Carondelet is a remote seamount in the Phoenix Islands of the Republic of Kiribati. Earlier expeditions to characterize coral reef communities of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) were not able to survey the seamount due to challenging ocean conditions preventing divers from entering the water safely (e.g., large waves and surface currents). In 2015, scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Kiribati Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resource Development conducted surveys around the shallow habitats (less than 30m) of the seamount to characterize coral reef fish and benthic communities. Biodiversity was generally low, with 12 coral genera (six families), 120 bony fish species (25 families), and two shark species (Triaenodon obesus, Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) recorded. The most dominant coral genera were Montipora and Acropora at 5‒8 m and Porites and Pavona at 20 m. Coral cover ranged from 12.8% (± 5.9 s.d.) at 20 m to 35.3% (± 6.2 s.d.) at 12 m. A patch of black reef was observed around an abandoned anchor line, and the team observed unfouled fishing line around the seamount suggesting that fishing activities had occurred around the time of the survey, despite it being located within PIPA. To our knowledge, this is the only published information on the biodiversity of this remote seamount, and makes an important contribution to document the marine resources found within PIPA and the coral reef communities they support.
Motu Motiro Hiva or Salas y Gómez (Chile) is a small (ca. 0.15 km² of land surface, 30 m maximum elevation) and remote uninhabited subtropical volcanic island located in the Southeastern Pacific Ocean at about 415 km from the nearest island of Rapa Nui (Isla de Pascua or Easter Island, Chile). Its terrestrial flora remains poorly known with few scattered records and uncertainty on some species identification due to the sporadic and brief visits by naturalists during the past century. In this paper, we describe the vascular flora and assess the species status and relative abundance based on several field surveys conducted between 2011 and 2022. The flora comprises only four plant species including a native fern (Asplenium obtusatum G. Forst.), which is relatively rare, and three flowering plants with a prostrate and succulent habit: Sesuvium portulacastrum (L.) L., Portulaca oleracea L., and a new island record which is probably a species new to science, identified as Parietaria sp. nov. A floristic comparison made with other islands in the Southeastern Pacific Ocean shows connections with Rapa Nui, but also with Juan Fernández (Chile) located 2,500 km southeast; the Pitcairn Islands (UK), the Cook Islands, the Austral, the Gambier, the Society and the Marquesas (French Polynesia) Islands between 2,400–4,100 km west; as well as the Galápagos (Ecuador) and the Hawaiian Islands (USA) at 3,300 and 7,800 km north, respectively. Motu Motiro Hiva, one of the most isolated small uninhabited islands in the world, harbors a surprisingly poor flora compared to its relatively diverse and unique avifauna and arthropod fauna. In contrast to most other Pacific islands, it remains a relatively pristine terrestrial ecosystem, which highlights its world conservation value and the importance of its continued monitoring and protection, especially for the potential effects of sea-level rise caused by climate change.
Numerous low-lying, unconsolidated carbonate reef islands occur on the shallow reefs of the South China, Sulu and Celebes Seas off the coast of Sabah, at the northeastern end of Borneo. A range of sources, including maps and charts, as well as freely available satellite imagery, has been used to map the location of these islands, identify them, and develop a classification. A total of 44 reef islands were differentiated into: a) sandy areas visible on top of shallow reef flats, b) islands of low elevation, and c) islands of small area (many less than 1 ha). These reef islands were classified based on a) the presence of vegetation and density of vegetation cover, and b) the degree and identification of infrastructure development and human disturbance on the islands. Of the 26 identified in the Sulu Sea, 11 are unvegetated sand cays, 10 have sparse vegetation, and 5 are densely vegetated. Of the 16 reef islands in the Celebes Sea, 8 are sparsely vegetated, and 6 are densely vegetated. In the South China Sea, the densely vegetated Kalampunian Besar Island in the Pulau Tiga Park is contrasted with the extensive infrastructure of Pulau Layang-Layang Atoll. Many undeveloped islands occur in the Sulu Sea, while the three most developed islands occur in the Celebes Sea. Some islands, such as Mabul Island, are predominantly covered with buildings with construction extending over the reef flat. Several islands have been designated as Marine Protected Areas due to the significance of their biota. This inventory provides a baseline of the characteristics of these islands at the time of image acquisition to provide a much-needed record of their current status and against which future changes can be assessed.
