Hawaii Conservation Conference, July 30, 2008

Integrated Coral Reef Ecosystem Integrated Coral Reef Ecosystem Assessments in the U.S.-affiliated Assessments in the U.S.-affiliated

Pacific Islands: a Comparative Pacific Islands: a Comparative Approach to Better Understand the Approach to Better Understand the

Northwestern Hawaiian IslandsNorthwestern Hawaiian IslandsRussell E. Brainard, Annette DesRochers, Jamison Gove, Jean Kenyon, Marc Russell E. Brainard, Annette DesRochers, Jamison Gove, Jean Kenyon, Marc

Lammers, Russell Moffitt, Marc Nadon, Benjamin Richards, Robert Schroeder, Lammers, Russell Moffitt, Marc Nadon, Benjamin Richards, Robert Schroeder, Bernardo Vargas-Angel, Susan Vogt, Peter Vroom. and colleagues at:Bernardo Vargas-Angel, Susan Vogt, Peter Vroom. and colleagues at:

Key Threats Climate changeClimate change

Ocean warming – coral bleaching and diseaseOcean warming – coral bleaching and disease Ocean acidification – calcification rates, biodiversity shiftsOcean acidification – calcification rates, biodiversity shifts Sea-level rise – drowning reefs and coastal infrastructure?Sea-level rise – drowning reefs and coastal infrastructure? Storm tracks and intensitiesStorm tracks and intensities Ocean circulation – larval transport/recruitmentOcean circulation – larval transport/recruitment

Local ThreatsLocal Threats Overfishing - trophic and ecosystem shiftsOverfishing - trophic and ecosystem shifts Pollution and marine debris – habitat degradationPollution and marine debris – habitat degradation Coastal development and sedimentation – habitat Coastal development and sedimentation – habitat

degradationdegradation Invasive species – ecosystem shiftsInvasive species – ecosystem shifts Recreational overuse – trophic and ecosystem shiftsRecreational overuse – trophic and ecosystem shifts

Local management requires knowledge of regional and global Local management requires knowledge of regional and global processes and threatsprocesses and threats

BackgroundThe mission of CRED is to provide sound scientific The mission of CRED is to provide sound scientific information needed to support implementation of information needed to support implementation of

ecosystem approaches to management and ecosystem approaches to management and conservation to address these threats at national, conservation to address these threats at national,

regional, and local (island/atoll) scales. regional, and local (island/atoll) scales.

This is accomplished primarily through the Pacific This is accomplished primarily through the Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP), Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP),

which is an integrated, interdisciplinary, assessment which is an integrated, interdisciplinary, assessment and long-term monitoring program of the coral reef and long-term monitoring program of the coral reef ecosystems of the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands.ecosystems of the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands.

Pacific RAMP

NWHI

MHI

PRIA

CNMI

Guam

AS

Integrated Ecosystem Observations of ~50 islands and atolls

Comparative analyses across diverse biogeographic, environmental, and anthropogenic gradients

Benthic Habitat Mapping

Oceanography & Water Quality

Monitoring

Long-term Monitoring of Fish,

Corals, Algae, Invertebrates,

Microbes

Assessment of Ecological and Biodiversity Impacts of

Climate Change

Ecological ObservationsRapid Ecological Assessments (REA) - ~200 -1000 mRapid Ecological Assessments (REA) - ~200 -1000 m22

Fish, corals, invertebrates, algae, microbes (new)Fish, corals, invertebrates, algae, microbes (new) Abundance/density, size, species richness, % benthic cover, Abundance/density, size, species richness, % benthic cover,

disease prevalencedisease prevalenceTowed-diver Surveys (TDS) - ~25,000 mTowed-diver Surveys (TDS) - ~25,000 m22

Benthic composition/conditionBenthic composition/condition % cover of live or stressed coral, macroalgae% cover of live or stressed coral, macroalgae Habitat complexityHabitat complexity

Abundance of large fish, macroinvertebrates Abundance of large fish, macroinvertebrates fish (>50 cm TL), turtles, seals, cetaceans fish (>50 cm TL), turtles, seals, cetaceans COTS, giant clams, sea cucumbers, urchinsCOTS, giant clams, sea cucumbers, urchins

Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS)Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS)Ecological Acoustic Recorders (EARs)Ecological Acoustic Recorders (EARs)Calcification Plates for Ocean Acidification (new)Calcification Plates for Ocean Acidification (new)

Pacific-wide Corals

Maximum SST Annual Range of SST Annual Mean Significant Wave Height

Percent Coral Cover, Towed-diver Surveys

05

10152025303540

Kure Midway P & H Lisianski Laysan Maro FFS Kaula Lehua Niihau Kauai Oahu Molokai Lanai Maui Hawaii

Perc

ent c

over

Corals

Mean coral cover MHI (9.0 ± 2.3%) comparable to NWHI (10.4 ± 2.0%)

Other coralsOther coralsMontiporaMontiporaAcroporaAcroporaPocilloporaPocilloporaP. compressaP. compressaPoritesPorites

