Marine National Park Research Articles

Additional Records of Macrobenthic Fauna in and Around Marine National Park and Sanctuary, Gujarat, India

Additional Records of Macrobenthic Fauna in and Around Marine National Park and Sanctuary, Gujarat, India Coral reefs serving as shelter and food to many marine organisms’ world over are under the threat of bleaching due to global warming and climate change. Hence documenting the rare fauna from such habitats becomes important. The Gulf of Kachchh with its 42 islands, in western Gujarat, India has been rich in terms of marine diversity. Since, the Southern Gulf of Kachchh has its mouth opening towards the Arabian Sea the place has opportunity of having species that might migrate towards the gulf along with the tidal flow, Arabian Sea currents and the movement of vessels from world over. During our studies at Shivrajpur, Poshitra and Narara coastal reefs we have encountered three species i.e. Botrylloides diegensis, Marivagia stellata, Heteractis malu and three genus i.e. Neozoanthus spp., Ecteinascidia spp., Thysanozoon spp. that are new to the Southern Gulf of Kachchh region and Gujarat coast. We report the same over here.

Oil Spill Incidents and Their Impacts to Fisheries and Tourism Activities in Kepulauan Seribu

Kepulauan Seribu is a group of islands located in the north of Jakarta. which consist of several sensitive areas such as National Marine Park. settlement. coral reefs. fisheries. and tourism areas. The activities of oil & gas industries and shipping lanes in Kepulauan Seribu could potentially lead to oil spill pollution to waters and coast of Kepulauan Seribu which causing damage to sensitive areas. Past incidents of oil spills in Kepulauan Seribu has causing damages to fisheries. corals reef. and tourism activities. Therefore. appropriate oil spill preparedness and response are required since they are they are regulated by government and are important measures to minimize the negative impacts of an oil spill.

Power Strategies for Ecotourism in the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago (Brazil) for Implementing Payments for Ecosystem Services

Ecotourism is considered an important activity provided by natural ecosystem services in the Fernando de Noronha archipelago through recreation opportunities. Since 2010, the Fernando de Noronha National Marine Park has been experiencing a private-public partnership between the park’s management and a concessionaire, imposing fees to visitors in order to provide sustainable facilities to some attractions of the protected area. Payments for ecosystem services schemes are being implemented in many parts of the world in an effort to promote environmental protection, showing positive outcomes. Therefore, the objective of this study is to analyse the empirical case of payments for ecosystem services through ecotourism based on economic and political theory. The economic theory identifies the economic processes generated by the payments, while the political theory identifies the political actors and their respective power strategies that aid in the implementation of a specific scheme of payments for ecosystem services. Furthermore, the aim of the study is to determine which factors are successful in utilizing payments for ecosystem services as an instrument to preserve ecosystems via ecotourism. Moreover, the paper links an economic approach to power theories, which is a dynamic perspective on tourism studies. To reach the results, economic and political factors are identified according to existing theory and are then compared with empirical evidence from the archipelago. The most powerful actors that have influence on the ecotourism activities were interviewed in order to determine their power elements as well as their level of support for the payments, according to the power analysis that take into consideration the following power elements: coercion, incentives, and disincentives and dominant information. The economic analysis shows that payments for ecosystem services sufficiently meet the standards of the economic model and the political analysis explains this success by the influence of various powerful actors in Fernando de Noronha. Furthermore, the results support the hypothesis that only payments for ecosystem services which can gain the support of powerful actors are effective in practice. Subscribe to JPRA

The Relationship between Soft-Bottom Macrobenthic Assemblages and Environmental Variables of Boojagh Marine National Park, Southern Caspian Sea, Iran.

Macrobenthic infauna and associated environmental factors influencing the benthic assemblages in the Southern coastal region of Caspian Sea were analyzed in five seasonal surveys from summer 2015 to summer 2016 (18 stations), in order to understand the assemblage structure and the factors influencing the benthic distribution. The results showed that sixteen macrobenthic species in total were collected from the research region. The composition of species was: Polychaeta (4 species); Mollusca (4); Crustacea (6); Clitellata (1) and Thecostraca (1), among which, all of species were common in the sampling of every season. The dominant species varied from season to season; however, the polychaete species Hypania invalida and Clitellata species Stenogammarus carausui were always present year-round. The results of CLUSTER analysis showed that the similarities of macrobenthic structures between the stations were low; most of the similarities in all seasons were at about 25-30% of similarity value, only two stations were up to 80%-90%. In accordance with the similarity values of the macrobenthic structures, we divided the 18 stations into five groups by the similarity level of 30%. Comparing sand percentages among transects, data based on Levene’s test were homogeneous (P>0.05). The results of one-way ANOVA showed that the differences between transects were highly significant (P<0.01). Results suggested that benthos was controlled by a combination of factors such as sediment structure, salinity, pH, the electrical conductivity, turbidity and temperature, and no single factor could be considered as a main influencing factor. Additionally, significant correlations between species abundances and the tested environmental factors were evident. This study highlights the potential consequences of established non-indigenous species in the Southern Caspian Sea.