When discovered in the early 1500s, Isla Aves was a remote guano-covered Caribbean island much larger than it is at present. Gradually over subsequent centuries it became smaller, either leaving behind, or supplanted by, several small cays, now represented by a single coral cay located west of Dominica and south of St. Croix. As it shrank, some of its original biota disappeared, never to return. This island was visited many times over the intervening centuries with explorers recording its dimensions, location, physical features, and notes on various components of its terrestrial biota. Only since 1978 has it been permanently occupied by people. The present paper reviews its history, reports on a previously unpublished survey of its terrestrial biota in 1966, and chronicles what is known about the changes in that biota over time, including recent and ongoing research emanating from an on-site Venezuelan research facility. The various reports over the ages can serve as “time capsules” providing insight into the responses to change under previous conditions, and the present one as a baseline for evaluating those that may result from projected climatic instability and rising sea-level.
A collection of stomatopods assembled during the KUW 2009 expedition to Mayotte Island and deposited in the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle Paris is studied with a review of previous records from Comoros and Mayotte Island. In total 14 species are recognized 3 of them being new records for this region. A brief comparison with other regions studied for stomatopods indicates that sampling is still insufficient in Comoros and Mayotte and that dozens of species remain to be inventoried in that region.
The terrestrial flora and vegetation of Clipperton (La Passion) atoll, a very remote and small (170 ha of land) French island located in the North-Eastern Pacific Ocean, at ca. 1,000 km west of the Mexican coast, have dramatically changed during the past three centuries. This paper, based on historical testimonies, previously published floristic studies, and an extensive plant inventory conducted during the “International Scientific Expedition PASSION 2015”, show that the atoll has experienced particularly active and rapid vegetation dynamics with alternating plant cover expansion and regression phases. Our results provide the first comprehensive assessment of vegetation cover and vascular plant species distribution based on georeferenced data and mapped with GIS software, as well as the first record of two newly established non-native weeds. The current composition and abundance of native and alien vascular plant communities (15 species including only 4 native taxa) appear to depend not only on abiotic factors (e.g. substrate and climatic events) but also on biotic interactions with animal communities (e.g. native seabirds and crabs). Anthropogenic activities and disturbances (e.g. coconut palm, pig, rat and weed introductions) that have occurred in the past 100 years have also played an important role in explaining the past and current floristic changes.
The Los Roques and Las Aves oceanic coral reef archipelagos of Venezuela lie in a biogeographically unique and biologically diverse area of the Caribbean and possess extensive coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves and shallow macroalgae meadows. The geographic location of these archipelagos safeguards them from most Western Atlantic hurricane damage as well as the most severe Caribbean coral bleaching episodes. While the Aves islands remain uninhabited and are an area of low accessibility, Los Roques has been a managed national park since 1972. We here present an updated synthesis of recent research for these archipelagos as an aid to scientists and conservationists interested in these island groups for which no recent ecological reviews are available. Los Roques has been much better documented than Las Aves and is the largest coral reef marine protected area of Venezuela. It has about 1,500 inhabitants living principally from tourism and fisheries. Studies show that Los Roques possesses fish populations that suffer comparatively less fishing pressure and may serve as a rare benchmark for pristine fish communities elsewhere in the Caribbean. It has also successfully maintained its importance to seabird colonies for the last five decades, notwithstanding serious marine park funding and staffing shortages. A new baseline biological inventory for Las Aves is particulary critical considering the fragmentary information available for this archipelago. The relatively intact and resilient oceanic coral reef systems of Los Roques and Las Aves are of regionally significant conservation value and deserve much more conservation and biodiversity attention than so far accorded.
