RespondingtocoralbleachingintheWesternIndianOceanin2016

DavidObura

Julien Wickel,MAREX

Content• ForecastingcoralbleachingintheWIO

• Buildingcapacityforcoralbleachingresponseandmonitoring• Preparation• Earlywarning• Monitoring• Communicatin

• Coralbleachingresults

ChrisMasonParker,ArchipelagoImages

JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMay June

Preparation Regularalertsandmonitorconditionsinthefield Assesscoralbleaching Assessimpact&recovery

Coralbleaching- forecastingWesternIndianOcean

www.cordioea.net/bleachingalert

Multiplesources:1) Globalindicatorssuggestwhethertheyearwillbecool

orhot(UKMet.Center)2) Regional/inter-annualvariabilityindicators(ENSO,

IndianOceanDipole,monsoonpatterns)3) 2-weektomonthlyforwardviews(NOAACoralReef

Watch4) PresentstateofSST,clouds,cyclones,etc.(multiple

sources)

Thelastthreeyearshavebeenthehottestonrecord..

…witharecord-breakingElNiñobetweenDec2015– Jan2016

Overviewof2016thermalstress

◦C

1982- present

RespondingtocoralbleachingWesternIndianOcean2016

WebinarsonReefResiliencePlatform- www.reefresilience.org/network• 15January– preparationofbleachingresponseplans• 28September– debriefing,overviewofresults

Supportingmaterials• Bleachingmonitoringmanual• Websitereportingform

Plus…• 6nationaland3regionalexpertsmobilizedfor

technicalfacilitationandimplementation• Nationalexperts- coordinatedcompilationof

regionalmonitoringdataandalignmentofbleachingresponses

• Regionalexperts- capacitybuilding,regionalalertsandcompilationofbleachingdata

• Completed in February 2016 in English and French• Describes methods at three different levels of detail:

WIOCoralBleachingMonitoringGuide

Basic – approximateestimateofproportionofcoloniesaffectedatasite,littleornotaxonomicinformation.Intermediate– visualestimatesofcoralcoloniesinbasiccategoriesofnormal/bleached/dead,genuslevelidentificationHigh – area-basedcensusofcoralcoloniesincontinuouscategoriesofnormal/bleached/dead,genuslevelidentification,withorwithoutcolonysizeinformation.

(http://cordioea.net/bleaching_resilience/io-coral-bleaching-alert/)

• Inspired by Eye on the Reef approaches in Australia andHawaii

• Created in google forms with partners in Tanzania (Scuba DoDiving, Chumbe Island Coral Park)

• Focused on real-time, basic level bleaching observationsthat can be reported throughout the region in a consistentmanner, and reflected in bi-weekly bleaching forecastupdates

• Over 665 observations submitted

Levelofbleaching

CoralBleachingReportformGuide

Datacontributors- coreofregionalreefnetwork/CoralReefTaskForce,p.1

AfricanImpact - Connie,Celeste,KarinAlbionFisheriesResearchCentre,Mauritius- VikashMunbodheandBeyond -Mnemba IslandDiveandConservationTeamArocha Kenya- PeterMusembiBlueVentures– Comoros- SarahFreedBlueVentures- AbigailLeadbeater,KatrinaDewarCerfIslandConservationProgramme - Savinien LeblondChumbe IslandCoralPark(CHICOP)- Enock Kayagambe,UlliKloiberComorosCRMN- Jaffar mouhhidine,Mathieu,MouchtadiMmadiCORDIOEA- DavidObura,Melita Samoilys,Mishal GudkaCousine Island- Nina,PaulAnsteyCOWITanzania-MatthewRichmond,Reinar OdsgaardDivineDiving- OscarDomingoCeladesFisheriesProtectionService- SylvainLisetteFrontier/MIMP- ChrisRobertsGVISeychelles- AnnaKoester,ChrisMason-ParkerICSAlphonse- Ariadna FernandezIMS– SUZA- AliM.UssiIOCBiodiversityprogram- RegionalCRTF,SaidAhamada

