Maldives Marine Newsletter

Transcription

1 Maldives Marine Newsletter Issue no. 5 November 2016 IN THIS ISSUE OUR MISSION P2 P4 P6 P9 P11 P13 P15 P18 P20 P22 P23 The coral bleaching edition Survey reveals over 60% of corals bleached Bleaching: is the future bright or bleak? How much do people really know about coral bleaching? Assessing coral bleaching risk in the Maldives Evolutionarily distinct & globally endangered corals A path to adaptation through resilience-based management of coral reefs Ecosystem based adaptation Nature s cement on the reef: crustose coraline algae Coral Reef Resilience Infographic Coral bleaching protocol IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges by supporting scientific research; managing field projects all over the world; and bringing governments, NGOs, the UN, international conventions and companies together to develop policy, laws and best practice. Our vision is a just world that values and conserves nature. Our mission is to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable. The world s oldest and largest global environmental network, IUCN is a democratic membership union with more than 1,200 government and NGO member organizations, and almost 11,000 volunteer scientists and experts in some 160 countries. IUCN s work is supported by over 1,000 professional staff in 45 offices and hundreds of partners in public, NGO and private sectors around the world. IUCN s headquarters are located in Gland, near Geneva, in Switzerland. IUCN has been undertaking and supporting environmental conservation and addressing development challenges in the Maldives since 1985 through its global and regional programmes. Currently, IUCN s work in the Maldives is supported by the Asia Regional Office based in Thailand and the Global Marine and Polar Programme based in Switzerland.

2 EDITORIAL THE CORAL BLEACHING EDITION By Gabriel Grimsditch, Acting Chief Technical Officer, Project REGENERATE 2016 is a year that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons for coral reefs. A mass coral bleaching event, caused by above-average sea surface temperatures related to a strong El Niño event the likes of which has not been witnessed since 1998, has caused death and devastation for reefs around the world. Images of entire tracts of reefs turning a ghostly white have been broadcast from the Great Barrier Reef, from the Pacific and also from the Maldives. Corals are particularly sensitive to changes in temperature, having evolved to thrive in a relatively narrow thermal band, and even one degree Celsius above the average for a sustained period of time can cause corals to break the symbiosis with their microscopic partners. These microalgae provide corals with over 80% of their energy, as well as the brilliant colours that tropical corals are famous for. With the microalgae expelled as a result of increased temperature, the corals slowly starve to death and become vulnerable to disease, algal overgrowth and predation. It is a sombre reminder of the impact that climate change is having on our global ecosystem. As corals die and become covered with algae or break down through erosion, the reef ecosystems become less economically and aesthetically valuable to humans. They lose their bright colours and their appeal to divers and snorkelers, and they lose the structural complexity that provides sanctuary for so many small reef fish. This can have cascading impacts on larger fish and the entire ecosystem, leading to an ecological state that is less valuable and with less biodiversity. Unfortunately, examples of these ecological shifts are being observed all over the world, but it is our hope that the reefs of the Maldives will continue to be resilient. In fact, within this bad news story for coral reefs, the reefs of the Maldives do show encouraging signs of resilience. In 2016, we have observed that it is mostly the fast-growing and generally more vulnerable branching coral species that have succumbed to the bleaching, whilst the longer-lived, hardier massive corals have mostly survived. We have also observed that there are refuge reefs that have not been hit as badly; mostly the deeper reefs, the reefs in areas of high water currents such as in channels, and the reefs in more turbid waters that are protected from the sun s rays. Many live juvenile corals have also survived, and these will kick-start the recovery process. As long as a healthy environment can be maintained, with good water quality and an abundance of reef fish, we are hopeful that the reefs of the Maldives will experience the same robust recovery that they have displayed during previous bleaching events. This is why now, more than ever, careful management of fisheries, waste disposal and coastal construction is important in order to ensure a healthy environment for corals to recover in. Another positive story has been the level of engagement of citizen scientists who have submitted data about the bleaching event from across the country. Marine biologists from resorts, dive guides and even seaplane pilots have all sent information and bleaching observations to the Maldives Marine Research Centre, and this has helped the Government of the Maldives to understand the scale and severity of the event, as well as to formulate management responses. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is proud to have supported these efforts. This special newsletter focuses on coral bleaching and the collaboration between the IUCN and the Government of Maldives in understanding and managing the bleaching. It covers a broad range of our joint research and management endeavours including a research expedition carried out in Alifu Alifu Atholu (North Ari Atoll) where we found that over 60% of corals had bleached, a methodology produced for citizen scientists to monitor the bleaching and 2

3 Ahmed Basheer, IUCN submit data, a bleaching risk assessment tool developed by visiting scientists from the University of Queensland for the Maldives Marine Research Centre, and a detailed infographic representing some of the factors that affect coral reef resilience. We also explore some of the management and policy responses, with articles on ecosystembased adaptation from our policy experts. So please enjoy this newsletter, and we hope that you have a resilient end to the year! SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FACEBOOK We encourage contributions to our newsletter. For more information, send an to: Ali Nizar, Communications Consultant, at aliiucnmv@gmail.com 3