Sandy beaches are critical resources for low-lying Pacific atoll communities, providing protection during storms, and land area for many coastal villages. Information on the nature of atoll beach sediment, its geochemistry and composition, can help to establish priorities to effectively protect the sources of Pacific island beach sediment. To understand sand sources, this study evaluated its physical characteristics including grain-size, geochemistry and composition, from windward and leeward beach profiles around Abaiang Atoll, Kiribati. Beach sand was >99% carbonate, averaging 37% coral fragments, 30% mollusc shells, 12% foraminifera, and 20% calcareous algae. Significant differences were found between reef and lagoonal sites in proportions of coral and mollusc fragments and foraminifera tests, with lagoon beaches having higher mollusc and coral proportions and lower foraminifera relative to reef beaches. This is attributed to high foraminiferal productivity offshore of reef beaches, and taphonomic durability of coral fragments in longshore drift into the lagoon. Mean sediment diameter increased from the upper to lower beaches at all sites, but fine sediment was lacking, attributed to its dissolution by rainfall and groundwater outflow. Geochemical analysis showed a mean of 84% Ca-Mg carbonates, of which 80% was calcium carbonate. There was no significant difference in the mean calcium percentage or calcium carbonate composition of the sediment between lagoon and reef beach sediment sources. Magnesium and magnesium carbonate content were significantly higher at reef sites relative to lagoon sites, attributed to higher proportions of foraminifera. Sediment-producing near shore habitats are critical to village protection through provision of beach sand, and this study shows the need to better conserve and manage coral reefs and habitats such as lagoon seagrass beds, to ensure continued atoll beach sand supply.
The coral reefs of Bali Barat National Park, one of Indonesia’s oldest marine protected areas, are known for their high biodiversity and excellent sport diving; however, stressors such as destructive fishing practices, elevated water temperatures, damage from anchors and careless visitors have been observed on these reefs for decades. The purpose of this study was to document and quantify changes in the fish and stony coral community structure of reefs within and outside the boundaries of Bali Barat National Park from 2011 to 2016, including its most popular dive site, Menjangan Island. The results provide further knowledge about the reefs of NW Bali and the efficacy of current management practices, and they will inform management decisions for locally managed reef stewardship programs. Between 2011 and 2016 the reefs of NW Bali lost 44.4% of their living coral cover, declining from 36% to 20% overall cover. Mortality was principally attributed to thermal bleaching caused by persistently high sea temperatures, which peaked in January 2016 at 32.2°C, coinciding with the third documented global bleaching event. Approximately one third of all stony corals were found to be bleached or recently dead. Despite the decline in coral cover, stony coral genus richness remained unchanged, with 56 genera recorded in both years, representing a combined total of 59 distinct genera. Mean fish biomass at Menjangan Island increased, with herbivorous fish biomass quadrupling, presumably due to decreased fishing effort at the island. The abundance of fish at all sites—both inside and outside the park—more than doubled, indicating a predominance of small fish at sites where fish biomass did not correspondingly rise. Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci), not observed on transects in 2011, were found in 2016 in areas of relatively high disturbance from marine recreation and possible eutrophication from shrimp farm effluent and mainland runoff. Patterns of coral cover and damage, fish abundance and biomass, and lost fishing gear suggest that management activities inside and outside the park have reduced ecological damage. Local community conservation groups are practicing one or more of the following at Menjangan Island and in some of the locally managed conservation areas: installing moorings, removing coral predators (crown-of-thorns starfish and Drupella snails), reducing fishing pressure, securing live coral fragments back onto the reef and planting mangroves. These nature groups are raising community awareness about the importance of NW Bali’s marine ecology to their economic and cultural wellbeing.
Watamu Marine National Park (WMNP) is one of the oldest no-take Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the world. Since its establishment in 1968, it has been the subject of a number of scientific studies as well as suffering from a range of modern threats to coastal marine habitats. The current state and conservation value of WMNP is documented in terms of habitat, biodiversity, and available scientific literature. There were 101 published references relating to WMNP found, which mostly focus on coral reef ecology, with less attention to other topics, such as biodiversity, socio-economics, or the ecology of non-coral reef habitats. The habitat map produced of WMNP is the first to show this level of detail and the only habitat map of a Kenyan MPA. Nine habitat categories were mapped; revealing that the most dominant habitat type is seagrass and the least is coral reef. Species lists were collected for fish, echinoderms, molluscs, crustaceans, corals, and seagrass, and species abundances were used to estimate total species richness, species diversity and sampling completeness. There were 18 species across all groups that fall into a category of conservation concern (other than Least Concern or Not Evaluated) on the IUCN Red List and 8 species found which are currently undescribed. The findings of this paper emphasise the importance of non-coral habitats in the WMNP, such as seagrass beds, and the need for more research into the ecology and conservation importance of these habitats. The information provided in this paper provides a comprehensive overview to any scientist or conservationist wanting to carry out further work in WMNP.
