[Coral-List] COT current status

Iain Macdonald dr_iamacdonald at yahoo.co.uk
Tue Jan 20 00:27:19 EST 2009


Yusef / Simon - thanks
 
To my knowledge no COTs have ever been seen or recorded in Qatar, but they have been suggested as a threat, perhaps this "threat" was taken out of context from the general threats to the ROPME Sea area (as reported in the ROPME 2003 "status of the marine environment") in which COT are present. Data is very hard to get here of status of local reefs especially those further offshore / disputed territority.
 
I would be interested to know if COT are in the UAE and how far along they get, likewise for Iran. Perhaps something interesting could be infered from the distribution. 
 
Cheers,
 
Iani Macd. 

--- On Tue, 20/1/09, Simon Wilson <simon.wilson at adelphi-env.com> wrote:

From: Simon Wilson <simon.wilson at adelphi-env.com>
Subject: RE: [Coral-List] COT current status
To: "'Fadlalla, Yusef H'" <yusef.fadlalla at aramco.com>, dr_iamacdonald at yahoo..co.uk, Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov, info at crcreef.com, "'Karl & Michele'" <michka at fellenius.net>
Date: Tuesday, 20 January, 2009, 4:42 AM

Hi Iain
COTS are known from Musandam, Oman, in the Straits of Hormuz. I remember
reading in the Iranian National Centre for Oceanography newletter about COTS
being found in Iranian waters west of Hormuz. Kaveh Samimi kaveh_s_n at yahoo.com,
an Iranian marine biologist, would either know or know someone who knew.
Simon Wilson

-----Original Message-----
From: coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
[mailto:coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov] On Behalf Of Fadlalla, Yusef H
Sent: 19 January 2009 14:29
To: dr_iamacdonald at yahoo.co.uk; Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov;
info at crcreef.com; Karl & Michele
Subject: Re: [Coral-List] COT current status

Iain,

We have no record of COT sighting from Saudi Arabian reefs in the ROPME Sea
Area.  Are you suggesting that the COT was sighted in Qatar?

Yusef Fadlalla

-----Original Message-----
From: coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
[mailto:coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov] On Behalf Of Iain Macdonald
Sent: Sunday, January 18, 2009 9:56 AM
To: Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov; info at crcreef.com; Karl & Michele
Subject: Re: [Coral-List] COT current status

Karl and list,

I have a different question on COT to those posed by Karl and Michele
stimulated by a recent presentation on local (Qatar) threats to coral reefs.. COT
was one of the threats. However, i was under the impression that COT did not
exist this far into the ROPME Sea Area since the salinity (typically between
39-42) was to high for junvenile survival. Have i been misinformed about
juvenile survival? If the COT do not exist here (which is true as far as i know)
i do not want people to mis-direct their efforts in reef conservation on a red
herring (pardon the pun).

How far do COT expand into the area? If you work in Iran/UAE (or any other
country in the neighbourhood) let me know the furthest extent of a sighting
please.

Thanks,

Iain Macd.

--- On Fri, 16/1/09, Karl & Michele <michka at fellenius.net> wrote:

From: Karl & Michele <michka at fellenius.net>
Subject: [Coral-List] COT current status
To: Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov, info at crcreef.com
Date: Friday, 16 January, 2009, 2:23 AM

Dear coral list and CRC,

I have been looking at the 2003 CRC info doc on crown of thorns at
www.reef.crc.org.au/publications/brochures/COTS_web_Nov2003.pdf as well as a
few other web publications.

I do environmental assessments in Vanuatu and currently there is a COT
outbreak on Efate. I am seeking fairly specific references to published
works on linkages between nutrients, algae and COTs. Not so much from a
coastal run-off perspective but more related to harvesting of herbivores and
omnivores in the aquarium trade. Efate has an very active fish and
invertebrate export. COT outbreaks are occurring in their collection areas
as well as a number of other areas. I realise there are numerous factors at
play. Last year this was a fairly heated topic here with many differing
opinions and official responses denying any connections between the trade
and COTs. However, both 'outbreaks' continue on Efate ...

