean age, 3.6 months, range, 1.1-7.2 months) and randomized to receive oral propranolol combined with or without intralesional injection of lauromacrogol (29 in PRO group, 38 in PRO + LAU group). All patients completed treatment. Eleven patients (37.9%) in PRO group were in Grade 1, 14 patients (48.3%) in Grade 2, 4 patients (13.8%) in Grade 3, compared with these in PRO + LAU group, 11 patients (28.9%) in Grade 1, 24 patients (63.2%) in Grade 2, and 3 patients (7.9%) in Grade 3. No patient was in Grade 4, and no severe side effects were observed in both group. In PRO group, it takes an average of 17.1 ± 5.4 weeks from the start of treatment to cure, and in PRO + LAU group, the average time is 13.7 ± 4.9 weeks. Oral propranolol with intralesional injection of lauromacrogol was a safety treatment strategy for IH. But it was not superior to oral propranolol in final cure rates (P = 0.45), moreover, it cannot certainly offer the benefits of shortening the duration of oral drug treatment (P = 0.24).

Improving the mental health and well-being of healthcare providers using the transcendental meditation technique during the COVID-19 pandemic: A parallel population study.

Frontline Healthcare provider (HCP) burnout has dramatically increased due to the COVID 19 pandemic. Hospitals are supporting wellness programs and techniques to reduce burnout including the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique. This study evaluated the use of TM on HCP symptoms of stress, burnout and wellness. A total of 65 HCPs at three South Florida hospitals were recruited and instructed in the TM technique which they practiced at home for 20 minutes twice a day. A parallel lifestyle as usual control group was enrolled. Validated measurement scales (Brief Symptom Inventory 18 (BSI-18), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey [MBI-HSS (MP)] and the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well Being Scale (WEMWBS) were administered at baseline, 2 weeks, one and three months. No significant demographic differences were seen between the 2 groups; however, some baseline scales were higher in the TM group. TM average weekly session completion rate was very high at 83%. After 2-weeks, symptoms of somatization, depression, and anxiety in the TM group had all shown near 45% reductions, while insomnia, emotional exhaustion, and well-being had improved by 33%, 16%, and 11% respectively (P = 0.02 for somatization and < .001 for all others); no significant change was noted in the LAU group. At 3-months, in the TM group, the improvement in symptoms showed a mean reduction of in anxiety, 62%, somatization, 58%, depression, 50%, insomnia, 44%, emotional exhaustion 40%, depersonalization, 42%, and improvement of well-being 18% (for all p<0.004). P-values for between-group differences in change from baseline, based upon repeated measures ANCOVA covarying for baseline measurements, showed significance for all scales at 3-months. The study confirmed the reported significant and rapid benefits of the practice of TM and demonstrated its positive psychological impact on healthcare workers in a high stress setting.

Molecular Display on Protein Nanocompartments: Design Strategies and Systems Applications

AbstractThe front cover artwork is provided by the Lau Group from the University of Sydney. The image shows an artistic example of a catalytic system depicting cross‐talk between enzymes displayed on the surface and sequestered within the compartment. Read the full text of the Review at 10.1002/syst.202100025.

