Search the SPREP Catalogue

Fiji, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Samoa and Tuvalu report monitoring data for this report, with data from a broad range of observers (scientists, students, dive guides and communities); Nauru has not conducted recent monitoring; Coral cover has changed since the 2004 report due to effective management (positive), or local disturbances, coral predation and natural disasters (negative). Average coral cover at monitoring sites was 45% in Fiji; 27% in New Caledonia; 43% in Samoa; 30% in Solomon Islands; 65% in Tuvalu; and 26% in Vanuatu; Monitoring observations over 9-10 years in Fiji and New Caledonia indicate that these reefs have coped reasonably well with natural and human stressors without catastrophic changes; Densities of edible fish and invertebrates remained generally low (0-10/100m2) in 4 countries reflecting high subsistence and commercial fishing pressure. Butterflyfish, parrotfish, surgeonfish and damselfish were generally most dominant. High densities of parrotfish were reported from 4 countries; Socioeconomic monitoring is conducted in Fiji, Samoa and Solomon Islands. Greatest activity is by the Fiji Locally Marine Managed Area (FLMMA) network at 270 villages across all Fiji provinces. Most households harvest marine resources for subsistence and partially for sale, with few commercial fishers. In Samoa, more people eat canned fish than fresh fish, possibly because of decreased fish stocks in the last 10 years. In the Solomon Islands, some traditional managed systems have collapsed due to poor understanding of fisheries and resource management issues or poor national regulations. Mangrove destruction and greater fishing pressure are reducing family incomes;

On the 21st of October, 1972, hurricane "Bebe" devas- tated a large part of Funafuti atoll, Ellice Islands. Among the most spectacular geomorphological alterations caused by the hurricane was a storm beach 19 km long, 4 m high and 37 m wide. The amount of coral debris washed up from the offshore coral reefs onto the reef flat was estimated at 2.8 x 10 tons of material (Baines, Beveridge and Maragos, 1974). The oceanside reef communities of the SE and E rim of the atoll had been totally destroyed, and those of the inner reefs of the lagoon side had been heavily damaged. Eight months after the storm a quantitative analysis of the resettlement and recruitment of coral species on 7 reef sections was carried out: the destruction of the biophysiographic zones could be described as increasing from the northern border and also to the W rim of the atoll. Near the centre at Fongafale the lagoon reef flat was covered by thick carpets of the brown alga Dictyota bartaysii, possibly brought about by eutrophication effects. The resettlement of the reef flat by corals began with the recolonization of branching corals as well as regeneration of the very few surviving massive corals: about 80% of the number of new colonies belong to Acropora (mainly A. humilis and A. hyaclnthus), and about 20% to Pocillopora eydouxi, Porltes lutea (?) and some Faviidae. The percentage of the area settled by the massive coral species is, however, greater than that settled by the branching species. Nevertheless, in the long-term, branching corals are expected to have a decisive influence on the future structural and biophysiographic zonation of the reef edge and reef flat, due to their more numerous young colonies, which are evenly scattered over the reef area, and due to their rapid growth rate. Consequently, an Acropora humilis - hyacinthus-community or an Acropora - Pocillopora eydouxi-assemblage can be predicted as the future biophysiographic zone.