The Potential of Indonesian Heterobranchs Found around Bunaken Island for the Production of Bioactive Compounds.

The species diversity of marine heterobranch sea slugs found on field trips around Bunaken Island (North Sulawesi, Indonesia) and adjacent islands of the Bunaken National Marine Park forms the basis of this review. In a survey performed in 2015, 80 species from 23 families were collected, including 17 new species. Only three of these have been investigated previously in studies from Indonesia. Combining species diversity with a former study from 2003 reveals in total 140 species from this locality. The diversity of bioactive compounds known and yet to be discovered from these organisms is summarized and related to the producer if known or suspected (might it be down the food chain, de novo synthesised from the slug or an associated bacterium). Additionally, the collection of microorganisms for the discovery of natural products of pharmacological interest from this hotspot of biodiversity that is presented here contains more than 50 species that have never been investigated before in regard to bioactive secondary metabolites. This highlights the great potential of the sea slugs and the associated microorganisms for the discovery of natural products of pharmacological interest from this hotspot of biodiversity.

TOURISM IN PROTECTED AREAS: THE CASE OF THE NATIONAL MARINE PARK OF ALONISSOS-NORTHERN SPORADES IN GREECE

The tourist development of Greece began in the '50s to become one of the main sources of income, both nationally and locally, since many areas are the main source of tourism revenue. The concepts of sustainability and viability of this product and its operation, is being strongly marked recent decades in many conferences, notices, and scientific research. Greece established 30 Management Bodies to integrated management of protected areas belonging to this network. One of the main problems faced by operators in their pursuit of these objectives to be achieved is use of these areas by visitors, whose presence is particularly strong in coastal locations. Meanwhile, tourism trends in recent years have changed, resulting in more and more visitors are directed to areas that retain as much as possible intact their natural environment, which, as already mentioned, has contributed to the development of ecotourism. Comparatively, governments are pushing the parks to make more dynamic the tourism as a means of saving money to make them as independent, sustainable and self-reliant as possible. This results in the Protected Areas at risk of losing their authenticity if not properly managed the tourists from their managers. Others focus on the principles of sustainability and viability and others give concrete forms of tourism in this alternative formula, including for example ecotourism and agrotourism. The benefits anticipated from the influence on the existing tourism development, the development of better relations with local operators and those involved in the tourism sector and a holistic approach in terms of management of the protected area in the field of management. This paper investigates the profile of tourists in the National Marine Park of Alonissos, gets a swot analysis to identify the problems and benefits of the region and are proposed a number of items reference the ecotourism marketing. Article visualizations:

Food, money and lobsters: Valuing ecosystem services to align environmental management with Sustainable Development Goals

With over 1 billion people currently relying on the services provided by marine ecosystems – e.g. food, fibre and coastal protection – governments, scientists and international bodies are searching for innovative research to support decision-makers in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Valuing past and present ecosystem services allows investigation into how different scenarios impact the SDGs, such as economic growth, sustainability, poverty and equity among stakeholders. This paper investigates the past and current value of the lobster fishery located in the Table Mountain National Park Marine Protected Area. It then uses InVEST to highlight future changes under different scenarios. While we found a significant decline in fishery value over the next ten years under all three scenarios, the exclusion of large-scale fisheries from the marine protected area seems to yield the most positive results in regard to South Africa’s SDG commitments. This scenario has the potential to generate approximately 50% more revenue, while also producing the highest available protein to local communities, highest quantity of spawners and highest economic distribution to small-scale fisheries. It is clear through this research that valuing ecosystem services can enable a future of healthy economies, people and environments; the highly sought-after triple-bottom line.