Participatory value chain study for yasi sandalwood (Santalum yasi) in Fiji

ABSTRACT Santalum yasi (yasi) was first exploited in Fiji in the early 1800s and has been harvested periodically but heavily ever since. Yasi produces one of the most valuable sandalwoods, being high in α- and β-santalols and typically meeting the East Indian sandalwood (Santalum album) ISO standard for sandalwood oil. Although wild yasi stands are now near to commercial extinction, they are being replaced by rapidly expanding smallholder plantings throughout the Fiji archipelago. A value chain study is presented for yasi in Fiji for a 35-year period (1984–2018). The study was undertaken in 2018–2019, in a participatory manner, through interviews and consultations with the key value actors, comprising yasi owners and growers, buyers, local buyers and processors, international buyers and processors, and the Fiji Government’s Ministry of Forestry. The study’s focus was on the main yasi-producing and -processing islands of Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, Kadavu and the Lau Group. The yasi value chain has been operating suboptimally, with modest returns to tree owners, growers and the Fiji Government, a failure to develop a local yasi-oil and value-adding industry, and, until recently, a lack of yasi replanting. An ongoing constraint to increased plantings of yasi in Fiji is a lack of practical and efficient regulatory and trading frameworks that can provide security of investment for growers, including legal verification (chain of custody) to meet market requirements and curb illegal harvesting. Key findings of this study are: (1) there is a lack of yasi brand recognition and development in the international marketplace due to its substitution for S. album, adversely affecting all actors along the value chain; and (2) there is an opportunity for branding based on yasi’s natural properties and competitiveness. Recommendations are provided to improve the functioning of the yasi value chain in both the short and long terms for yasi tree owners (i-Taukei and smallholder growers), the Fiji Ministry of Forestry, and sandalwood buyers, processors and exporters. Given its high value and non-perishability, yasi has major and near-unique potential to contribute cash income to Fijian communities in remote island archipelagos. Fiji is well placed to develop a highly competitive and sustainable yasi sandalwood industry that delivers greater returns to tree owners, growers and processors through the development of high-quality plantings, enhanced governance and chain of custody, a yasi branding strategy, the development of local value-adding, and cooperation with major perfume houses and body-care-product companies.

Tropical Cyclone Harold meets the Novel Coronavirus

Abstract: COVID-19 began to manifest in the Pacific Islands by early March 2020, starting in the US and French territories, spreading slowly to the independent countries of Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste. All of the independent Pacific countries responded with aggressive measures, closing borders and establishing curfews. Against this background, Tropical Cyclone Harold, formed on April Fool's Day, began its devastating path through four Pacific countries: Solomon Islands with 27 dead in a ferry accident; Vanuatu whose northern islands, including Santo and Malekula were devastated by the cyclone with wind speeds greater than 200 km/h. The devastation continued in Fiji, with two tornadoes and devastation particularly in Kadavu and the southern Lau group. Tropical Cyclone Harold struck Tonga at the height of the king tide. COVID-19 continues to complicate relief efforts, particularly in Vanuatu. As of May 3, 2020, sixteen Pacific countries and territories had yet to report their first confirmed case of COVID-19: American Samoa, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Pitcairn, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Wallis and Futuna. The Pacific continues to lead by example motivated by collective stewardship with actions and policies based on science. Pacific leaders continue to work with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to implement COVID-19 management recommendations.

The Diplommatinidae of Fiji - a hotspot of Pacific land snail biodiversity (Caenogastropoda, Cyclophoroidea).

The minute (adult size 1.3–4.8 mm) land snail species of the family Diplommatinidae in the Fiji archipelago are revised based on historical material and modern (1998–99) collections targeting limestone outcrops on the largest island, Viti Levu, and several smaller islands in the Lau group. The forty-two species (including 30 new species) belong to the genera Moussonia Semper, 1865, Palaina Semper, 1865 and Diancta Martens, 1867, which are briefly characterized and keyed. The diagnostic structure of the inner lamellar system of each species is illustrated. All species except one are endemic to Fiji. In Viti Levu, the 12 localities surveyed each had 1–13 (average 5) species of Diplommatinidae; ten species were each found at a single site only. In the Lau islands, five islands were visited, with 1–4 species per island; four species are known from single islands. The number of historically known species not recollected in 1998–99 (7 species), the number of single-site occurrences (14 species), and the numerous islands — including limestone islands — that have not been surveyed at all, indicate that the 42 species of Diplommatinidae currently known from Fiji represent perhaps only half of the Fiji diplommatinid fauna. Such numbers approach the diplommatinid diversity of Palau (39 described and more than 60 undescribed species), and surpasses by far the diversity of other South Pacific archipelagos of comparable land area (New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Samoa).Nomenclatural acts: Lectotypes designated: Diplommatina fuscula, Diplommatina fuscula var. vitiana, Diplommatina godeffroyana, Diplommatina godeffroyana var. latecostata, Diplommatina tuberosa, Diplommatina martensi var. macrostoma, all Mousson, 1870. Neotypes designated: Diplommatina subregularis, Diplommatina ascendens, Diplommatina quadrata, all Mousson, 1870. New species: Diancta aurea sp. n., Diancta aurita sp. n., Diancta basiplana sp. n., Diancta controversa sp. n., Diancta densecostulata sp. n., Diancta dextra sp. n., Diancta dilatata sp. n., Diancta distorta sp. n., Diancta pulchella sp. n., Diancta rotunda sp. n., Diancta subquadrata sp. n., Diancta trilamellata sp. n., Moussonia acuta sp. n., Moussonia barkeri sp. n., Moussonia brodieae sp. n., Moussonia longipalatalis sp. n., Moussonia minutissima sp. n., Moussonia obesa sp. n., Moussonia polita sp. n., Moussonia uncinata sp. n., Moussonia vitianoides sp. n., Palaina alberti sp. n., Palaina flammulata sp. n., Palaina glabella sp. n., Palaina kitteli sp. n., Palaina labeosa sp. n., Palaina parietalis sp. n., Palaina sulcata sp. n., Palaina truncata sp. n., Palaina tuberosissima sp. n.