IslandsConservationSociety- Dr JoannaKBluemel,Mr PeterHoldenIUCN- JoanaTrindadeKasa Divers/FriendsofMaziwe - KerstinErlerKenyaMarineandFisheriesResearchInstitute-Jelvas MwauraKenyaWildlifeService- Jillo Katello WatoLagon Bleu- YannMadagascarCoralReefNetwork/IOC/MAREX-MadagascarCoralReefNetworkMafiaIslandDivingLtd- DanielleKeates andDavidvonHelldorff,Ivon SebastianMAREX- JulienWickelMarineConservationSocietySeychelles- Dr DavidRowatmarinecultures.org- ChristianVaterlaus,ThomasSacchiMasoala MarinePark- JeanBaptisteZavatraMauritianWildlifeFoundation- Reshad Jhangeer-KhanMauritiusOceanographyInstitute- Bacha Gian Surajandothers

NatureSeychelles- LouiseMalaiseOneOcean,theZanzibardivecentreProject BECOMING 2016. MAREX/Institut de Recherche et deDéveloppement/Université de La Réunion/Agence des Aires MarinesProtégées/Parc Naturel Marin de Mayotte/Parc Naturel Marin desGlorieuses/Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises/Réserve NaturelleMarine de La Réunion/Réserve Nationale Naturelle de Bouzi/DEALRéunion/Union Européenne (Xème FED régional océan Indien)/InitiativeFrançaise pour Les Récifs Coralliens.ReefConservation– Celine,Emma,NatalieSummersReefDoctor- Apolline MercierSAMProgram/CaliforniaPolytechnicStateUniversity/CaliforniaSeaGrant- JenniferO'LearyScubaDoZanibar - TammySeychellesIslandsFoundation- AprilJBurt,KarenChong-SengSIREME- DavidObura,LionelBigotSokoine UniversityofAgriculture- Dr.Nsajigwa MbijeSoundOceanLtd- JasonRubensTanga CoelacanthMarinePark- JanuaryNdagalaTanga TourismNetworkAssociation- Sibylle RiedmillerTanikely NationalPark- FarcyRajesy

TenDegreesSouth- IsobelPringUMAMA- Zamil MaanfouUniLúrio - IsabelMarquesdaSilvaUniversidade FederaldoRiodeJaneiro- LindaEggertsenVrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)- Filip HuygheWCSMadagascar- KomenoRobertoWiseOceans – Georgina,HannahHarries,KrishnaAshok,JoEamesOthersAlanSuttonAlexandraGigouJanRobinsonPatrickHarbelandRobmillerWhitneyGoodellYara TibiricaYoussouf Dahalani

Datacontributors- coreofregionalreefnetwork/CoralReefTaskForce,p.2

Results- MonthlybleachingprogressionMarch2016January2016 February2016

April2016 May2016 June2016 July2016

Levelofbleaching

2016OverallResults

Allrecords Overallbleachingandmortaltiy

IslandterritoriesObservationsbybleaching/mortalitycategoriesperterritory

Percen

tageofo

bservatio

ns

Mainlandterritories

Observationsbybleaching/mortalitycategoriesperterritory

Percen

tageofo

bservatio

ns

Bleaching–Low(1-10%)

Mortality-None

Byregions…

Overalllevels…

Byprotectionlevels– nodifferenceinlevelsbetweengovernment,otherformsofprotectionandunprotectedareas

BleachingresponseplansintheWIOin2016– Datacontributors

Group

Numberabovebars– numberofobservationspergroup

CRMN– CoralReefMonitoringNetworks

ConclusionsBleachinglevels

Frombasicreportingbyobserverswithveryvariedbackgroundsandskills,≈40%bleachingand17%mortality

Highvariationfromsitetosite,andamongregions

Narrowbandofhighimpact(Zanzibar/N.TanzaniaandSeychellesgraniticislands)

Manyreefsshowedhighbleachinglevels,butlowsubsequentmortality:

Ø Threehotyearsinarow– progressiveacclimation?Ø Adaptationandselectionfrom1998and

subsequentbleachingeventsØ Lossofvulnerablegenotypesandpopulations->

moreresistant,butlowerdiversityØ Coolingduetostrongmonsoonwindsinmid-late

bleachingperiod?

Networkfunctioning– reportingofbleaching

Quitehighparticipation,butnotablegapsnevertheless.

ParticipationdominatedbyNGOsandresearchers,reflectingpersonalmotivation.

Regionalandnationalnetworkstructuresveryweak,onlyrecentlybeinginvestedinbytheIndianOceanCommission.

Needtoestablishgovernanceandproceduresformainnetworkstructure(CoralReefTaskForce).

Mechanismsformaintainingandharmonizingcapacityneeded– regularudpates andself-pacedlearningandtraining.