Changing Landscape of Marine National Park and Sanctuary, Gulf of Kachchh: Ecological Assessment of Mangroves and Coral Reefs

This paper assesses the ecological changes in mangroves and coral reefs of Marine National Park and Sanctuary (MNP&S), Gulf of Kachchh, Gujarat, India during 1972–2014. Landsat 1 Multi Spectral Scanner data were used for 1972 to map the mangroves and coral reefs whereas Landsat 8 Optical Land Imager data were used to map the coral reef extent only, in MNP&S in 2014. Published literature sources were used to record the area of mangroves and coral reefs of MNP&S for various years between 1972 and 2014, and the changes were analyzed. For the year 1972, total mangrove area mapped is 175.36 sq. km and the total reef area mapped comes out to be 402.14 sq. km. The total area of reef in MNP&S computed for 2014 is 443.49 sq. km. Our analysis shows that MNP&S witnessed severe loss of mangroves till 1992, with annual rate of mangrove degradation being 2.89%. Exploitation by local communities and careless release/spillage of oil and brine by nearby industries were found to be two major anthropogenic factors responsible for degradation of mangroves over a period of four decades. Major reasons found for degradation of reefs in MNP&S were mining and deposition of sediments. The area estimates for coral reefs reported in this paper for 2014 are the latest figures available for coral reefs in this region. It is recommended that monitoring of coastal habitats in MNP&S should be done regularly to understand the changes in the ecology of the area.

EFFECTIVENESS OF SUB ZONE CETACEAN PROTECTION IN MARINE PROTECTED AREAS SAVU SEA NATIONAL MARINE PARK, EAST NUSA TENGGARA

The zonation review and evaluation took into account habitat protection areas and categorised migration routes. In addition, the sustainability of fishery resources is maintained, as people in Savu Sea depend on fishery resources. The objectives of this research are to analyse the effectiveness of sub-zone cetacean protection for Savu Sea National Marien Park. The research stations were watering inside and outside in Savu Sea National Marine Park. The sampling of the research was conducted on 2015 and 2016, collecting data using a zig-zag transect by observation method of collecting data sighting cetacean with single observer platform. The results of sub-zone cetacean protection against Southwest Sumba waters, West Sumba and East Timor Land need to be reviewed if referring the current zoning area. Sub-zone for areas to protect sustainability cetacean need to be adjusted addition and alteration of fishery zone, the area of Southwest Sumba, West Sumba and Central Sumba is ± 445,567.44 ha and ± 239,307.52 ha to around East Timor Land waters. Extensive re-evaluation of existing protection sub-zones is requiring. A review of extent to efectiveness water areas attend the conflict of interest in needs of fisherman to catch and migration route of cetacean.

Business as usual for the human use of Moreton Bay following marine park zoning

The multiple-use Moreton Bay Marine Park in eastern Australia was rezoned in 2009, increasing the total no-take marine national park (MNP) from 0.5 to 16%. In the present study we measured trends in the human use of no-take areas using observed vessel position and categorisation during on-water and aerial surveys before and after rezoning. Measured changes in spatial patterns of fishing showed that the effects of rezoning on most fishing activity was minimal. After rezoning, the proportion of recreational fishing declined from 6.3 to 2.6% of the footprint in the new MNPs. The proportion of commercial fishing declined from 25 to 1%, although the amount of commercial fishing was low. There was an overall increase in fishing activity on Moreton Bay. Low recreational fisher displacement suggests that the expansion of the MNP area did not have a high social cost. However, most of the no-take zones were areas not previously subject to high recreational fishing pressure. If a significant proportion of the no-take zones were placed in areas of low ecological production, the biodiversity conservation impact achieved by the rezoning of Moreton Bay may have been less than the 16% increase in no-take areas would imply.

Pupils' environmental awareness of natural protected areas: The case of Zakynthos Island

ABSTRACTThis study presents the results of a questionnaire-based survey, conducted in primary and secondary public schools of Zakynthos Island during 2013, referring to environmental awareness as well as pupils' perceptions and attitudes on specific environmental issues. The main aim of the study was to determine the knowledge and awareness that local pupils about the Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) and bird species that are migrants and/or endemic in the National Marine Park of the island. The study area was selected because the percentage of pupils not attending compulsory education is one of the highest in Greece.

Trace elements in feathers and eggshells of brown booby Sula leucogaster in the Marine National Park of Currais Islands, Brazil.