The prehistory of terrestrial reptiles and birds in the Central Lau Group, Fiji

We identified nearly 1000 bones of reptiles and birds from 20 prehistoric sites in caves and rockshelters on four islands (Lakeba, Nayau, Aiwa Levu, and Aiwa Lailai) in the Lau Group of Fiji. The bones are Late Holocene in age (ca. 2800 to 200 years old) and are contemporaneous with prehistoric human habitation of the islands. They represent 32 species (7 reptiles, 25 non-passerine landbirds). Six of the seven taxa of squamate reptiles recovered from the prehistoric sites are indigenous to the Lau Group, including an undescribed and presumably extinct species of gekkonid lizard. While the Lau islands have never been surveyed comprehensively for modern squamate reptiles, six other species of lizards known to occur in Lau today are not represented with certainty in any of the bone deposits (the geckos Hemidactylus frenatus and Lepidodactylus lugubris, and skinks Emoia cyanura, E. impar, Cryptoblepharus eximius, and Lipinia noctua). Except for C. eximius, these synthropic and not necessarily native species are widespread on Pacific islands, with much or all of their dispersal being due to human agency. For landbirds, the prehistoric bones increase the species richness values from 21 to 29 species on Lakeba, from 17 to 19 species on Nayau, from 18 to 26 on Aiwa Levu, and from 16 to 17 on Aiwa Lailai. The extinct species of birds consist of two megapodes (Megapodius alimentum, M. amissus), two flightless rails (Gallirallus undescribed sp., Porzana undescribed sp.), and a pigeon (Ducula lakeba). Three living species of birds recorded pre-historically, but that no longer occur on these islands, are characteristic of freshwater habitats: the heron Butorides striatus and two volant rails, Porzana tabuensis and Poliolimnas cinereus. Three other extant species recorded from bones on Lakeba, but that no longer inhabit that island or any others in Lau, are the pigeon Didunculus cf. strigirostris, parrot Prosopeia sp., and lorikeet ?Charmosyna amabilis. Much of the inter-island differences in total species richness of birds (modern + prehistoric) is probably due to uneven sampling of prehistoric bones, which are both older (on average) and more abundant on Lakeba and Aiwa Levu than on the other two islands. Reconstructing the composition of the reptile and bird communities as they existed at first human contact demonstrates the unappreciated species richness of very small islands, a concept of interest to biogeographers and conservation biologists.

Waqa Tabu—sacred ships: the Fijian drua

The Fijian drua (also called kalia in Tonga and ‘alia in Samoa) are arguably the apex of Pacific naval architectural design and performance, built without metals, some over 100’ long, carrying complements of more than 200, capable of speeds of around fifteen knots and of sailing within four points of the wind. There is currently no single literature source for drua and the discourse on central Oceania’s sailing heritage has been overshadowed in recent decades by intensive research into eastern Polynesia vessels and voyaging. Amongst the scattered literature there is disagreement between authors as to the historical and pre-historical extent, ability and source of Fijian sailing culture. We collate and assess the known literature for drua, drawing out areas of commonalty and discord to place this within the context of culture, with canoe as focal point. We examine the unique role of the vesi loa (Intsia bijuga) growing on the limestone islands of the southern Lau Group, a boat-building material described as the titanium of the Pacific, as a magnet for master craftsman from Samoa, Tonga and Fiji and the resultant cross-cultural exchange that produced a craft that was arguably the finest performance hulled ship of her day. No great drua has been built in over a century. We conclude that the nature of the drua culture described requires a more generous assessment of Fijian voyaging ability and history than currently exists in the literature. Regardless of its design origin, the drua in its finished form was the product of a unique and indigenous cross-cultural collaboration that includes at least the societies of central and northern Oceania.

