Biosphere Expedition

Reef Check – Musandam 2012

• Occupy less than 0.1% of the marine

environment

• Home to 25% of all marine

biodiversity

Introduction – Coral reefs

• Provide an estimated 4.3 billion €

in goods and services annually

Photo by MacGillivray Freeman Films

Photo by G. Hodgson

Coral reefs – anthropogenic impacts

Photo by G. Hodgson

Hoegh-Guldberg (2005)

Coral reefs - thermal sensitivity

Phase-shifts

Decline in coral

recruitment

Decay in species

abundance

Degradation

of reefs

Arabian Peninsula

• Average temperature fluctuations: < 12ºC to > 36º C

• Hyper-saline environment year round (can reach >45 psu)• High seasonal fluctuations

Arabian Peninsula

Gulf of Oman

• Depth to 200 m (coastal

shelf)• Temperature 22 - 31ºC• Salinity 34 – 36 psu

Arabian Peninsula

Persian Gulf

Musandam Reef Check 2012 The scientific team

Musandam Reef Check 2012 The scientific team

Musandam Reef Check 2012

Significant increase in HC

coverage from

2009 to 2012

F(3,136)=7.312 , p<.005

SUBSTRATE

Mean Plot of HC grouped by Year

Mean Mean±SE

2009 2010 2011 2012

Musandam

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

Mea

n %

cov

er o

f HC

Musandam Reef Check 2012

Significant increase in SC

coverage in 2012

F(3,136)= 4.772 , p<.005

SUBSTRATE

Mean Plot of SC grouped by Year

Mean Mean±SE

2009 2010 2011 2012

Musandam

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

Mea

n %

cov

er o

f SC

Musandam Reef Check 2012

Significant decrease in RB

coverage from 2009 to 2012

F(3,136)= 10.435 , p<.001

SUBSTRATE

Mean Plot of RB grouped by Year

Mean Mean±SE

2009 2010 2011 2012

Musandam

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

22

24

26

Mea

n %

cov

er o

f RB

Musandam Reef Check 2012

FISH

Significant decrease in the

mean number of butterflyfish

from 2010 to 2012

F(3,136)= 4.556 , p<.005

Mean Plot of Butterflyfish m2 grouped by Year

Mean Mean±SE

2009 2010 2011 2012

Musandam

0.05

0.06

0.07

0.08

0.09

0.10

0.11

0.12

0.13

0.14

0.15

Mea

n nu

mbe

r of

but

terf

lyfis

h pe

r m

2

Musandam Reef Check 2012 – Faqadar Bay

FISH

Mean Plot of Snapper m2 grouped by Year

Mean Mean±SE

2009 2010 2011 2012

Faqadar Bay

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

Mea

n nu

mbe

r of

sna

pper

s pe

r m

2

Significant increase in the

mean number of snappers

from 2009 and 2010 to 2012

F(3,20)= 7.914, p<.005

Musandam Reef Check 2012 – Khayl Island

Mean Plot of Grouper m2 grouped by Year

Mean Mean±SE

2009 2010 2011 2012

Khayl Island

-0.002

0.000

0.002

0.004

0.006

0.008

0.010

0.012

0.014

0.016

0.018

0.020

0.022

0.024

0.026

Mea

n nu

mbe

r of

gro

uper

s pe

r m

2

FISH

Significant decrease in the

mean number of groupers

from 2009 and 2010 to 2012

F(3,28)= 5.110 , p<.05

Musandam Reef Check 2012 – Eagle Bay

Mean Plot of Butterflyfish m2 grouped by Year

Mean Mean±SE

2009 2010 2011 2012

Eagle Bay

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.10

0.12

0.14

0.16

0.18

0.20

0.22

Mea

n nu

mbe

r of

but

terf

lyfis

h pe

r m

2

FISH

Significant decrease in the

mean number of butterflyfish

from 2009 and 2010 to 2012

F(3,28)= 7.6192 , p<.005

Musandam Reef Check 2012 – Ra’s Shuraytar

Mean Plot of Butterflyfish m2 grouped by Year

Mean Mean±SE

2009 2010 2011 2012

Ra's Shuraytar

0.00

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.10

0.12

0.14

Mea

n nu

mbe

r of

but

terf

lyfis

h pe

r m

2

FISH

Significant increase in the

mean number of butterflyfish

from 2009 and 2010 to 2012

F(3,24)= 5.239 , p<.05

Mean Plot of Pencil urchin m2 grouped by Year

Mean Mean±SE

2009 2010 2011 2012

Musandam

0.00

0.01

0.02

0.03

0.04

0.05

0.06

0.07

Mea

n nu

mbe

r of

pen

cil u

rchi

ns p

er m

2

Musandam Reef Check 2012

INVERTEBRATES

Significant decrease in the

mean number of pencil

urchins from 2010 to 2012

F(3,140)= 3.519 , p<.05

Musandam Reef Check 2012 – Faqadar Bay

INVERTEBRATES

Mean Plot of Diadema urchin m2 grouped by Year

Mean Mean±SE

2009 2010 2011 2012

Faqadar Bay

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1.0

1.1

1.2

Mea

n nu

mbe

r of

dia

dem

as p

er m

2

Significant increase in the

mean number of diadema

from 2009 to 2012

F(3,24)= 3.649 , p<.05

Musandam Reef Check 2012 – Eagle Bay

Mean Plot of Pencil urchin m2 grouped by Year

Mean Mean±SE

2009 2010 2011 2012

Eagle Bay

-0.02

0.00

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.10

0.12

0.14

0.16

0.18

Mea

n nu

mbe

r of

pen

cil u

rchi

ns p

er m

2

INVERTEBRATES

Significant decrease in the

mean number of pencil

urchins from 2010 to 2012

F(3,28)= 4.358 , p<.05

Musandam Reef Check 2012 – Summary

Substrate :

Increase in mean percentage cover of HC

Increase in mean percentage cover of SC

Decrease in mean percentage cover of RB

Fish :

x Decrease in the mean number of butterflyfish per m2

Invertebrates :

x Decrease in the mean number of pencil urchins per m2

Musandam Reef Check 2012

THANK YOU!