Levels of trace elements were investigated in feathers of 51 adults and 47 eggshells of brown boobies Sula leucogaster from one bird colony in the Marine National Park of Currais Islands, Brazil, between December 2013 and October 2014. Average concentrations (μgg-1, dry weight) in feathers and eggshells, respectively, were Al 50.62-9.58, As 0.35-2.37, Cd 0.05-0.03, Co 0.38-2.1, Cu 15.12-0.99, Fe 47.47-22.92, Mg 815.71-1116.92, Ni 0.29-11.85, and Zn 94.16-1.98. In both arrays, the average concentration of Mg was the highest among all the elements analyzed, while the lowest was recorded for Cd. As and Ni presented levels at which biological impacts might occur. Zn concentrations were higher than those considered normal in other organs. Levels of Al, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Cd were higher in feathers, whereas higher contents of Mg, Co, Ni, and As occurred in eggshells. The comparison between the elements in eggshells collected at different seasons showed no significant difference (p>0.05) due, probably, to the lack of temporal variation on foraging behavior and/or on bioavailability of trace elements. Metals and arsenic in feathers and eggshells were mostly not correlated. Future studies on Paraná coast should focus on the speciation of the elements, especially As, Ni, and Zn, which proved to be a possible problem for the environment and biota. It is necessary to investigate both matrices, shell and internal contents of the eggs, in order to verify if the differences previously reported in other studies also occur in eggs of brown boobies in the Marine National Park of Currais Islands.

Adaptive mechanisms and physiological effects of suspended and settled sediment on barrel sponges

Coral reefs across the Indo-Pacific are among the most diverse in the world but like reefs globally, they remain vulnerable to a multitude of stressors, including coastal development and the resultant sedimentation. In the Wakatobi Marine National Park, Indonesia, some degraded reefs are characterised by high levels of sedimentation and low coral cover, but support large populations of the ecologically important giant barrel sponge Xestospongia testudinaria (Lamarck 1815). Barrel sponges can have a strong influence on water characteristics, yet tolerance and responses to sedimentation are unknown. This study examined the physiological effects of short-term exposure of X. testudinaria to suspended sediment. Respiration rates increased compared to controls when sponges were exposed to environmentally relevant suspended sedimentation concentrations of 75 and 150mgl−l. Sponge mucus production was observed as a mechanism to remove settled sediment for the first time and sediment clearance was filmed in situ over the course of 24h. Sponges produced mucus in response to sediment addition, with a mean clearance rate of 10.82±2.04%h−1 (sediment size fractions 63–250μm). Mucus production is an effective, but slow mechanism supporting barrel sponge survival in habitats experiencing high levels of sedimentation. Our results show that there are likely to be energetic consequences for sponges living in sedimented environments, which may influence the energy available for other demographic processes, and therefore have implications for barrel sponge population sustainability.

Integrating dual frequency side-scan sonar data and multibeam backscatter, angular response and bathymetry, for benthic habitat mapping in the Laganas Gulf MPA, Zakinthos Isl., Greece

The preferred procedure nowadays for benthic habitat mapping is combining marine acoustic and ground truthing methods, with the former ones tending to be the swath sonars, such as the Multi Beam Echo Sounders (MBES) and the Side-Scan Sonars (SSS). Both above acoustic systems, in conjunction with an extensive underwater video footage, were employed to map in detail benthic habitats in the marine area of Laganas Gulf in the National Marine Park of Zakynthos Isl., Greece, including key protected habitats such as P.oceanica beds and coralligenous formations. Object oriented seafloor classification was achieved taking advantage of the multi-layer information available, including the two individual frequencies of SSS and the MBES backscatter, angular response, and bathymetry data. The extracted statistical derivatives regarded: (1) textural analysis of the multi-frequency backscatter imagery, (2) angular range analysis of the MBES backscatter, as well as (3) application of various bathymetric indices. Those derivatives were classified individually or fuzzed together, to explore the rate of improvement when choosing one system or another and to investigate their best combinations and practices towards valid seafloor classification. Benthic habitat classification has been comprehended using the NATURA and EUNIS classification schemes to be compatible with the EU regulations.

&lt;b&gt;Density and obligatory feeding habits of an isolated Golden Jackal &lt;I&gt;Canis aureus&lt;/I&gt; L. (Mammalia: Carnivora: Canidae) population in Pirotan Island, Gulf of Kachchh, India&lt;/b&gt;

Efforts to arrest the decline of carnivorous mammals in isolated ecosystems have received little attention in India. The present study assesses the population density of a small Golden Jackal population, isolated on a water covered Pirotan Island in the Gulf of Kachchh Marine National Park, India. An average of 12 Golden Jackals/km2 was found inhabiting the Island. The scat analysis revealed that the major diet of jackals was crab (89.5±2.36 %) followed by fish (2.7±0.82 %). Only 2.1% of their diets were from the Island source. They have well adapted to manage their water needs from their obligatory feeding habits.

Recent introduction of non-indigenous vermetid species (Mollusca, Vermetidae) to the Brazilian coast.