Kana Tamata or Feasts of Men: An Interdisciplinary Approach for Identifying Cannibalism in Prehistoric Fiji

AbstractBy integrating osteological, taphonomic, archaeological and stable isotopic data, we test for cannibalism in the Lau Group, Fiji and discuss the potential underlying cause(s) and context(s) of this behaviour. First, we compare taphonomic and element representations of human skeletal material from two contexts in Fiji, examining human bone fragments from archaeological sites, including middens and burials in the Lau Island Group. Fourteen sites produced human remains. Only two of those sites included distinct human burial contexts, but in the remaining 12 sites, the human bone was recovered from middens or contexts where midden was mixed with possible secondary burials. A total of 262 number of identified specimens per species, representing an estimated 15 minimum number of individuals make up the Lau human assemblage. Second, we analysed bones contained in 20 individual human burials from four different sites that are housed at the Fiji Museum for comparative purposes. Third, we examine previously published stable isotopic (δ13C, δ15N) analysis of bone collagen to gauge protein consumption of likely cannibalised humans in midden contexts and potential cannibals from primary burials. We model a cannibalistic diet category within the context of isotopically measured Pacific Islands food groups and apply an isotopic mixing model to gauge plausible dietary contributions from six sources including human flesh. Isotopic mixing models of the Lauan samples illustrate a high diversity in reconstructed diets. The percent contribution of human flesh is low for all individual Lauans. We conclude that mortuary rituals evidenced by sharp‐force trauma may suggest non‐nutritive and non‐violent practices that may have included the consumption of small amounts of human flesh. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

A Case Study of Metabolic Syndrome without Hypertension in a Fijian Coastal Fishing Village

AbstractWe describe a case study involving obesity, health, and body image on the small island of Nayau, in the Lau Group, Fiji. Nayau is a remote island of Fiji where traditional subsistence activ...

Comparison of 87Sr/86Sr isotope and biostratigraphic ages of uplifted fossil reefs in the Indo-Pacific: Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Fiji

The lithology of limestone from seven Neogene sites from the Indo-Pacific region, from the Salayar Limestone in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, the Yalam Limestone in East New Britain, Papua New Guinea (P.N.G.) and the Daliconi and Futuna Limestone members of the Tokelau Limestone Group on Vanua Balevu in the Lau Group, Fiji, is described. The ages of foraminiferal assemblages collected at all sites are compared with 87Sr/86Sr isotope ages of samples from the same locations. Combined geochemical and biostratigraphic dating indicates a late Miocene to Pliocene/Pleistocene age for sections in Indonesia, a middle Miocene age for sections in P.N.G., and middle to late Miocene ages for sections in Fiji.

Forest Plant and Bird Communities in the Lau Group, Fiji

BackgroundWe examined species composition of forest and bird communities in relation to environmental and human disturbance gradients on Lakeba (55.9 km2), Nayau (18.4 km2), and Aiwa Levu (1.2 km2), islands in the Lau Group of Fiji, West Polynesia. The unique avifauna of West Polynesia (Fiji, Tonga, Samoa) has been subjected to prehistoric human-caused extinctions but little was previously known about this topic in the Lau Group. We expected that the degree of human disturbance would be a strong determinant of tree species composition and habitat quality for surviving landbirds, while island area would be unrelated to bird diversity.Methodology/Principal FindingsAll trees >5 cm diameter were measured and identified in 23 forest plots of 500 m2 each. We recognized four forest species assemblages differentiated by composition and structure: coastal forest, dominated by widely distributed species, and three forest types with differences related more to disturbance history (stages of secondary succession following clearing or selective logging) than to environmental gradients (elevation, slope, rockiness). Our point counts (73 locations in 1 or 2 seasons) recorded 18 of the 24 species of landbirds that exist on the three islands. The relative abundance and species richness of birds were greatest in the forested habitats least disturbed by people. These differences were due mostly to increased numbers of columbid frugivores and passerine insectivores in forests on Lakeba and Aiwa Levu. Considering only forested habitats, the relative abundance and species richness of birds were greater on the small but completely forested (and uninhabited) island of Aiwa Levu than on the much larger island of Lakeba.Conclusions/SignificanceForest disturbance history is more important than island area in structuring both tree and landbird communities on remote Pacific islands. Even very small islands may be suitable for conservation reserves if they are protected from human disturbance.