The species richness of the flat wasp fauna from Cousine Island, Seychelles, is reported for the first time. Three species are represented on this island in the Seychelles archipelago. The male of the previously described Seychelles species, Goniozus kiefferi Gordh is redescribed and its genitalia described and illustrated for the first time; the Oriental species Megasprosternum cleonarovorum Gupta and Azevedo, previously known from India, is recorded for the first time from the Seychelles and the Afrotropical region; and Holepyris gaigherae sp. nov. is described and illustrated. The Seychelles flat wasp fauna is now represented by nine species in total recorded from Cousine, Mahé, and Silhouette islands.
This volume of papers grew out of a session titled âModern reefs and reef islands: reflections and resonance of David Stoddartâs contributions to coral reef scienceâ held on the first day of the 13th International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS) in Honolulu, Hawaii in June 2016. The session aimed to recognize the late David Stoddartâs pioneering research and organizational initiatives in the development of coral reef science over the last few decades. The present contributions are a derivative of that session and are arranged in sequence that reflects major phases of Stoddartâs field activity from British Honduras (Belize) in the early 1960s through French Polynesia in the 1990s. This sequence is introduced in a summary of over 240 of Stoddartâs writings on coral reefs that covers the key themes and regions as well as a comprehensive bibliography of those writings. Two locations where Stoddart had a constant interest were Belize on the Atlantic coast of Central America; and Aldabra in the western Indian Ocean. Contributions on both of these locations are included here: the first being a review of marine research in the Belize atolls since the early work of Stoddart, who noted that these were not Darwinian atolls but part of a massive carbonate platform; the second being a study of the benthic communities and bathymetry of the lagoon at Aldabra.
Forty-five species of marine benthic macroalgae were identified from the coral reefs of Rose Atoll, American Samoa (Rose Atoll Marine National Monument). The algal collections were made during the February 2002, February 2004, March 2006, and March 2008 Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (Pacific RAMP) under the auspices of the U.S. National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED). The collections included 6 species of Cyanobacteria, 14 species of red algae, 4 species of brown algae, and 21 species of green algae. Nine species represented new records for the Samoan Archipelago (American Samoa and Samoa). Based on their occurrences, eight species of green algae were considered most broadly distributed among the stations during all four expedition years. The top three broadly distributed species were Halimeda taenicola, Halimeda micronesica, and Caulerpa cupressoides.
A collection of crabs assembled during the KUW 2009 expedition to Mayotte Island and deposited in the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle Paris is studied. In total 202 species are recognized, 138 of them being new records for the Island and a list of brachyuran crabs is documented and illustrated with photographs. A complementary list of all crabs previously in taxonomic literature from Mayotte and its nearest Islands (Comoros Islands, Glorieuses Islands and marine banks of Zélée, Geyser and Leven) is also provided. In total 298 crabs are identified from the region, the richness of this fauna is discussed with zoogeographic considerations and the prospects for further studies are outlined.