The present study describes the bioinvasion of the vermetid gastropod Eualetes tulipa of the Brazilian coast. The species was first reported in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Panama (since the 1840s); however, the type locality was not specified in the original species description. Since then, E. tulipa has been introduced to Hawaii, the Caribbean Sea, southeastern Florida and India. In Brazil, the first documented occurrence was in 2005, at Ceara State, northeast Brazil, and later in 2009 it was registered at Rio de Janeiro State, southeast Brazil, 3000 km from the previous location. Nowadays, they are not only found growing on artificial substrates but also along sandstone fringing reefs and rocky reefs coexisting with the native species Petaloconchus varians. The impact on the native benthic community is unknown; however, studies have suggested impacts such as competing for space with fouling communities (E. tulipa, Venezuela), and causing deleterious effects on corals (Ceraesignum maximum, French Polynesia). The possibility of spread through Brazilian endemic areas (e.g. Abrolhos Marine National Park), is a legitimate cause for concern as a result of oil industry shipping further distributing this non-indigenous species. E. tulipa has a continuous year-long reproduction and fast settlement, within 24 h of hatching. This reproductive mode allows for the highly successful invasion and establishment to new areas following maritime transport or natural rafting, predicting a rapidly widespread distribution and invasion of Brazilian and International waters.

Daily patterns in aerial activity by spinner dolphins in Fernando de Noronha

Activities displayed by animals are usually cyclic, and fluctuations in behavioural repertoires can be observed on a daily or seasonal timescale. The present study describes daily and seasonal variations in the aerial events – such as leaps, spins and slaps with body parts – by spinner dolphins in Baía dos Golfinhos, Fernando de Noronha Marine National Park, in Brazil. To measure aerial events by dolphins, we compiled and analysed data collected from January 2006 to December 2010. A total of 113,027 aerial events were recorded during 1431 days of land-based daytime observations. Our results show that the frequency of aerial events was positively correlated with the number of dolphins in the bay. The relative frequency of aerial events was higher in the rainy season, when compared with the dry season. Aerial activities also varied throughout the day, with dolphins being more active in the morning, specifically from 8:00 a.m. to 8:59 a.m., regardless of the season.

Ecology and behaviour of Palm-nut Vultures Gypohierax angolensis in the Bijagós Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau

Populations of many vulture species have undergone substantial declines. In Africa, 82% are threatened and although research on vultures has increased, the biology and ecology of several species is still poorly known. The Palm-nut Vulture Gypohierax angolensis has peculiar ecological characteristics, feeding on palm fruits, associated with the aquatic environment and taking a wide variety of prey. It has been over 40 years since the last thorough study on the ecology of the species was undertaken. This study investigated several ecological and behavioural aspects of Palm-nut Vultures, using a combination of direct observations, stable isotope analysis and Bayesian mixing models. The population of this species within the João Vieira and Poilão Marine National Park is estimated to be 21–30 birds km−2. Egg laying started in November (early dry season) and some chicks were still growing in early May. A minimum of 54% of nests produced a fledgling. Observations suggest that Palm-nut Vultures moult all flight feathers annually, between January and November. Their foraging behaviour is described and cafeteria trials showed their preference for fish over oil palm fruits. However, it is estimated that oil palm fruits account for almost 50% of the assimilated diet, followed by fish, crabs and Green Turtle hatchlings or eggs, as revealed by stable isotopes and Bayesian mixing models.

Population structure of the sicklefin lemon shark Negaprion acutidens within the Curieuse Marine National Park, Seychelles

This study produced the first data on population parameters for sicklefin lemon shark Negaprion acutidens at the granitic Seychelles Islands, adding to a limited catalogue of species information. Juveniles at a site in the Curieuse Marine National Park were tagged over two periods, in 2014–2015 and 2015–2016, with measurements of length (precaudal, fork and total) and weight, sex, and state of the umbilical opening recorded. Recapture data were used to calculate growth rates and population size. Mean annual growth rate was 5.40 cm y–1. A mean size at birth of 62.5 cm TL is in line with previous assessments of the species. Population-size estimates were similar for the two sampling periods (comprising 311 and 255 individuals) and higher than anticipated. Movements to outside the lagoon were recorded for early ages, and this, combined with weight loss and a reduction in condition factor as displayed in several individuals, suggests that the study area alone could not support the large number of sharks pupped yearly.

Mangrove Health Index as Part of Sustainable Management in Mangrove Ecosystem at Karimunjawa National Marine Park Indonesia

Mangrove Health Index as Part of Sustainable Management in Mangrove Ecosystem at Karimunjawa National Marine Park Indonesia