A Long-Term Perspective on Biodiversity and Marine Resource Exploitation in Fiji's Lau Group

I present research investigating biodiversity and human interaction with the local environment through three perspectives on diverse islands in Fiji's Lau Group. First, I generated long-term data on marine diversity and exploitation through zooarchaeological analyses of fauna from sites spanning the region's prehistoric human occupation. The study areas are representative of regional fauna and local geographic variation in island size and structure. Each island also varies in terms of human occupation and degree of impacts on marine and terrestrial environments. Second, my ethnographic work recorded modern marine exploitation patterns by Lauan communities. Third, marine biological surveys documented living faunas. Together this information is used to explore the marine environment over the three millennia of human occupation. Using data derived from my multipronged study I discuss potential causes of ecological change in this tropical marine setting. My findings include the following: (1) data indicate that relative intensity of human occupation and exploitation determines modern composition and biological diversity of marine communities because human disturbance occurred more extensively on larger islands than on smaller islands in Lau; (2) Lauans appear to have targeted similar suites of marine fauna across their 3,000 years of history on these islands; (3) Lauans have had a selective effect on marine biodiversity because particular species are/were targeted according to local standards of ranking and preference; (4) marine resources existing today have withstood over 3,000 years of human impacts and therefore may have life history traits supporting resilience and making conservation efforts worthwhile.

Prehistoric Fijian diet and subsistence: integration of faunal, ethnographic, and stable isotopic evidence from the Lau Island Group

We explore subsistence practices and dietary change on islands in the central Lau Group of Fiji with zooarchaeological methods and stable isotopic analysis of human and animal skeletal material interpreted through an ethnoarchaeological lens. Our dataset combines detailed identifications of fauna, especially fishes, with stable isotopic (δ 13C, δ 15N) values of human and animal bone collagen and apatite carbonate spanning approximately three thousand years of human occupation on three study islands. Additionally, over fifty inshore and offshore contemporary fishing expeditions were observed on all study islands over a six-year period. We integrate these separate lines of evidence to form robust interpretations of Lauan subsistence patterns over a broad temporal scale. We add to the existing literature on stable isotopic analysis of archaeological bone from Remote Oceania and compare all of these groups through time. Our results indicate that Lauans differentially relied on nearshore reef resources rather than pelagic fishes, and terrestrial endemic species may have served as a portion of the diet during the early prehistoric period. Root crops (e.g., taro, yam) provided the majority of calories to the diet; however, sea grapes likely contributed to the early diet. Our isotopic results differ from previous studies of Fijian diet and that of Remote Oceania at a time of probable marine ecosystem shifts (AD 1300) illustrating diet breadth and variability in subsistence strategies potentially due to climatically influenced resource depletion.

Molecular and morphological analysis of the critically endangered Fijian iguanas reveals cryptic diversity and a complex biogeographic history.

