Atoll Research Bulletin最新文献

{"title":"The History of a Remote Caribbean Cay, Isla Aves, and Its Terrestrial Biota: A Review and New Data","authors":"H. Heatwole, F. Torres, S. King, A. Debrot, J. Torres","doi":"10.5479/si.21552444","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5479/si.21552444","url":null,"abstract":"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 The present paper reviews its history, reports on a previously unpublished survey of its terrestrial biota in 1966, and chronicles what is known about the changes in that biota over time, including recent and ongoing research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.","PeriodicalId":34898,"journal":{"name":"Atoll Research Bulletin","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-11-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48834231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Shallow-Water Foraminifera and Other Microscopic Biota of Clipperton Island, Tropical Eastern Pacific","authors":"M. McGann, R. Schmieder, L. Loncke","doi":"10.5479/si.10329962.v1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5479/si.10329962.v1","url":null,"abstract":"The recent foraminiferal fauna and associated\u0000microbiota of Clipperton Island (10.2833°N, 109.2167°W) were investigated at 20\u0000sites collected in the intertidal zone around the perimeter of the island and\u0000from the edge of the inner brackish-water lagoon. Due to the island’s\u0000geographic location in a low productivity zone, a lack of variable habitats on\u0000and surrounding the island, and heavy surf that pounds the exposed land, a\u0000depauperate fauna was recovered although mixed biogeographic affinities are\u0000represented. The shallow-water foraminiferal assemblage has no endemics but primarily\u0000tropical Indo-Pacific and eastern Pacific (Panamic) affinities, as well as one\u0000species of Caribbean affinity. The most abundant taxa are Sorites spp. and Quinqueloculina\u0000spp. Noticeably absent are any species of Amphistegina,\u0000despite the fact that they are considered ubiquitous in the tropical\u0000Pacific. The molluscan fauna has Clipperton Island endemics, a tropical\u0000Pacific/Inter-Island endemic, and tropical eastern Pacific oceanic islands/Panamic Molluscan affinities. The ostracods included endemics found\u0000restricted to Clipperton Island lagoon, as well as Indo-Pacific and Panamic\u0000Province species. The foraminifera, mollusks, and ostracods are thought to\u0000disperse to Clipperton Island by way of the North Equatorial Countercurrent and\u0000North Equatorial Current, suggesting that the island is indeed a stepping stone\u0000for migration both east and west across the Eastern Pacific Barrier.","PeriodicalId":34898,"journal":{"name":"Atoll Research Bulletin","volume":"626 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49403555","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Flora and Vegetation of Clipperton (La Passion) Atoll, North-Eastern Pacific Ocean: Three Centuries of Changes and Recent Plant Dynamics","authors":"Xénia Jost, C. Jost, J. Meyer","doi":"10.5479/SI.0077-5630.623","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5479/SI.0077-5630.623","url":null,"abstract":"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.","PeriodicalId":34898,"journal":{"name":"Atoll Research Bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-06-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44837225","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Stomatopod Crustaceans from Mayotte Island (Crustacea, Hoplocarida)","authors":"J. Poupin, R. Cleva, Jean-Marie Bouchard, V. Dinhut, J. Dumas","doi":"10.5479/SI.0077-5630.624","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5479/SI.0077-5630.624","url":null,"abstract":"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.","PeriodicalId":34898,"journal":{"name":"Atoll Research Bulletin","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43210151","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Carbonate Beach Sand of Abaiang Atoll, Kiribati: Geochemistry, Biogenic Sources, and Properties","authors":"J. Ellison, P. Han, T. Lewis","doi":"10.5479/SI.0077-5630.621","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5479/SI.0077-5630.621","url":null,"abstract":"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.","PeriodicalId":34898,"journal":{"name":"Atoll Research Bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44579336","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Los Roques and Las Aves Archipelagos, Venezuela: A Marine Ecological and Conservation Reconnaissance of Two Little-Known Southeastern Caribbean Oceanic Archipelagos","authors":"A. Debrot, Anaurora