Reef Check Training and Coral Reef Monitoring in Haiti A Preliminary Report

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1 Reef Check Training and Coral Reef Monitoring in Haiti A Preliminary Report As part of an effort to improve coral reef monitoring and reporting on the status of coral reefs in the countries of the Northern Caribbean node of the Global Coral Monitoring Network (GCRMN), a team of scientists led by the Caribbean Coastal Data Centre (CCDC), Centre for Marine Sciences, University of the West Indies, visited Haiti during the period September and conducted training in the Reef Check method of coral reef monitoring and collected data from some reef sites at Les Arcadins and the surrounding coastline. The team members were drawn from a number of organizations based in Jamaica, and included the following: George Warner Peter Edwards Dulcie Linton Krishna Desai Nathalie Zenny Brandon Hay Dave Guinness Director, Centre for Marine Sciences (CMS) Team Scientist, Scientific Officer, Centre for Marine Sciences (CMS) Team Leader, Manager, Caribbean Coastal Data Centre Manager, Coastal Zone Unit, National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation (CCAM) Independent consultant The team worked in close collaboration with Jean Wiener, Director of Foundation pour la Protection de la Biodiversite Marine (FoProBIM), a Non-Governmental environmental organization in Haiti. To facilitate training and field work a Bauer Oceanus TM portable compressor system was purchased and donated by CCDC to FoProBIM along with other tools necessary to conduct Reef Check coral reef monitoring. A two-member team from Haiti, including Jean Wiener (FoProBIM) and Mandy Karnauskas, a Peace Corps volunteer, were trained during the period. The poor economic climate in Haiti is largely responsible for the lack of trained divers to participate in the exercise. Dive gear, air fills and facilities for training are not readily available and therefore are expensive to acquire, so that diving is not an exercise that ordinary Haitians participate in. Additionally, Haiti does not have any tertiary institution which focuses on education in marine sciences from which graduates would be available for training. The study site: A diving team of eight individuals conducted the monitoring, which was focused in the Les Arcadins area of Haiti, situated along the west coast of Haiti (Figure 1). The area boasts three small islands which are surrounded by extensive coral reefs. These islands are the only significant land outcrops off the west coast of Haiti, up to the platform of Ilé de la Gonave. They are situated on a bank about 5 km wide that ranges in depth from 13 to 19 m. The platform surrounding this bank is generally deeper than 21 m. The closest of the Arcadins islands to shore, Ti Teal, or North Island, lies about 6.7 km in a southerly direction from Kaliko is 110 m long and 70 m wide. The largest of the three islands, Lighthouse Island, is 425 m long and 125 m wide and lies 1.0 km southwest of Ti Teal. Ilé de Sud or South Island is 250 m long and 200 m wide and lies 0.4 km south of Lighthouse Island. The water depths between the coast X Figure 1. Map of Haiti showing approximate location of monitoring in Haiti 1

2 at Kaliko and Les Arcadins range between 10.7 and 31.0 m. Training and Data Collection Training in the Reef Check method was conducted for the two Haitian participants, both through theory and a dry-run followed by dives led by the team scientist. All team members participated in substrate, fish and invertebrate data collection (Figures 2 and 3). Surveys were conducted throughout the week, involving 5 sites at two depths. The sites were: Trou Forban, Ti Teal, Ilé Fa, Ilé Sud and Bo wout Montrouis. Weather conditions were favourable with mostly sunny days and high temperatures. Figure 2: Reef Check Haiti Team members: (from left) Nathalie Zenny, Brandon Hay, Peter Edwards, Jean Wiener, Mandy Karnauskas, Boatman, Dulcie Linton, Dave Guinness and George Warner (Inset: Krishna Desai) Photo: K. Desai Figure 3: Team members collecting data on substrate, fish and invertebrate using Reef Check method Photos: K. Desai Data Analyses Visual surveys of the sites revealed generally healthy reefs. Preliminary data analyses indicated a range of coral cover from a high of approximately 50% to a low of 7%. Bo wout Montrouis, a near shore site recorded the highest coral cover of 47% at shallow (4 m) and 52% at the deeper (6 m) site. Cover by Nutrient Indicating Algae (NIA) was relatively low, 17% and 14% respectively at this 2