The Pacific iguanas of the Fijian and Tongan archipelagos are a biogeographic enigma in that their closest relatives are found only in the New World. They currently comprise two genera and four species of extinct and extant taxa. The two extant species, Brachylophus fasciatus from Fiji, Tonga, and Vanuatu and Brachylophus vitiensis from western Fiji, are of considerable conservation concern with B. vitiensis listed as critically endangered. A recent molecular study has shown that Brachylophus comprised three evolutionarily significant units. To test these conclusions and to reevaluate the phylogenetic and biogeographic relationships within Brachylophus, we generated an mtDNA dataset consisting of 1462 base pairs for 61 individuals from 13 islands, representing both Brachylophus species. Unweighted parsimony analyses and Bayesian analyses produced a well-resolved phylogenetic hypothesis supported by high bootstrap values and posterior probabilities within Brachylophus. Our data reject the monophyly of specimens previously believed to comprise B. fasciatus. Instead, our data demonstrate that living Brachylophus comprise three robust and well-supported clades that do not correspond to current taxonomy. One of these clades comprises B. fasciatus from the Lau group of Fiji and Tonga (type locality for B. fasciatus), while a second comprises putative B. fasciatus from the central regions of Fiji, which we refer to here as B. n. sp. Animals in this clade form the sister group to B. vitiensis rather than other B. fasciatus. We herein describe this clade as a new species of Brachylophus based on molecular and morphological data. With only one exception, every island is home to one or more unique haplotypes. We discuss alternative biogeographic hypotheses to explain their distribution in the Pacific and the difficulties of distinguishing these. Together, our molecular and taxonomic results have important implications for future conservation initiatives for the Pacific iguanas.

Human Impacts on Ancient Marine Environments of Fiji's Lau Group: Current Ethnoarchaeological and Archaeological Research

Throughout the world's oceans, coral reefs are in decline due to pollution, climate change, overfishing, and disease. As archaeologists focused on historical ecology and island and coastal environm...

Archaeological Investigations on the Small Islands of Aiwa Levu and Aiwa Lailai, Lau Group, Fiji

ABSTRACT We present archaeological data from the small limestone islands of Aiwa Levu (1.21 km2) and Aiwa Lailai (1.0 km2), Lau Group, Fiji. Surveys revealed prehistoric occupations of a sinkhole cave, rockshelters, and a fortified site. We excavated six sites, all with abundant pottery and faunal materials. Eleven radiocarbon dates from four sites span nearly the entire period of Fijian prehistory, from 2710–2330 cal BP to 430–10 cal BP. From inland sites on Aiwa Levu, the stratification, long chronology, and abundance of midden, and other artifacts argue for more permanent prehistoric occupation than the island's current use as a temporary fishing camp for people from nearby Lakeba (55.84 km2). Our archaeological data reinforce the notion that small islands were important in the prehistoric settlement and long-term occupation of Oceania, even in archipelagos where much larger islands exist nearby. In spite of their typically limited agricultural potential, small islands may be easy to defend and may offer better access to certain terrestrial and marine resources than large neighboring islands. Prehistoric sites on some small islands also may be less disturbed by modern activities than most larger islands, and therefore have enhanced potential to yield rich archaeological records.

Seed plants of Fiji: an ecological analysis

An annotated list of indigenous Fijian seed plant genera is presented and comprises 484 genera and 1315 species in 137 families. The relative diversity of the largest families and genera in Fiji is indicated and compared with floras in New Caledonia and the Upper Watut Valley, Papua New Guinea. Differences and similarities appear to be due to biogeographical/phylogenetic factors rather than ecological differences or means of dispersal. Generic diversity for the seed plants as a whole is greatest between 0–100 m and decreases monotonically with altitude. However, in the largest family, Orchidaceae, maximum diversity occurs between 200–400 m. Fifty percent of the families are recorded from shore habitat. Twenty-seven percent of the families and 80 species occur in or around mangrove, where the most diverse families are Orchidaceae, Rubiaceae, and the legumes. Some of the mangrove-associate species are pantropical or Indo-Pacific but most are locally or regionally endemic. Fifty-six percent of the Fijian families are recorded on limestone. Twenty-nine species are restricted to limestone and 12 species usually occur on limestone. The importance of calcium in reducing the effects of salinity is emphasized and 39 species are recorded from both mangrove and limestone. A plagiotropic habit occurs in 38 species which occur on limestone or around beaches, and 20 of these are Pacific endemics. Genera restricted to higher altitudes include many present elsewhere in Melanesia but absent from Australia despite suitable habitat there, again indicating the importance of biogeographical and historical factors. Altitudinal anomalies in Fiji taxa are cited and include 7 anomalously high records from northern Viti Levu, a site of major uplift, and 22 anomalously low altitudinal records in the Lau Group, a site of subsidence. It is suggested that the Fijian flora has not been derived from immigrants from Asia, but has evolved more or less in situ. Taxa would have survived as metapopulations on the individually ephemeral volcanic islands always found at oceanic subduction zones and hot spots, and the atolls which characterize areas of subsidence. The complex geology of Fiji is determined by its position between two subduction zones of opposite polarity, the Vanuatu and Tonga Trenches, in what is currently a region of transform faulting. The large islands comprise fragments of island arcs that have amalgamated and welded together. There has been considerable uplift as well as subsidence in the islands and it is suggested that both these processes have had drastic effects on the altitudinal range of the taxa. Limestone and mangrove floras could have provided a widespread, diverse ancestral species pool from which freshwater swamp forest, lowland rainforest, dry forest, secondary forest, thickets, and montane forest have been derived during phases of uplift. © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 89, 407–431.

