SOS for Blue Bay Marine Park/Mauritius

[Dr John R Turner]

RE: DAMAGE TO BLUE BAY MARINE PARK
Blue Bay Marine Park was surveyed as part of a coral reef bleaching and
degradation status survey of Mauritius April 1999 by Dr J. R. Turner,  E.
Hardman, R. Klaus, Prof I Fagoonee, Dr D. Daby, R. Baghooli, and S Persands in a
joint University of Wales Bangor / University of Mauritius collaboration, and
hence a recent background data set exists prior to the impact from construction.

Two sites in Blue Bay were surveyed on 16/04/99: (0-8m: depth at 20 degrees
26.170 minutes S,57deg 42. 622 min E) which I believe is very close to shore and
the coastguard station, and near to the place where the main disturbance has
been caused,  and site 27,( 0-2m depth: 26.591 min S,  57 deg 42.385 min E)
which was on top of the shallow bank of coral towards the existing hotel and out
in the lagoon bay.   The former site  was one of only three lagoon sites
surveyed to exhibit high diversity and low dominance, while the latter showed
low species diversity and high dominance.  Care will be required to
differentiate between these areas in any post damage survey since the latter
site was already in poor condition.   Currents are very weak in the bay, but
their circulation patterns are unknown.
A report of the status of Mauritius reefs appears in the CORDIO book, published
this month.
Dr John R Turner
School of Ocean Sciences
University of Wales, Bangor
Marine Science Laboratories
Menai Bridge
Anglesey
Gwynedd
LL59 5EY
UK

Tel/Fax: +44 (0) 1248 382881
E mail: J.turner at bangor.ac.uk
Web site: http://www.sos.bangor.ac.uk