4 ECOLOGY SURVEY REVEALS OVER 60% OF CORALS BLEACHED By Maldives Marine Research Center and IUCN Preliminary findings of a comprehensive scientific survey examining the impact of the climate change-related 2016 mass bleaching in the Maldives indicate that all reefs surveyed were affected by the event. Approximately 60% of all coral colonies assessed and up to 90% in some sites were bleached. Higher than average sea surface water temperatures, linked to an El Niño Southern Oscillation Event, have caused mass coral bleaching around the world in Abdulqader Khamis, IUCN The survey conducted by the Maldives Marine Research Center (MRC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) brought together coral reef and bleaching experts from 11 national and international institutions and universities to assess the impact of the mass bleaching on coral reefs in the Maldives. Bleaching events are becoming more frequent and more severe due to global climate change, says Dr. Ameer Abdulla, research team leader and Senior Advisor to IUCN on Marine Biodiversity and Conservation Science. Our survey was undertaken at the height of the 2016 event and preliminary findings of the extent of the bleaching are alarming, with initial coral mortality already observed. We are expecting this mortality to increase if bleached corals are unable to recover. The Maldives contains approximately 3% of global coral reefs and is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change impacts given its mean land height of 1.5m. Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the survey was undertaken in Alifu Alifu Atholhu (North Ari Atoll), a representative atoll of the Maldives. It examined both inhabited and uninhabited coral reef islands in sheltered and exposed locations. The main purpose of the survey was to document the extent and severity of the bleaching in the Maldives, which occurred as a result of unusually high temperature exposure and local human stressors, using Alifu Alifu as a case study. This survey was a key component of the Government s Bleaching Response Plan, says Dr. Shiham Adam, the Director General of the MRC. It has provided us with unique insight into the effects of this coral bleaching event, and helped us understand the implications of climate change for our nation. Understanding the pattern and impacts of bleaching in Maldives will help us guide local management of highly vulnerable sites. Bleaching results from the expulsion of symbiotic algae living in coral tissues due to stress caused by extreme and sustained changes in temperature, light, or nutrients. This process causes coral to turn completely white and can occur at large spatial scales spanning entire reefs and countries. Bleached corals are at risk of death if conditions do not return to normal. To coordinate a national response to the phe- 4

5 nomenon and provide guidance to reef users on how to manage the impact, the Maldives government has created the Maldives National Bleaching Task Force. Led by the MRC, the Task Force includes the Environmental Protection Agency and is supported by IUCN. A national monitoring program has also been developed by MRC and IUCN to evaluate recovery of reefs across the country. The program enables resort marine biologists, citizen scientists, and divers across the Maldives to contribute data that will help understand the national effects of the global bleaching event. Reported data are currently being analysed in order to strategically identify vulnerable and resilient reefs across the country that should be managed or protected. Practices such as dredging, sand replenishment, and fishing or purchasing of herbivorous fish such as parrotfish and surgeonfish which are essential for reef recovery are strongly discouraged. Reef users are urged to minimise adverse impacts to corals during this sensitive and critical time. Initiatives such as the coral bleaching survey are just one example of USAID s commitment to mitigating the effects of climate change in Maldives. The U.S. Government is taking a lead role in addressing this phenomenon through mitigation, adaptation and financial assistance, says Thomas Bayer, Acting Mission Director for USAID Sri Lanka and Maldives. As part of our management guidance to local communities and resorts, we have emphasised the importance of reducing local stressors such as sedimentation, pollution and overfishing of herbivores, says Mr. Naeem Ibrahim, Director General of the Environmental Protection Agency. Local management actions can build the resilience of coral reefs thus helping them to survive this national bleaching event. Abdulqader Khamis, IUCN 5

6 ECOLOGY BLEACHING: IS THE FUTURE BRIGHT OR BLEAK? By Mr Gabriel Grimsditch, Acting Chief Technical Officer, Project REGENERATE Living together in harmony Corals are sensitive yet resilient organisms. Individual coral polyps (small and simple jellyfishlike animals that consist of a sac, a mouth and tentacles) are highly sensitive to changes in environmental conditions and to physical damage; yet the reefs that they build can span for thousands of kilometres and last for millions of years. The minute polyps are remarkable in that their reef-building prowess is derived from the symbiotic relationship that they enjoy with microscopic algae, or zooxanthellae, that live within their tissues. The corals provide the micro-algae with shelter, and in return the micro-algae photosynthesize to provide the corals with oxygen and energy to help build their defensive calcium carbonate skeletons. Over time, the skeletons of millions of corals build gigantic reef structures that are large enough to be observed from space, from the Australian Great Barrier Reef to the Maldives Archipelago. In fact, all the land of atoll nations (such as the Maldives) is formed by sand that is the product of broken down coral reefs. This extraordinary relationship between the simplest of animals, the coral polyp, and the simplest of protozoans, the microscopic zooxanthellae, underpins the existence of the largest biologically formed structures on Earth. Quite astonishing! producing compounds that are toxic to the coral. The coral is forced to expel the zooxanthellae as a survival strategy in a phenomenon known as coral bleaching. As the zooxanthellae provide the corals with pigments and therefore create the brilliant colours that can be observed underwater, when they are expelled the corals appear to pale and eventually become completely white, or bleached. In the process of bleaching, the corals calcium carbonate skeletons become visible through their translucent tissues. A bleached coral is not quite dead, as it can survive for days by using its tentacles to trap plankton floating by for food, but it is severely weakened and is easily killed by any disease or competing seaweed in the area. Bleaching is a response to environmental stress and can occur at localised scales. However, it can also be caused by large-scale changes in temperature due to climatic phenomena such as El Niño, coupled with the gradually warming background signal of greenhouse gas-induced global climate change. When bleaching occurs at large scales it can be devastating, with large tracts of reef dying and being reduced to rubble in the space of weeks is an El Niño year, and the coral reefs of the world have bleached heavily. Distressing images of large stretches of white corals have been broadcast from Pacific Let s spend some time apart Like all relationships, this symbiosis is not immune to stress. In the case of the coral polyp and its zooxanthellae, any significant deviation from the environmental conditions to which they are accustomed can lead to divorce. Of special concern are rising seawater temperatures and climate change, since corals live very close to their thermal maximum. As corals heat up, the zooxanthellae start working in overdrive and Gabriel Grimsditch, IUCN 6