Using informal knowledge to infer human‐induced rarity of a conspicuous reef fish

AbstractThere have been few contemporary extinctions in the sea, which suggests marine species are either less vulnerable to extinction than terrestrial species, or marine extinctions may have gone unnoticed. We consider whether a large conspicuous reef fish, the giant humphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum), is likely to have declined across much of its geographical range. Informal knowledge was used to determine the status of the giant humphead parrotfish. We first surveyed fishers' knowledge of this parrotfish at 12 lightly exploited islands in the Lau group, Fiji and then compiled a global inventory of available information. In the Lau islands, Fiji, fishers reported this parrotfish as previously abundant, but it had not been caught at six islands since at least 1990 and was considered rare at another four islands. The parrotfish had been captured recently (since the 1990s) at three islands where fishers did not target parrotfishes regularly. A compilation of giant humphead parrotfish records provided by local scientists at 39 locations in 31 Indo‐Pacific nations suggested this fish is locally common only inside areas where fishing is prohibited and that it is currently globally rare. Local densities of the giant humphead parrotfish were negatively correlated to a categorical scale of fishing pressure across six Indo‐Pacific locations. The retrospective discovery of local disappearances and global rarity of a distinctive and formerly prominent reef fish is consistent with the hypothesis that the capacity to detect disappearances of exploitation‐vulnerable species in the sea is lower than expected.

Scale-dependant control of motile epifaunal community structure along a coral reef fishing gradient

Large-scale fishing is mostly conducted using towed gears that reduce the biomass and diversity of benthic invertebrates. However, it is impossible to differentiate between the physical disturbance effect of towed gears from the effect of fish predator removal upon benthic invertebrate communities. Here we explore the impact of fish removal alone on the community structure of small motile coral reef invertebrates (epifauna) along a subsistence fishing intensity gradient in the Lau group, Fiji. We deployed settlement plates at three areas in each of six fishing grounds and examined the density and class richness of the motile epifaunal communities and the associated algal communities in relation to the structure of fish and benthic communities. Motile epifaunal density was unrelated to fishing intensity. However, at smaller inter-area scale (0.5–10 km) motile epifaunal density was negatively related to plate algal biomass, whereas at the larger inter-fishing-ground scale (4–180 km) motile epifaunal density was positively related to the rugosity (substrate complexity) of the surrounding benthos. The class richness and diversity (Margalef's d) of motile epifaunal communities were negatively related to fishing intensity, but unrelated to grazing intensity, rugosity or algal biomass at either scale. Benthic community structure varied significantly with fishing intensity; hard-coral cover was lower and turf-algal cover was higher at high fishing pressure. The variation in benthic community structure was associated with variation in fish community structure, which in turn varied with fishing intensity. Motile epifaunal community structure upon plates was linked to the structure of the surrounding benthic community, but was not directly linked to the plate algal community. We suggest the decline in richness of the motile epifauna community along the fishing gradient is attributable to either to exploiter-mediated coexistence or the reduction in ‘habitat quality’ of the surrounding benthos. At the large spatial scale substrate complexity is the key determinant of motile epifaunal density, suggesting predation by fishes plays an important structuring role at this scale. Assuming that rugosity is inversely related to predation risk then this study represents the first evidence for spatial-dependence on the top-down (predation) vs. bottom-up (algal biomass) control of community structure. We argue fisheries exploitation, in the absence of a physical disturbance can negatively influence motile epifaunal community structure at large spatial scales.