3 location. Another near shore site, Trou Forban, had coral cover of 21.2% and 15.2% at the shallow and deep sites respectively. NIA was high, 26.3% and 51.8% in shallow and deep sites respectively. Of the three Les Arcadins sites surveyed, Ti Teal, had the highest coral cover, 28.1% in the shallow and 27.6% in the deep. Ilé Fa had 25.1% in the shallow and 6.0% in the deep. At Ilé Fa NIA was high, 32.8% and 74% at the shallow and deep sites respectively. Large mats of the algae Lobophora variegata were seen at the deeper site. Ilé Sud appeared to be the most impacted of the Les Arcadins. Only one survey was completed at this site at 4 m; coral cover was 12.8%, while NIA was 39.6% (Table 1). A healthy stand of Acropora palmata at the Ilé Fa reef site Photo: K. Desai Fish populations were low at all sites ranging from 0.5 to 5 per 100 sq m. Higher fish counts were recorded at Les Arcadins; 5/100 sq m at Ilé Fa, 3.57/100 sq m at Ilé Sud and 1/100 sq m at Ti Teal. The near shore sites, Trou Forban and Bo wout Montrois, which were more easily accessible, had fish counts of 0.5 and 0.75/100 sq m respectively. Fish from the Haemulidae family were observed more often than from other families, followed by fish from the Lutjanidae family. Fishing vessels were observed at work at all sites, indicating that the area probably suffers from very high fishing pressure. Fire coral (Millepora sp.) and a blue-head wrasse Invertebrates, such as urchins and Photo: K. Desai gorgonians were generally more abundant at shallow sites compared to deeper ones and at the off shore cays Les Arcadins compared to the near shore sites. Highest mean Diadema antillarum densities were recorded at Ilé Fa, 14.5/100 sq m, and Ti Teal, 9/100 sq m. Highest mean pencil urchin densities were recorded at Ilé Sud, 25.3/100 sq m, and Ilé Fa, 13.3/100 sq m. Mean Tripnustes densities were highest at Ilé Fa, 25.8/100 sq m and Ti Teal 17.3/100 sq m. The highest mean gorgonian density was recorded at Ti Teal, 337/100 sq m. The lowest was 5.5/100 sq m at Trou Forban (Table 2). Assessment of impacts on the reefs due to anchor damage, trash, destructive fishing practices such as dynamite revealed generally low impacts. Fishermen were observed standing on coral reefs in the shallows off Ilé Fa, suggesting the probability of some physical damage to the reefs. Coral disease and bleaching were also relatively low, even though sea water temperatures were recorded as high as 86 o F or 30 o C. No tritons were found along any of the transects, but large shells were seen for sale on the beach. 3

4 Conclusions: Little is known about the reefs of Les Arcadins, Haiti. These surveys conducted over four days give at best a snapshot of general conditions of the reefs. They appear to be in reasonably good condition, with the exception of some sites that had relatively high percentage of nutrient indicating algae, suggesting some anthropogenic impacts. More comprehensive surveys are needed before definitive conclusions on the status of these reefs can be reached. 4

5 Table 1: Mean benthic substrate percent cover at reef sites in Haiti Site Depth (m) Hard coral Nutrient Indicating Algae Other Recently Killed Coral Rock Rubble Silt/Clay Soft Coral Sponge Bo wout montrouis Bo wout montrouis Ilé Fa Ilé Fa Ilé Sud Ti' Teal Ti' Teal Trou Forban Trou Forban Site Depth (m) Table 2: Mean densities (per 100 sq m) of various fish and invertebrates at reef sites in Haiti Diadema Gorgonians Banded Coral Shrimp Butterfly Fish Flamingo Tongue Grunts Lobster Moray Eel Nassau Grouper Other Grouper Parrot Fish Pencil Urchin Snappers Tripneutes Triton Bo wout montrouis Bo wout montrouis Ilé Fa Ilé Fa Ilé Sud Ilé Sud Ti' Teal Ti' Teal Trou Forban Trou Forban