7 islands, the northern portion of the Great Barrier Reef and the Maldives. These reefs will mostly likely take decades to recover. As a nation that is highly dependent on the wealth of resources provided by coral reefs, the Maldives is sensitive to a bleaching event. Coral Watch, University of Queensland Checking the baseline As the winds slow down in the window between the two monsoonal seasons in the Indian Ocean, known in Dhivehi as iruvai when the winds blow from the North and hulhangu when the winds blow from the South, the atoll lagoon calms and can come to resemble a flat lake. During these weeks, usually around March or April, seawater temperatures are at their highest for the year, and so is the risk of bleaching. With this in mind, teams of marine scientists from the International Union of the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Maldives Marine Research Centre (MRC) joined forces to monitor coral populations before the potential bleaching event in order to understand what changes might occur in the ecosystem. A methodology was developed and shared widely with citizen scientists around the Maldives. IUCN and MRC surveyed reef sites in Malé Atoll in order to obtain a baseline of what the reefs look like before bleaching, and resort marine biologists have done the same in other atolls across the country. The surveys were repeated when the bleaching hit to understand the changes occurring, and later repeated periodically to track the recovery of the ecosystem after bleaching. Having a wide-scale understanding of the severity and impacts of bleaching around the country helps the Government of the Maldives and other reef managers to develop strategies to manage the recovery and resilience of coral reefs. Gabriel Grimsditch, IUCN 7

8 Action and reaction During the warm weeks when bleaching is most likely to occur, specific actions can be taken to minimize activities that might cause additional stress to corals and to give them a better chance of survival. Trampling of corals, anchoring on the reef and fishing of herbivorous fish should be eliminated, not only during bleaching events but also throughout the year. Water quality should always be maintained to as high a standard as possible by treating sewage before it flows out onto the reef, and by using biologically safe agents for laundry and boat cleaning. Sand pumping or dredging activities should be reduced to avoid plumes of sediment smothering the corals. Citizens can also get involved by monitoring the reefs and by ensuring that good environmental practices are followed. Tourists can take the opportunity to learn about coral bleaching, including why it occurs and how they can reduce their impact on the reef. Each sector of society has a role to play in ensuring that coral reefs do not become damaged beyond repair. What does the future hold? The fossil record shows that the first corals appeared in the Cambrian period about 500 million years ago and have since survived several extinction events, even breaks of millions of years where there was likely little to no reef growth. Today, many scientists offer evidence that we have entered a new geological era, the Anthropocene, where all natural systems and cycles on Earth are influenced in one way or another by human activities, and another extinction event is underway. Another breakdown of coral reefs is predicted due to a combination of global climate change, changes in water chemistry and localized human pressures on reefs. But within this catastrophic scenario, remote island reefs offer glimmers of hope, as they have been shown to be exceptionally resilient to the ravages of climate change. Remote reefs like some of those in the Maldives are often less impacted by direct human pressures such as overfishing, destructive fishing and land-based sources of pollution. This makes them more likely to be able to bounce back from large-scale mortality events associated with bleaching and changes in the climate. This natural resilience means that if reefs are managed carefully and human impacts are minimized, they have a better chance of surviving the Anthropocene. How to achieve this is a different question, and the solutions probably require strong inter-sectoral collaborations, significant behavioural shifts, divestment from fossil fuels and investment in renewable energy sources, and strategic conservation planning based on sound science; but in the meantime IUCN and MRC are working together to provide knowledge and information that can help the Maldives develop solutions to the coral reef crisis. Terry Hughes, James Cook University ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies 8

9 ECOLOGY HOW MUCH DO PEOPLE REALLY KNOW ABOUT CORAL BLEACHING? By Munshidha Ibrahim, Community Engagement Liaison with IUCN-Maldives and Fathimath Shihany Habeeb, Community Outreach Officer with IUCN-Maldives Coral reefs form the foundation of many ecosystem services such as fisheries, tourism, aesthetic and cultural values upon which many local communities depend on. With coral reefs providing such essential services to humans, the prospect of their continued widespread degradation is of concern. Over the past two decades, the combination of global and local stressors have resulted in increased prevalence and severity of mass coral bleaching events associated with anomalously high sea surface temperatures, leading to a decline in reef conditions throughout the world. In 1998, the high sea surface temperature associated with a strong El Niño event led to the first documented global coral bleaching event that caused severe impacts throughout the world, including to the Maldives coral reefs. This event resulted in 90 percent bleaching-induced mortality in central atolls of the Maldives. The second mass bleaching event occurred in 2010 and Maldives coral reefs experienced a moderate level of bleaching, although the impacts of this event have not been well documented and studied in the Maldives. Similarly, last year has been a tragic year for coral reefs around the world. This event started in October 2015, although effects have been recorded in Maldives from April to mid June Several assessments were done to understand the degree of impact, and efforts had been made by the government as well as stakeholders to increase the recovery rate. Confronting mass bleaching events like this requires a major scaling-up of management effort based on an improved understanding of social-ecological processes that underlie reef and community resilience. In order to capture the current state of community knowledge and awareness level about coral bleaching, the IUCN Maldives team carried out some informal interviews with community members of Maalhos and Feridhoo, North Ari Atoll during the 2016 mass coral bleaching event. In total, 64 respondents (41 males and 23 females) were interviewed. Responses indicate that awareness on coral bleaching is remarkably low in these two islands. Only a few have witnessed coral bleaching, indicating that a large proportion of the population does not interact with coral reefs on a day-to-day basis. This lack of interaction may also have influenced their lack of knowledge on associated risks of coral degradation. Many respondents (59.4%) had difficulty in identifying indirect benefits they receive from coral reefs and how these benefits might be disrupted due to reef degradation. Figure 1: Frequency of participants who know and have seen coral bleaching. 71.8% had heard about coral bleaching, but only 57.8% of this had witnessed it during their lifetime % of those who had heard about coral bleaching does not know the cause of it. 9