I have been asked by a group made up of villagers, ex-pat residents, and
others seeking answers to these questions to do what I can. My background is
such that I believe these hypotheses to be true, although I have not carried
out the research. I trust that others have. After last years' mess on this
subject I have maintained a fairly low profile but now there are many people
here that are furious that nothing beyond individual groups doing COT
removals has been done. So I find myself reluctantly re-entering the
discussion of trying to persuade players that should know better, again. I
am not entering that foray again without published references.

I am looking for references on any of the following points. I am not looking
for an emotional back-and-forth between proponents and opponents of the
aquarium trade. The coral list has already been used for that.

Pre-outbreak stimuli
-Quite a bit of research suggests that COTs thrive in the presence of
pollution and algae that ensues. A lot of that comes from excessive nutrient
discharges in areas of run-off, like Mele Bay.
Moreover, further research suggests that nutrient discharges can actually
stimulate reproduction in COTs, outside of their normal spawning times in
Dec & Jan (when, by the way, COTs should not be collected because
handling can trigger early spawning). Other research goes yet further
and suggests that loss of herbivores and omnivores can stimulate existing
COTs to eat more, and faster. This happens because in the absence of
such fish in particular, there is more algae and especially cyanobacteria
left on the reef. And that brings us back to the first point above, that
COTs thrive in algae conditions. So its really about what causes the algae,
not so much as what causes the COTs directly. There is correlation between
aquarium fish collection and COTs outbreaks with respect to the issue of
the algae. It makes sense. Albeit this has not conclusively been shown to
be cause-effect, only a correlation. It is just my personal opinion and the
opinion of others that actually study
the matter. There is a heck of alot of 'bad' algae around in current
fish
collection areas, particularly in Mele Bay. This might help to explain the
COT explosion on Efate (fish collection and nutrient pollution) and possibly
Santo (some nutrient pollution), but not on Epi.


-Research is not out yet on pelagic and benthic movement of COTs. Some
people speculate that spawning COTs in Fiji are one reason behind the COTs
here. I find that a bit far-fetched but who knows? I've seen juveniles, but
not anything near larval stages. Could this be the source for COTs on Epi? I
don't really know. The point is that it doesn't have to be the same
reason
everywhere. Its a mixed bag, as with most disturbances in the marine
environment. It is also possible that the Epi population came from Efate. I
heard that a few years back it was on Emae, before it hit North Efate. From
Emae to Epi makes sense, but why Emae?

-It is clear that the Triton shell and the Napoleon are natural predators of
COTs. But is their depletion through local consumption enough to explain
Epi? I doubt it. Its definitely a contributor though.


Post-outbreak response
-It is clear however that coral recruitment on COTs impacted reefs (or any
impacted reefs that have lost coral) will decrease if hervivores and
omnivores are in less supply than normal. The algae prevents new coral from
settling. Moreover, dead coral covered in algae breaks off, and contributes
to loose rubble further limiting coral recruitment not to mention same
rubble that moves around in surge which damages surviving corals. Thus I
sincerely believe
that what we are losing now in terms of coral cover on Efate will not come
back until herbivore and omnivore fish populations return to normal. Even
then it will take a long time, considering all the pollution and global
climate stressors acting concurrently. Even then it may be too little,
too late. That in my mind is potentially a much more far-reaching issue
than determining what is causing the outbreak in the first place.


The latter point is sufficient in my mind to take a good, hard look at the
impacts of the aquarium trade here in Vanuatu.

Thank you,

Karl


**
Karl Fellenius, Director &
Michele Dricot, Manager

Vaughani Shores Vanuatu
Pangona Estates, Efate
Postal Box 3158
Port Vila
VANUATU

office       +678 29273 (AWARE)
mobileK   +678 7773329
mobileM  +678 7773326
email       VaughaniShores at vanuatu.com.vu
web         http://www.diveVanuatu.org
**
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