The Reef Tank banner

A few clips from the March 2005 edition of NOAA Coral Reef News

399 views 0 replies 1 participant last post by  tdwyatt 
#1 ·
NOAA Fisheries Proposes Listing Two Coral Species Under the Endangered Species Act. On March 3, 2005, NOAA Fisheries determined that elkhorn (Acropora palmata) and staghorn (Acropora cervicornis) corals are warranted for listing as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The notice of the determination was published in the Federal Register on March 18, 2005. This would be the first listing of any coral species as threatened or endangered under the ESA. The determination was heavily based on the Atlantic Acropora Status Review, available at http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/protres.htm. Currently, the NOAA Fisheries/Southeast Regional Office/Protected Resources Division is working on developing the listing rule and will subsequently begin preparing a special rule that will define specific prohibitions and exemptions (called a 4(d) rule).

Study Published on Microsatellite Genetic Markers for Acropora palmata. Developed in collaboration with the Southeast Fisheries Science Center, academic researchers have published a report describing microsatellite markers that allow the genotyping of individual colonies and assessment of connectivity in Acropora palmata populations. These markers will prove to be a valuable tool in researching population structure, disease, and other important questions relevant to Acropora palmata conservation. The paper appears as: Baums et al. (2005). Mendellian microsatellite loci for the Caribbean coral Acropora palmata. Marine Ecology Progress Series 288:115-127. See http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v288/p115-127.html.

Coral Disease and Health Consortium Responds to Potential White Plague Outbreak in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. In response to a call for assistance by the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS), the Coral Disease and Health Consortium (CDHC) is launching an investigation of a potential white plague outbreak. During a recent visit to the FGBNMS on February 23rd, NMS divers observed white plague symptoms in multiple species of corals (Diploria strigosa, Porites astreoides, Montastraea faveolata, and M. franksi). White plague is caused by a bacterial pathogen and can kill coral tissue at rates ranging from 3 mm to 10 cm a day. While white plague has been previously observed at FGBNMS, it had been limited to individual isolated colonies. This is the first documented occurrence at the FGBNMS of a coral disease affecting multiple colonies and multiple species over such a large area (~50 m diameter). Representatives from NMS, NOAA Fisheries, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, the Environmental Protection Agency, Florida International University, Mote Marine Lab and George Mason University plan to assist with the response through field sampling (April 4-8, 2005) and subsequent diagnostic analysis. Learn more about the CDHC at http://www.coral.noaa.gov/coral_disease/cdhc.shtml.

NOAA Fisheries Researchers Observe Fish Spawning Behavior in the US Virgin Islands. Researchers from the Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) traveled to St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, to observe and monitor Nassau grouper activity on the Grammanik Bank around the February full moon spawning period. Divers identified the location of aggregations and observed the most activity at dusk when hundreds of yellowfin groupers and tens of Nassau groupers congregated on Grammanik Bank. While no spawning was observed, spawning or pre-spawning behavior was clearly documented, including color changes and distended abdomens. Visit http://www.sefsc.noaa.gov/ for more information on the SEFSC.

New Bilingual Publication for Recreational Users of the Coral Reef Ecosystems of the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The organization Consultores Educativos Ambientales has published a bilingual guide for recreational users of the coral reef ecosystems of the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The publication was produced for the Caribbean Field Office of the NOAA Fisheries/Habitat Conservation Division through funding from the NOAA General Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program. The guide provides recreational users in the U.S. Caribbean with a general overview of the location of natural reserves, parks and other protected areas containing coral reefs and associated habitats. It discusses the importance of appropriate anchorage practices, as well as some of the regulations in the U.S. Caribbean designed to protect the coral reef ecosystem.

National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Evaluates Recovery Rates of South Florida Coral Reefs. The National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) are sponsoring two long-term studies to document the health of coral reefs in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The NCCOS-sponsored scientists are examining whether the reefs can recover following recent disturbances such as bleaching, coral disease, and poor water quality, and whether fully protected zones in the sanctuary influence the reefs' recovery rates. Data collected for this study, including species richness, coral bleaching levels, and disease rates, will also be linked to a larger ecosystem model used to understand and predict coral population trends. Results will be available later this year. See: http://www.nccos.noaa.gov/.

Pacific

NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries Program Releases Operations Plan for Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve. On March 9, a notice announcing the availability of the Reserve Operations Plan (ROP) for the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve (Reserve) was published in the Federal Register. The National Marine Sanctuary Program, NOAA Fisheries, the state of Hawaii, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Reserve Advisory Council developed the plan. It addresses priority resource management issues, including the need to protect fragile coral reefs within the Reserve. It also includes strategies for education, enforcement of Reserve rules and guidelines, and research and monitoring activities. The plan will guide management and operations of the reserve as it undergoes the sanctuary designation process and will form the foundation of the draft sanctuary management plan. The final ROP is now available at:
http://www.hawaiireef.noaa.gov/documents/welcome.html.

NOAA Ship Sette Departs for First Main Hawaiian Islands Cruise. The NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette departed Thursday, February 24, on the first Main Hawaiian Islands Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP) cruise, led by the NOAA Fisheries/Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center/Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED). The cruise is a collaborative effort with the State of Hawai´i's Division of Aquatic Resources, and in cooperation with NOAA Fisheries/Pacific Islands Regional Office, NOAA's National Marine Sanctuaries Program, Hawai´i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai´i, Bishop Museum, Oceanic Institute, and The Nature Conservancy. Field operations will be conducted on the windward coasts of Maui and Hawai´i, and will include Rapid Ecological Assessments, towed diver surveys, benthic habitat mapping, deployment of surface temperature recorder (STR) buoys, chlorine, temperature and depth (CTD) casts, bioacoustic surveys, and midwater trawls. See: http://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/crd/.

Newspaper Insert on Marine Protected Areas in Hawai´i Published in the Honolulu Advertiser. An informative newspaper insert on "Marine Protected Areas in Hawai´i" was published in the Honolulu Advertiser on March 9, 2005. This project was developed by the Hawai´i State Department of Land and Natural Resources/Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) with support from the NOAA CRCP and the National Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Center. Over the past year, NOAA worked closely with a DAR MPA group to develop a science-based product that presents an unbiased look at MPAs specific to Hawai´i. The insert includes the historical and cultural context of closed areas in Hawai´i, status and threats to marine resources, benefits and drawbacks of MPAs, and the state's next steps in MPA management. The insert also provides the public with information to engage in further discussions on MPAs in Hawai´i. It can be viewed at: http://www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/dar/library/index.htm#MPApub.
 
See less See more
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top