10 Marine resources such as coral reefs are largely associated with men as they interact with the reef environment more primarily due to their choice of livelihood activities. For example, only 34.8% of females had heard about coral bleaching, compared to 59.3% of males. Men were also more aware of the correlation between coral bleaching and socio-economic wellbeing compared to women. Respondents claimed that dialogue about coral reefs should occur between men since they are the primary users of coral reefs, and that it is not an area that women are directly involved in. This is an indication of the clear distinction in roles and responsibilities of men and women within the community, where domestic responsibilities are assigned to women and any activity that is associated with management such as environmental stewardship is designated to men. Stop sand mining Construction of seawall Results of this survey are a strong indication that developing a programme to promote environmental stewardship in North Ari Atoll is of utmost importance. These programmes not only increase awareness of communities, but also enhance community ownership of resources and their capacity to implement and enforce management strategies. Through such a programme, locals could also gain insight into policies and processes that regulate resource use in their area. A large proportion (62.5%) of respondents claimed that they are concerned about the future of coral reefs. The majority of concerned people are men. Figure 2: Frequency of participants who are concerned about future of coral reefs When asked what the community can do to improve the future of coral reefs or to adapt to changes that result from coral reef degradation, 26.5% believe that there is nothing that can be done. However, some respondents suggested strategies that may be useful in addressing climate change threats: Awareness programmes Proper waste management 10

11 ECOLOGY ASSESSING CORAL BLEACHING RISK IN THE MALDIVES By Dr Nicholas H. Wolff, Research Fellow, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD Australia F ortunately, many of the threats facing coral reefs around the world such as cyclones, river borne pollution, destructive fishing with methods such as dynamite or beach seines are not an issue in the Maldives. Unfortunately, however, there is very little the Maldives can do to prevent perhaps the gravest of all coral reef threats: climate change. The Maldives contribute only a minuscule amount of the CO 2 emissions that have created this dire predicament; the Maldives is 172nd in a recent ranking of 217 countries by emissions, contributing only the equivalent of 0.01% of the CO 2 emitted by the world s top polluter (China). Despite being virtually blameless for causing this problem, the consequences of climate change will likely be severe in the Maldives. The effects of greenhouse gases on coral reefs are relatively straightforward compared with other ecosystems, in the sense that only two major processes are involved: ocean warming and acidification, and the nature of these relationship tend to follow the same negative trajectory. While there remains much to understand about both processes, particularly acidification, we now know enough about the effects of higher temperatures on corals to offer some predictive power. For example, we can confidently predict that at temperatures greater than 1 o C of the warmest temperatures (typically summer) corals are accustomed to, corals will begin to bleach. Corals bleach i.e. turn white when they expel the pigmented algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues. Whether corals completely recover, partially recover or die after bleaching is dependent upon a number of factors such as the magnitude and duration of the thermal stress event, the type of coral involved and the particular temperature environment the coral lives in. In August 2014, researchers from the University of Queensland released the Bleaching Risk Assessment Tool (BRAT) through a project funded by the World Bank and administered by the Maldives Ministry of Environment and Energy. The tool is delivered primarily through a dedicated website ( org/brat_tool) that provides information, maps and data to help resource managers and scientists prepare for future bleaching events. The site is meant to be a one stop shop for bleaching information and therefore embeds live updates about current Maldives bleaching risk using the latest data from NOAA s Coral Reef Watch. But the key aspect of BRAT is the identification of thermal stress regimes for the Maldives. This analysis distinguishes and classifies sites according to their history of chronic versus acute thermal stress using 29 years of weekly satellite sea surface temperature (SST) observations. Chronic stress represents the routine, ambient maximum seasonal temperature to which corals are acclimated and varies markedly at scales of hundreds of kilometres. Acute stress occurs during bleaching events and develops over weeks to months. Acute stress may vary dramatically at local scales of kilometres because it is influenced by local hydrodynamics. The final analysis identified reefs that belonged to four distinctly different regimes: high chronic and low acute, high chronic and high acute, low chronic and low acute, and low chronic and high acute. Some reefs don t fit into these regimes and remain unclassified. It is reasonable to expect corals within different thermal regimes will respond differently to future bleaching events. There is considerable evidence showing that corals acclimated to warmer conditions fare better than corals acclimated to cooler conditions when experiencing a high stress event (acute). Corals in the regime with high chronic and low acute stress are predicted to be the most 11

