[Coral-List] (Fwd) Leon Zann

tawake_a at usp.ac.fj tawake_a at usp.ac.fj
Thu Dec 9 17:20:51 EST 2004


------- Forwarded message follows -------
Subject:        	Leon Zann
Date sent:      	Thu, 9 Dec 2004 18:13:05 +0100
From:           	"Hoeksema, B.W." <Hoeksema at naturalis.nnm.nl>
To:             	<tawake_a at usp.ac.fj>

Dear Dr. Zann,

I have been an admirer of your book "Living together in the Sea".
Since I am interested in corals, i read the story on Heliopora, and
stumbled on your name.

We, at Leiden, perform research on molluscs / crustaceans on
coelenterates / sponges etc We were never able to find the staircase
shell (Epitonium sp.) living inside a zoanthid (illustrated on p.
132). Any additional information or specimens is welcome !

Best regards,

Bert Hoeksema

Dr. Bert W. Hoeksema
Head, Department of Invertebrates
Coordinator Marine Research
National Museum of Natural History Naturalis
P.O. Box 9517
2300 RA  Leiden
The Netherlands
Tel. +31.71.5687631
Fax +31.71.5687666
E-mail: Hoeksema at naturalis.nnm.nl







   3. Re: Heliopora Coerulea the Blue Coral found in Fiji
      (tawake_a at usp.ac.fj)


------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Wed, 08 Dec 2004 10:09:25 -1200
From: tawake_a at usp.ac.fj
Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Heliopora Coerulea the Blue Coral found in
 Fiji
To: <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>,	"Di Walker (MES)"
 <diwalker at connect.com.fj>
Message-ID: <41B6D2D5.23047.483A7E at localhost>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

Dear Coral list
Very interesting about Heliopora in Fiji. It was my 1985 study which
was cited by Di Walker. (Zann L.P. and Bolton. (1985) The
distribution, abundance and ecology of the blue coral Heliopora
coerulea in the Pacific. Coral Reefs. p 123-134.)

Heliopora or blue coral has not been reported live from Fiji before.
It is a strange coral, (only 2 species in entire Order!), and
unrelated to the scleractinians (other reef-building coral). It also
has a strange global distribution (the focus of my study). It is very
ancient and its range has contracted in geological time (100 million
years) - I suggested because of competition from the scleractininans,
and climate changes (it is a warm water species, >25o). It is present
in Rotuma, common in Tuvalu and abundant in Kiribati. Interestingly,
it did not appear to bleach in 1998, 2000 episodes in Indonesia, so it
might be an indicator of past climate changes. 

Its rarity in some places makes it of biodiversity/conservation
interest. Where it is rare those places certainly should be protected.
(eg there was a major controversy in Okinawa when a unique heliopora
community was threatened by airport extensions.). I would be
interested in assisting conc=servation measures. Leon Zann



Professor Leon Zann
Director
Marine Studies Programme
University of the South Pacific 
Laucala Campus. Suva. Fiji.
Tel: 679 321 2933 , 679 330 5272 
email: zann_l at usp.ac.fj

On 6 Dec 2004 at 0:22, Di Walker (MES) wrote:

> Dear Coral Listers,
> 
> Upon a recent Reef Check survey Dive in the Mamanuca Islands just
> West of the Main Island of Viti Levu in Fiji, I happened to chance
> upon the Blue coral, Heliopora coerulea growing in a section of the
> patch reef that was being surveyed. Having dived the Mamanuca
> Islands extensively and never having observed the coral I was very
> much of the same opinion of most experts that this coral just did
> not exist in Fiji.
> 
> Low Isles on the northern Great Barrier Reef probably represent the
> southern-most reported presence of Heliopora and American Samoa the
> eastern-most, with a line being drawn at the Island of Rotuma for
> distribution of the coral into Fiji. Experts have declared this
> coral extinct in Fiji with no recent observations having been made
> of the coral being alive. Reports made in 1985 consider the presence
> of the coral in Fiji doubtful as it was not recorded in beach
> sediments or coral assemblages studied in and around the Fiji
> Islands. The study also declared that the genus was formerly present
> in Fiji since Heliopora fijiensis was named by Hoffmeister (1945)
> from Miocene deposits on the Fiji Island chain of Lau.
> 
> The patch reef that the Heliopora coerulea was observed growing on
> was very intact. A large massive porites colony measuring 5m by 5m
> was observed close to the growth site as were numerous unusually
> large Giant clams (Tridacna Squamosa) with the shell measuring over
> 70cm in length. Although this site is surrounded by a resort and
> could be frequently used by the two neighbouring island villages for
> fishing and collection of invertebrates, it appears to be relatively
> untouched. The colonies were small with maximum height of 20cm and
> width of about 40cm. There were many colonies observed but only on a
> small section of the reef. This does raise the question of whether
> these colonies are ancient relics, due to the obvious intact state
> of the reef or new invaders to the group due to their small colony
> size.
> 
> Exciting find for those lovers of Blue coral out there.
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Di Walker
> Project Manager
> Mamanuca Environment Society
> P.O. Box 10125, Nadi Airport, Fiji Islands
> Office: (679) 672 3433
> Mobile: (679) 992 0992
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Coral-List mailing list
> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list


__________________________________________________
 Alifereti Tawake, Scientific Officer, Institute of Applied Science,
 University of the South Pacific, P.O Box 1168, Suva, FIJI. Tel:
 679-3212977, 679-3592732, 679-3391339 (H), 9216122(mbl) Fax: 679-330
 0373, website: http//www.usp.ac.fj/ias
   And	 'Kedra Sasalu Tawamudu na noda Kawa- Fish for the Future'
 Locally Managed Marine Area (LMMA) Network Project Liaison Officer
 (Fiji & Asia-Pac) LMMA NCT member, visit www.lmmanetwork.org

------------------------------

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End of Coral-List Digest, Vol 18, Issue 9
*****************************************
------- End of forwarded message -------
__________________________________________________
 Alifereti Tawake, Scientific Officer, Institute of Applied Science, 
 University of the South Pacific, P.O Box 1168, Suva, FIJI.
 Tel: 679-3212977, 679-3592732, 679-3391339 (H), 9216122(mbl)
 Fax: 679-330 0373, website: http//www.usp.ac.fj/ias
   And	 'Kedra Sasalu Tawamudu na noda Kawa- Fish for the Future'
 Locally Managed Marine Area (LMMA) Network Project Liaison Officer (Fiji & Asia-Pac)
 LMMA NCT member, visit www.lmmanetwork.org



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