The terrestrial vascular flora of the Iles Eparses (southwest Indian Ocean) was widely underestimated until the end of the 20th century. Thanks to recent field surveys and plant inventories conducted between 2004 and 2017 by the Conservatoire Botanique National de Mascarin (CBNM), a total of 250 taxa (120 native, 107 alien and 23 cryptogenic) belonging to 66 families and 178 genera, was recorded. This represents an increase of 42-313% for the four surveyed islands. While Bassas da India does not show any terrestrial flora, the flora of Europa includes 94 taxa (47 native, 39 alien and 8 cryptogenic), that of Juan de Nova 147 taxa (62 native, 69 alien and 16 cryptogenic), that of the Iles Glorieuses 137 taxa (67 native, 61 alien and 9 cryptogenic) and that of Tromelin only 21 taxa (7 native and 14 alien). The native plant species density is lower for Europa (1.56/km²) and Tromelin (7/km²) and highest for Juan de Nova and the Iles Glorieuses (12.4/km² and 15.3/km² respectively). The native vascular floras of Europa, Juan de Nova and the Iles Glorieuses are mainly characterized by pantropical (24-30%) and Indo-Pacific taxa (13-22%). In Juan de Nova and Europa, the Malagasy elements sensu stricto are strongly represented (13-15%), while taxa in the Iles Glorieuses are confined to the southwest of the Indian Ocean (30%). Europa, Juan de Nova and Tromelin seem to host local endemics species while one taxon found both on Juan de Nova and Grande Glorieuse is endemic to these two islands. The alien flora of Europa, Juan de Nova and the Iles Glorieuses comprise between 64% and 97% naturalized taxa while that of Tromelin hosts 50% of non-naturalized alien taxa. The higher percentages of cultivated alien taxa are found in Juan de Nova and Tromelin (56% and 71%, respectively).
The atolls and coral banks of the Chagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean Territory) in the central Indian Ocean were severely affected by the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) thermal event that started in 2015 and which lasted for nearly two years. On these reefs, coral mortality reduced scleractinian coral cover from 40%–50% to
The Chagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean Territory, or BIOT) has 55 islands totaling approximately 5,000 ha spread over approximately 50,000 km2 of the central Indian Ocean. From the first human settlements, which occurred in the late 1700s, and for the following century, all of the larger islands were converted into coconut plantations. During this period the disturbance to and elimination of the native flora and fauna in Chagos atolls was especially profound because these islands were used solely for the production of coconut and its products. Regarding vegetation, many times more species were introduced than were native, and several introduced species subsequently became invasive. The bird colonies, turtles and the land crabs were hugely reduced due to human consumption, land disturbance and the introduction of rats and other inappropriate and often freeranging animals, such as pigs. The condition of the reefs, however, remains excellent, such that the area was declared a no-take marine reserve in 2010. For some years, BIOT was the worldâs largest marine no-take conservation area. This status was achieved mainly because of its reefs; the islands are still heavily dominated by increasingly derelict, rat-infested coconut plantations and lack birds on most previously planted islands. However, on the smallest islands, many no larger than a few ha in size, there are both native plant communities and huge numbers of breeding seabirds. These relatively undisturbed fragments are acting as the core of current conservation efforts to restore some of the larger islands to their preplantation condition. This paper documents, as far as is possible from the relatively sparse archival documents, the course of events and extent of the terrestrial changes that took place in this archipelago before modern concepts of conservation emerged and remarks on the present, planned and funded restoration efforts that can be based on such knowledge.
This paper is a compilation and analysis of vascular plants that have been reported present on the eight atolls of the independent nation of Tuvalu in the Central Pacific. It is based on field inventories conducted by the author and collaborators between 1991 and 2016 plus available published and unpublished records of vascular plant collections and observations made since the late 1800s. The indigenous vegetation and flora of Tuvalu are highly disturbed and the flora is now numerically dominated by introduced exotic species. This has been the result of a long post–European contact and British colonial heritage, including over a century of planting monocultural coconut plantations; extensive habitat destruction, excavation and conversion of much of the best cultivable land from “borrow pits” to build airstrips during World War II; rapid population growth, including the migration from outer atolls to, and the expansion of, the main settlement and government center on Funafuti Atoll; and increased shipping and air services and agricultural development projects that have facilitated the introduction of new plants. The total number of vascular plant species that have been recorded at some time on Tuvalu, including all indigenous and introduced species, is about 362 species or distinct varieties, of which only about 59 (16%) are possibly indigenous. The remaining 303 species (83% of the flora) are non-indigenous species that have been introduced by humans, some of which may have been at one time or another early aboriginal introductions. There are no endemic species that are unique to Tuvalu, with almost all of the indigenous plants being widespread, easily-dispersed coastal species that have the ability to cope successfully in the harsh atoll environment. The low number of indigenous species is an indication of the lack of habitat diversity on atolls compared with larger high islands, the difficulty of cross-ocean dispersal by plants, and the difficulty of long-term survival in the harsh atoll environment, which is dominated by poor soils, high salinity and physiological drought. Despite the degradation, the 362 or so plant species that still survive in Tuvalu are the only plants that the inhabitants have to satisfy many of their most important cultural, economic and environmental needs and to give them resilience against climate and global change.