12 resistant coral communities to future bleaching. They are acclimated to warmer temperatures, but experience relatively lower levels of acute stress. Conversely, corals in the regime with low chronic and high acute stress are predicted to experience relatively severe mortality because they are acclimated to cooler chronic temperatures, but are exposed to high acute stress likely resulting in severe bleaching. How corals within each of the four stress regimes will respond to future acute stress events (bleaching) is based on sound science but remains hypothetical. One of the goals of the BRAT project is to establish a formal link between coral response and regime. Sites can be identified within each of the four regimes, and corals can be monitored before, during and after future bleaching events to enable testing and refinement of some of the proposed hypotheses. Any measured links between coral response and thermal regime will allow for better assessments of the impacts of bleaching across the Maldives and will be valuable for spatial management goals such as reserve design. Coral reef monitoring was conducted by the Maldives Government, IUCN and citizen scientists. Data were centralized through an online database, allowing for a broad scale analysis that will hopefully reveal patterns of national relevance. The ultimate goal of this work is to help Maldivians better predict the impacts climate change will have on their beautiful country. This map shows the thermal stress regimes for reefs in Ari atoll. Corals in regime A (high chronic and low acute stress) are predicted to be the most resistant coral communities to current bleaching. They are acclimated to warmer temperatures, but experience relatively lower levels of acute stress. Corals in regime B (high chronic and high acute stress) may have some natural resistance to bleaching conditions by virtue of their acclimation to high chronic temperature, but their exposure to acute warming during bleaching events is likely to cause significant mortality. Corals in regime C (low chronic and low acute stress) are predicted to benefit from a lack of severe bleaching events but their acclimation to cooler conditions is likely to increase their vulnerability to even weak periods of rapid warming. Finally, corals in regime D (low chronic and high acute stress) are predicted to experience relatively severe mortality because they are acclimated to cooler chronic temperatures, but are exposed to high acute stress likely resulting in severe bleaching. Credit: Marine Spatial Ecology Lab of the University of Queensland. 12

13 ECOLOGY EVOLUTIONARILY DISTINCT & GLOBALLY ENDANGERED CORALS By Ahmed Basheer, Citizen Science Officer with IUCN Maldives H ealthy coral growth is critical for the existence of island states and livelihoods of their populations. However, the increasing anthropogenic pressures of a quickly developing world have threatened up to 75% of coral reefs globally. Maldives contains around 3% of the world s coral reefs and all islands are less than 3m above sea level, hence managing and conserving coral reefs in a healthy and sustainable manner is of an immense importance. The coral reefs of Maldives are dependent on reef building corals such as Pachyseris rugosa (Elephant skin coral) and Physogyra lichtensteini (Pearl bubble coral) - which are significant species of corals that are crucial for the development of reef structures. These two species are also commonly found in Maldives. in order to catch food. The species refuge small crustaceans such as bubble shrimp coral and are also an important food source for hawksbill turtles. Ahmed Basheer, IUCN Pachyseris rugosa and Physogyra lichtensteini are both widely spread and highly susceptible to catastrophic events such as mass bleaching and ocean acidification. They are also listed as vulnerable species in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Currently, the population status of these species in the Maldives is not known. Ahmed Basheer, IUCN Pachyseris rugosa is a species of coral that develops upright, irregular contorted bifacial which allows coral polyps to protrude from either plate face and colony surfaces are heavily ridged with meandering valleys. Colonies can often grow over 1m in diameter across and in some areas dense fields of this species can dominate a reef. Physogyra lichtensteini is a species of coral that forms massive bubble-like colonies that can grow to large sizes. During the day the colonies are adorned with spherical fleshy vesicles. During the night the species extends fleshy tentacles Ahmed Basheer, IUCN To understand the distribution and abundance of these two species in Maldives, I am pursuing a two-year fellowship programme called EDGE (Evolutionarily Distinct & Globally Endangered) funded by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) in collaboration with the International Union 13

14 for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The EDGE of Existence Programme is the only global conservation initiative to focus primarily on threatened species that represent unique evolutionary history. The aim of the EDGE programme is to put these species on the map and to catalyze conservation action to secure their future. Ahmed Basheer, IUCN To this end, I surveyed sites in Malé Atoll and North Ari Atoll in efforts to understand the distribution and abundance of the two species of coral and found that Pachyseris rugosa is more abundant than Physogyra lichtensteini. However, I observed that both species choose different habitats. Physogyra lichtensteini was more abundant in inner reefs whereas Pachyseris rugosa was more abundant in outer reefs. It was also found that more than 60% of all corals (extending up to 90% in some areas) suffered from El Niño with increases in sea surface temperature up to 32 C in some areas earlier this year, causing widespread coral bleaching. Pachyseris rugosa was more susceptible and has bleached more compared to Physogyra lichtensteini. Physogyra lichtensteini which is more robust in terms of resistance to bleaching. Even though these species are widely spread and the population status and distribution have not been studied, catastrophic events such as coral bleaching can likely decline the population of these two distinctive species. 14

15 MANAGEMENT & CONSERVATION A PATH TO ADAPTATION THROUGH RESILIENCE-BASED MANAGEMENT OF CORAL REEFS By Dr Paul Marshall, Adjunct Associate Professor, Centre for Biodiversity & Conservation Science at University of Queensland and Director, Reef Ecologic A s an atoll nation of beautiful beaches, friendly people and thriving marine ecosystems, the Maldives exemplifies the paradisiacal tropical destination of tourism brochures. As the lowest-lying nation in the world, the Maldives is also known widely as a country highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Increasing sea temperatures are triggering destructive coral bleaching events with worrying frequency; rising sea levels elevate the risks from storms and tidal inundation, and ocean acidification is predicted to compromise the ability of reefs to protect islands from oceanic waves. Yet, the coral reefs, islands and people of the Maldives are also examples of a system that has endured through millennia. Although badly damaged by coral bleaching in 1998, for example, its reefs have shown some of the best recovery anywhere. The key question for the future, then, is: how can the natural resilience of the Maldives and its people be harnessed to help this unique nation adapt to the accelerating effects of global change? Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) provides an efficient and cost effective way to prepare for and cope with the impacts of climate change. In a country like the Maldives, where coral reefs Raphaëlle Flint, IUCN 15