Coral Composition, Towed-diver Surveys

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Kure

MidwayP &

H

Lisian

ski

Laysa

nMar

oFFS

Kaula

Lehua

Niihau

Kauai

Oahu

Molokai

Lanai

Maui

Hawaii

Corals work led by Jean Kenyon

Coral Disease

Disease work by Bernardo Vargas-Angel

Large Fish Over Time

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1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

YEAR

Fish

(>50

cm) B

iom

ass

(kg

per 1

00 s

q.m

)

N.MARS.MARPRIAAMSMNWHIMHI

Pacific-wide Large Fish Biomass

PRIA

NMAR

ASSMAR MHI

NWHI

Fish work by Bob Schroeder, Ben Richards, Marc Nadon

Large Fish & People

Fish work by Bob Schroeder, Ben Richards, Marc Nadon

70% of the variance of large fish 70% of the variance of large fish biomass explained by distance to biomass explained by distance to human population centershuman population centers

Fish Biomass & Habitat

Large Fish, Coral, & Habitat

Reef Fish & People

Fish work by Bob Schroeder, Ben Richards, Marc Nadon

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Feb. ‘05

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Lammers et al., 2008

spawning event

Reef Fish

Cetaceans

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December January February March April May

Trig

gere

d wh

ale

song

det

ectio

nsHumpback whale song at Rapture reef, FFS

Passive acoustics (EARs) work led by Marc Lammers

Invertebrates COTS

Distribution and abundance of Crown-of-thorns seastars

Biodiversity Assessments

Census of Marine Life

Census of Coral Reef Ecosystems (CReefs)

Assessment and monitoring of coral reef biodiversity with a focus primarily on understudied, lesser known, or cryptic invertebrate, algal, and microbial species.

Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS): systematic collectors to monitor indices of invertebrate diversity using molecular techniques.

PeopleVessel detections at Rapture reef, FFS

0

1

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8/7/20

06

8/14/2

006

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006

8/28/2

006

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06

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006

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006

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006

Date

# of

ves

sels

det

ecte

d

N = 34

Vessel detections in NPAS

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Timing of vessel traffic in NPAS

Passive acoustics (EARs) work led by Marc Lammers

Management Outputs

Available for download at: www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred

Coral Reef Ecosystem Monitoring ReportsCoral Reef Ecosystem Monitoring Reports provide provide comprehensive integrated island and comprehensive integrated island and archipelagic ecosystem assessments including:archipelagic ecosystem assessments including:

• Geopolitical ContextGeopolitical Context• Benthic Habitat Mapping and CharacterizationBenthic Habitat Mapping and Characterization• Oceanography and Water QualityOceanography and Water Quality• Coral and Coral Disease Coral and Coral Disease • Algae and Algal DiseaseAlgae and Algal Disease• Benthic MacroinvertebratesBenthic Macroinvertebrates• Reef FishReef Fish• Island/Archipelagic Summary & IntegrationIsland/Archipelagic Summary & Integration

Pacific RAMP contributed extensively to six chapters of thePacific RAMP contributed extensively to six chapters of the State of Coral Reef State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States and Freely Associated States: 2008Ecosystems of the United States and Freely Associated States: 2008

Pacific RAMP contributed extensively to two chapters of the Pacific RAMP contributed extensively to two chapters of the Coral Reefs of the Coral Reefs of the World, Vol. 1: Coral Reefs of the USAWorld, Vol. 1: Coral Reefs of the USA

Presently working on Reports for Hawaiian Archipelago and Mariana ArchipelagoPresently working on Reports for Hawaiian Archipelago and Mariana Archipelago

Management OutcomesSome key management outcomes include: Some key management outcomes include: Documented NWHI as unique predator-dominated ecosystem Documented NWHI as unique predator-dominated ecosystem

contributed to establishment of PMNMcontributed to establishment of PMNM

Documented mass coral bleaching in NWHI led to changed Documented mass coral bleaching in NWHI led to changed understanding of key threatsunderstanding of key threats

Documented baseline levels of coral disease across PacificDocumented baseline levels of coral disease across Pacific

Discovered many new species of coral, algae, invertsDiscovered many new species of coral, algae, inverts

Removed ~580 mtons of marine debris Removed ~580 mtons of marine debris

Proposal to establish additional large-scale MPAs in PRIA Proposal to establish additional large-scale MPAs in PRIA and Mariana Archipelagoand Mariana Archipelago

Protection of large reef fish in American SamoaProtection of large reef fish in American Samoa

Scientific foundation for network of MPAs in Am SamoaScientific foundation for network of MPAs in Am Samoa

ConclusionPacific RAMP provides resource managers, Pacific RAMP provides resource managers,

policy makers, and other stakeholders policy makers, and other stakeholders essential integrated ecosystem assessments essential integrated ecosystem assessments

and long-term monitoring information at and long-term monitoring information at local, regional, and national levels to support local, regional, and national levels to support informed decision making for implementing informed decision making for implementing ecosystem approaches to management and ecosystem approaches to management and

conservation to address key threats.conservation to address key threats.

Thank YouThank You