Yranzo, D. Arocha","doi":"10.5479/SI.0077-5630.622","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5479/SI.0077-5630.622","url":null,"abstract":"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.","PeriodicalId":34898,"journal":{"name":"Atoll Research Bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44192849","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ecological Changes in the Coral Reef Communities of Indonesia's Bali Barat National Park, 2011–2016","authors":"N. Suparno, Kitty Currier, C. Milner, A. Alling, P. Dustan","doi":"10.5479/SI.0077-5630.620","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5479/SI.0077-5630.620","url":null,"abstract":"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.","PeriodicalId":34898,"journal":{"name":"Atoll Research Bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43604298","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Habitats and Biodiversity of Watamu Marine National Park: Evaluating Our Knowledge of One of East Africa's Oldest Marine Protected Areas","authors":"B. Cowburn, P. Musembi, V. Sindorf, D. Kohlmeier, C. Raker, A. Nussbaumer, H. F. Hereward, B. Van Baelenberghe, D. Goebbels, J. Kamire, M. Horions, R. Sluka, M. Taylor, A. Rogers","doi":"10.5479/si.0077-5630.618","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5479/si.0077-5630.618","url":null,"abstract":"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.","PeriodicalId":34898,"journal":{"name":"Atoll Research Bulletin","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43603337","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Crabs from Mayotte Island (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura)","authors":"J. Poupin, R. Cleva, Jean-Marie Bouchard, V. Dinhut, J. Dumas","doi":"10.5479/si.0077-5630.617","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5479/si.0077-5630.617","url":null,"abstract":"A collection of crabs assembled during the KUW 2009 expedition to Mayotte Island and deposited in the Museum 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 Zelee, 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.","PeriodicalId":34898,"journal":{"name":"Atoll Research Bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47672502","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An Updated Account of the Vascular Flora of the Iles Eparses (Southwest Indian Ocean)","authors":"V. Boullet, J. Hivert, L. Gigord","doi":"10.5479/SI.0077-5630.614","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5479/SI.0077-5630.614","url":null,"abstract":"The terrestrial vascular plant diversity of the Iles Eparses was widely underestimated until the end of the 20 th century. Thanks to numerous inventories (578 days from 2004 to 2016) conducted by the Conservatoire Botanique National de Mascarin (CBNM) on the flora of the Iles Eparses we now have new information on the presence of 237 taxa (123 native, 100 alien and 14 cryptogenic) belonging to 62 families and 173 genera. This represents an increase of 42-340% for the various territories. The flora of Europa [30 km 2 ] includes 94 taxa in 34 families (47 native, 39 alien and 8 cryptogenic), that of Juan de Nova [5 km 2 ] 147 taxa in 49 families (66 native, 69 alien and 12 cryptogenic), that of the Glorioso islets [4.37 km 2 ] 123 taxa in 49 families (72 native, 49 alien and 2 cryptogenic) and that of Tromelin [1 km 2 ] only 20 taxa in 17 families (6 native, 13 alien and 1 cryptogenic). The native plant diversity per km 2 is lower for Europa (1.56) and Tromelin (6) and highest for Juan de Nova and the Glorioso islets (13.2 and 16.5, respectively). In comparison with the Aldabra group, the Iles Eparses almost have the double native plant diversity per km 2 (1.53 and 3, respectively). The native vascular floras of Europa, Juan de Nova and the Glorioso islets are mainly characterized by pantropical (24-31%) and Indo-Pacific taxa (12-19%) In Juan de Nova and Europa, the Malagasy elements sensu stricto are strongly represented (12-15%), while taxa in the Glorioso islets are confined to the West of the Indian Ocean (29%). Only Europa and Juan de Nova seems to host local endemics species ( Achyranthes sp.3, Amaranthaceae, and Euphorbia sp.1, Euphorbiaceae, on Europa; Hypoestes juanensis Benoist, Acanthaceae, on Juan de Nova), while Perrierophytum glomeratum Hochr., Malvaceae found both on Juan de Nova and the Glorioso island is endemic to the Mozambique channel. The alien floras of Europa, Juan de Nova and the Glorioso islets include 58-84% naturalized alien taxa while that of Tromelin hosts 54% of non-naturalized alien taxa. The majority of cultivated alien taxa are found in Juan de Nova and Tromelin (56% and 77%), respectively.","PeriodicalId":34898,"journal":{"name":"Atoll Research Bulletin","volume":"1 1","pages":"1-64"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42185402","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}