16 provide the ecosystem services that underpin the economy (through tourism and fisheries), as well as the physical resources (wave protection and sand production) that are necessary for the very existence of the archipelago, strategic and effective management of coral reefs is at the heart of ecosystem-based adaptation. Resilience-based management (RBM) is an approach that works with the dynamic nature of ecosystems to protect the features and processes that are most important for adapting to change. It is an approach being adopted in major coral reef systems around the world as a way of supporting ecosystem-based adaptation for coastal communities and other vulnerable in March, thanks to the generous support of USAID. The small community island of Mathiveri (Alif Alif Atoll) was an appropriate venue for our first workshop. Here community leaders and resort managers had a chance to hear about the issues facing coral reefs around the world, and the specific challenges for the marine ecosystem of the Maldives. While climate change can often seem a distant or insurmountable threat when sitting on a low sandy island in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the insights from places like the Great Barrier Reef and the Caribbean highlighted the importance of managing local stresses as a way of building reef resilience, no matter what the scale of your reef or island. Brian Zgliczynski, IUCN societies. RBM also has the potential to guide efforts in the Maldives to protect reefs as the foundations for social well-being and economic development. These ideas and the experience with implementing RBM approaches around the world were the basis for a series of workshops with community leaders, tourism managers and government decision-makers in the Maldives, held Workshop participants explored the range of ecosystem services and other values provided by coral reefs that were important to them, and identified key threats. They then identified local pressures that are likely to exacerbate the effects of climate change. Sewage pollution, for example, can increase the growth of algae (seaweed) that smothers corals, while dredging, reclamation and beach nourishment can cause sedimentation that kills young corals trying to 16

17 grow back after coral bleaching events. Unmanaged, other local pressures also compromise the reef s resilience, such as overfishing (especially of fishes that eat algae), anchoring that damages corals or the reef base, and litter that washes up onto reefs. While each of these issues is a problem for islands in the Maldives, they are also opportunities to take action to build the resilience of coral reefs to climate change. Community leaders and resort managers have a key role to play in addressing local stresses, and a strong vested interest in building the resilience of their coral reefs. The workshop created an opportunity for participants to recognise shared objectives in the management of their reefs and to articulate the benefits of increased cooperation within and between islands. Island leaders proposed an approach for coordinating local actions on resort and community islands that could provide a framework for resilience-based management on atolls throughout the Maldives. This idea of combining marine managed areas (resorts) and locally managed marine areas (community islands) into an integrated resilience-based management plan, was the basis for discussions with government decision-makers in Male. resilience-based management (RBM) framework that would provide the structure and coordination to support sub-atoll scale RBM Plans. Participants agreed that developing a process for RBM planning and exploring mechanisms for implementing RBM plans was a productive focus for future efforts. An Outlook Report and an assessment of ecosystem services provided by coral reefs would provide strong knowledge foundations for these strategic efforts. Follow up activities are now being planned to advance these concepts with the aim of mapping out a path for RBM in the Maldives. As I reflect on the recent workshops and contemplate next steps, I am struck by the fact that, despite the immense challenges faced by the Maldives, this remote archipelago also has the rare ingredients for resilience. Indeed, with strong leadership and the right support, the Maldives has the potential to be a showcase for resilience-based management on the global stage. While the Maldives has much of the legislation and regulatory mechanisms to support resilience-based management, implementation is challenging due to a range of factors including the need for coordination across levels of government, often inadequate engagement among stakeholders, a limited capacity for planning and insufficient resources for implementation of management activities. Officials from the government s Marine Research Centre and Department of Energy and Environment, during a second workshop held in Male, heard about governance structures and management approaches from other reef regions around the world that could help overcome key barriers to effective marine management. Approaches such as Outlook Reporting and Long Term Sustainability Planning from the Great Barrier Reef, and the role played by local non-government organisations in Belize, were identified as useful models to help advance RBM in the Maldives. The meeting identified the value of a national 17

18 MANAGEMENT & CONSERVATION ECOSYSTEM-BASED ADAPTATION By Ms Dorothee Herr, Marine Programme Officer, IUCN T he idea behind Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA), is to manage, restore and conserve biodiversity and ecosystem services so that they help people adapt to the impacts of climate change. The term EbA has been coined by international negotiations under both the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) around In practical terms, EbA in coastal areas refers to: Restoration of coastal habitats such as mangroves, as a measure against storm-surges, saline intrusion and coastal erosion; Establishment and effective management of coastal and marine protected area systems to ensure the continued delivery of ecosystem services that increase resilience to climate change. Changes in catchment land use practices, institutional governance, infrastructure development and the need to mainstream risk management within Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) to adapt successfully to increased flood and water induced changes. Management of ecosystems so as to complement, protect and extend the longevity of investments in hard infrastructure. There is a growing body of literature providing proof about the effectiveness of these measures. Coral reefs versus mangroves Mangroves, often the poster child of EbA, are comparatively rare in the Maldives. However the Maldives, being built on coral reefs, can use the natural structures of coral reefs for various EbA related measures and can provide protection from erosion, wave energy and storm damage. Moreover coral reefs do not only play an important role as natural defences. EbA measures are too often being reduced to one main function, namely coastal protection. However planning and management measures should embrace the broader opportunities of EbA by using all available benefits coastal ecosystems, and for the Maldives coral reefs in particular, can provide. Several win-wins are to be expected by boosting their resilience; for example, reduced pressures on coral reef ecosystems can both improve coastal protection and be beneficial to local fisheries, tourism and the diving industries. Ahmed Basheer, IUCN 18