There is only one published list of atolls of the world (Bryan, 1953) and it is the source of the often-quoted figure that there are 425 or âmore than 400â of them. However, the original compendium included many banks and other reefs without lagoons. A reexamination of Bryanâs data, along with charts, satellite photographs and updated literature suggests that the number of atolls is indeed âmore than 400,â despite the deletion of more than 100 of his entries. There are 439 atolls identified in the present summary, but the list is broadly constructed, inclusive, and not limited to those known to have formed on subsiding volcanic platforms. In addition, 171 of those listed (39%) are primarily subtidal atoll reefs with little or no island development. These particular atolls comprise 96% of those from Fiji, 94% of those in the South China Sea, and 62% of those in Indonesia. With few exceptions, all of these reef systems are specifically identified and verified using Google Earth, Landsat or other satellite imagery, making this group an important and under-appreciated element of atoll geomorphology. Eliminating atoll reefs from consideration reduces the list of atolls to 268. Of these, 104 are closed and lack a direct passage connecting the lagoon and the surrounding ocean. Closed lagoons are typical of atolls in French Polynesia (53 of 78 with lagoons), even though most of them are euhaline and are open to exchange of ocean water by indirect mechanisms. By contrast, many atolls in the central Pacific, including most of those in Tuvalu, the Phoenix Islands and the Line Islands, have developed isolated lagoons containing hypersaline, brackish, and even fresh water. The location and type of atoll (atoll reef, and atolls that are open, closed, or closed with altered lagoon salinity/oxygen) are specified on maps and tables appended to this work, and a photographic record of all but two of 439 atolls has been assembled as a supplement. This list is by no means complete. There are numerous atolls or atoll-like structures that do not have a satellite record or an adequate description on charts or in the literature. This is especially true of Indonesia, Fiji and islands east of Papua New Guinea where further exploration is likely to increase the number of entries.
We present a compilation and analysis of the vascular plants, vegetation, and ethnobotany of Banaba (Ocean) Island in the Republic of Kiribati in the tropical Central Pacific Ocean. It is based on a 2005 field survey, plus analysis of available information in the literature. The flora of the small, raised phosphatic limestone island of Banaba is very limited compared to the floras of larger limestone and volcanic islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Isolation, small size, prolonged droughts and water scarcity, almost 80 years of open-cast phosphate mining, abandonment of the island by most people after cessation of mining in 1979, and widespread destruction, relocation and death of the Banaban people during and after World War II have led to serious degradation, disturbance, displacement and loss of the flora, vegetation, knowledge and ancient cultural traditions related to plants. This paper attempts for the first time to document the nature of Banabaâs flora and vegetation and provide background on the reasons for their impoverished and endangered state and the loss of Banaban ethnobotanical knowledge. The recorded flora of Banaba consists of approximately 205 species, of which only 50 are possibly native and none endemic. The balance of the flora is composed of ornamentals, weedy exotics, food plants, and a limited number of other useful cultigens. Although greatly outnumbered by exotics, indigenous species still dominate most areas including some of the most disturbed habitats, as well as constituting the most culturally and ecologically important resources on the island. Most plants had traditional native names and associated cultural knowledge, many serving as âtrees of life.â It is argued that the protection and enhancement of the native and long-established non-indigenous flora and associated knowledge are crucial to the ecological integrity and survival of the people of Banaba and the culture and traditions of the Banaban people, most of who now live on Rabi Island in Fiji or elsewhere overseas.