19 Review on the state of play As part of Project REGENERATE, the ongoing EbA assessment in the Maldives is collecting information on the status of EbA efforts in the country around the following elements that are needed to plan and implement effective EbA measures: I. Vulnerability to climate change (sectors and locations) II. Available ecosystems (mapping, service provision, impact assessment) IIIa. Adaptation alternatives available for the specific context IIIb. Planning/Management for EbA IV. Governance settings a. policies, strategies, plans b. legislations/rules c. controls/enforcement Environmental Action Plan) or sector-focused (e.g. the 4th Tourism Master Plan), existing policies and strategies are very favourable for the protection and better management of coastal and marine ecosystems, in particular coral reefs. None of the documents call for EbA as such, but they nevertheless provide the right incentives to plan and implement EbA measures. Planning is key as EbA always has to be seen as part of a broader adaptation strategy. It is one solution; one tool in a toolbox of adaptation measures that can be effective in the proper circumstances. In order to protect valuable infrastructures and lives at immediate risk, hard engineering solutions such as seawalls and breakwaters are for many islands often the only practical option along well-developed coasts. Hard engineering solutions, however, have to be planned carefully as they 1) have direct impacts on ecosystems and disrupt natural water and sediment flows, and 2) they are rather inflexible in adapting to changing conditions. Nick Graham I further started to discuss with national experts and stakeholders the role of EbA for the Maldives by looking into existing national policies and strategies. The last wave of environmental and climate change related polices and strategies were issued in 2009 and Whether environmental in nature (e.g. the 3rd national While existing policies and strategies either directly or indirectly call for planning, a broader approach linking economic development together with climate change adaptation needs and planning could bring the Maldives on a strong path of sustainable development. 19

20 ECOLOGY NATURE S CEMENT FOR REEFS: CRUS- TOSE CORALLINE ALGAE By Gabriel Grimsditch, Acting Chief Technical Officer, Project REGENERATE At first glance, it may not look like much. A colourful coating on the reef, sometimes pink, sometimes grey, sometimes red, sometimes purple. As it is hard and encrusts the surface of the reef, it is often mistaken for rock. However, a closer look at this extraordinary organism will allow you to discern that it is not a rock, and it is in fact alive and growing. We are talking about crustose coralline algae of course, a crucial component of coral reef ecology and yet one that is often overlooked and poorly understood. Part of the red algae (Rhodophyta) family, crustose coralline algae rely on the sun s energy to photosynthesize just like any other algae, but unlike most, they can also calcify in a process similar to that of hard coral. So, their thallus (or body) becomes rock-hard thanks to the calcareous deposits in their cells. Despite being plants, they are able to build their own calcium carbonate skeleton. Like corals, crustose coralline algae need good access to light, clear water and low levels of sedimentation to thrive; and like corals, they grow slowly. They are in fact crucial components of the coral reef ecosystem, and even critical for its recovery after a big mortality event. Although you may not notice them on the reef, crustose coralline algae are important for two main reasons: First, they are the natural cement, the superglue, which helps to bind together the coral reef, giving it structural strength and making it grow. After a mortality event, coral reefs are often reduced to rubble with pieces of dead coral rolling around the substrate. It is difficult for baby corals to settle on these moving pieces of skeleton, but crustose coralline algae can cement the pieces and join them together, consolidating them, reinforcing them and making them stable enough for new corals to grow on. These remarkable algae can also fill cracks in Gabriel Grimsditch, IUCN the substrate; maintaining a complex reef surface and reducing erosion. They are therefore the nature s cement that binds the reef structure together. Secondly, they attract baby corals. They are the preferred substrate for coral larvae to settle on and grow. In many ways, they are a coral s greatest ally on the reef. In places with very rough waves, too rough for corals to grow on successfully, crustose coralline algae can even take over the role of primary reef-builder. However, crustose coralline algae are also susceptible to competition and overgrowth from seaweed and other faster-growing species of algae. Like corals, they depend on herbivores such as parrotfish, surgeonfish, sea urchins, etc. to prevent this overgrowth. When they do grow successfully and are abundant, crustose coralline algae also become an important food source for parrotfish, sea urchins and various molluscs. Interestingly, after parrotfish have digested the coralline algae, it is excreted as sand. A large proportion of the sand found on 20

21 Gabriel Grimsditch, IUCN Maldivian beaches is in fact the result of bioerosion of crustose coralline algae an interesting thought to have next time you are relaxing on a sandy beach! Unfortunately, these great reef builders are not immune to the ravages of a changing climate. Like all calcifying organisms, they are especially vulnerable to ocean acidification, a slow and insidious process that is slowly altering the chemistry of the world s oceans. As carbon dioxide (CO2) levels rise in the atmosphere and more CO2 is absorbed by the oceans, dissolved inorganic carbon increases in the water and the concentration of hydrogen ions rises and decreases the ph, which means a reduction in the concentration of the carbonate ions needed to build calcium carbonate skeletons. saturation drops too much, the integrity of reef structures will be in jeopardy. The future effects of ocean acidification on crustose coralline algae are as yet unknown, but weakening nature s cement should by all means be avoided. So next time you are diving, snorkelling or guiding visitors on Maldives beautiful reefs, please keep an eye out for this humble and overlooked builder; the strong but often unrecognized backbone of coral reefs. These changes in the water chemistry can affect the ability of organisms such as hard corals, molluscs, echinoderms and crustose coralline algae to calcify and build their skeletons, making them grow more slowly and become more brittle and weaker in future. The worry is that if carbonate 21

22 ECOLOGY CORAL REEF RESILIENCE I N T H E M A L D I V E S CORAL REEFS CONTAINS ~4,513 ±225 KM 2 OF CORAL REEFS 3.14% OF THE WORLD'S TOTAL (Naseer & Hatcher 2004) GLOBAL STATUS 19% 15% 20% 46% (Wilkinson 2008) SOME OF THE MOST DIVERSE ECOSYSTEMS ON EARTH <0.1% OCCUPY LESS THAN 0,1 % OF THE WORLD S OCEAN SURFACE GROW BEST IN WARM, SHALLOW, CLEAR WATER 25% OF ALL MARINE SPECIES MALDIVES LOSS OF CORAL REEF AREA SINCE 1950 UNDER CRITICAL STATE WITH POTENTIAL LOSS IN YEARS UNDER SERIOUS THREAT WITH POTENTIAL LOSS IN YEARS HEALTHY & UNDER LITTLE STRESS EXCEPT GLOBAL CLIMATE THREATS RESILIENCE TWO COMPONENTS OF ECOLOGICAL RESILIENCE: RESISTANCE, I.E. TOLERANCE AND SENSITIVITY RECOVERY, I.E. ABILITY TO GROW BACK FROM DISTURBANCE HERBIVORY Herbivorous fish control algal overgrowth RESISTANCE RECOVERY VULNERABILITY 1. HEALTHY 1. HEALTHY 1. HEALTHY STRESS STRESS STRESS 2. NO BLEACHING 3. SURVIVAL 2. BLEACHING 3. RECOVERY CAPACITY OF AN ECOSYSTEM TO WITHSTAND SHOCKS AND IMPACTS AND TO RECOVER FROM THEM FACTORS AFFECTING RESILIENCE HIGHER WATER QUALITY Nutrients and pollution increase algal overgrowth CORAL RECRUITMENT Juvenile corals are the new generations BIODIVERSITY More species performing ecological functions = Higher resilience ANTHROPOGENIC PRESSURES Lower disturbance = Higher resilience SUBSTRATE QUALITY Stable substrate for new coral larvae to settle and grow REFUGES Habitat diversity = More areas to reseed 2. BLEACHING 3. DEAD THREATS PULSE TYPE (ACUTE) STRESSORS: Cause high mortality of corals in a short time Include: storms, tsunamis, bleaching events caused by high sea surface temperatures, crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks, destructive fishing PRESS TYPE (CHRONIC) STRESSORS: Degrade coral reef health slowly Erode coral reef resilience, lower capacity to recover Include: pollution, sedimentation, coastal development, nutrient input, over-fishing, ocean warming, ocean acidification MANAGING FOR RESILIENCE 1. REDUCING PRESSURES AND EXPOSURES TO STRESS 2. SUPPORTING THE SYSTEM S RESILIENCE TO THESE THREATS a. Silt screens to protect against sand pumping / construction work b. Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) with effluent pipe extending beyond the bottom of the reef slope c. Mooring buoys to reduce anchor damage d. Zoning of activities that might damage the reef e. Management of fisheries with minimum catch sizes and no use of destructive gear 1998 Bleaching and Coral Reef Resilience in Maldives Pre 1998 coral cover around 60% 1998 bleaching event. Coral cover down to <10% 2010 bleaching event Coral cover recovery has been good but patchy and is still vulnerable SPATIAL MANAGEMENT OF CORAL REEFS CAN BOOST RESILIENCE NO-TAKE ZONES Critical areas where no fishing is allowed BUFFER ZONES Restricted multiple use areas MULTIPLE-USE ZONES All legal activities are permitted (adapted from Morri et al approximated data) 22

23 ECOLOGY CORAL BLEACHING PROTOCOL By Maldives Marine Research Center and IUCN Overall Objective The aim of this protocol is to monitor the severity of bleaching events and the recovery potential following bleaching events by surveying coral populations at different depths on the reef. Depending on your time you want to invest and your knowledge of coral taxonomy you can choose to collect data using one of two options below. Option A - Belt transact This option is recommended for observers with good knowledge of coral genera existing in Maldives. This option is quite time consuming and therefore requires enough time to conduct the surveys. The estimated time to do one transect (10m) depends on the coral cover present at the site, but it can typically range from minutes per 10m transect. Objective Survey coral bleaching in each reef habitat: on the reef flat (~1 m), reef crest (~5 m), reef slope (~10 m) and vertical slope (~10 m). If you can only do 1 habitat then survey corals on the reef crest (~5 m). Suggested equipment Protocol forms, pencils, Perspex or other u/w slate or clipboard, rubber bands, 50 m transect tape, species ID guides, snorkeling or SCUBA gear and associated safety equipment, sunscreen and/or protective clothing, a safety plan and these instructions. Suggested Frequency Twice-yearly in case of no bleaching. In case of a bleaching event, survey the reef once before the predicted bleaching event, then during the bleaching event every 1-2 weeks (if possible), and then every month following the bleaching event (if possible) to monitor recovery. Notes A minimum of three transects should be completed at each of the three depths at the established permanent marker locations. If you set up additional sites with three transects at each of the three depths, then you should complete all surveys within the space of a week. Instructions Lay a transect tape at the selected depth parallel to the beach and survey all the corals present in three consecutive 10 by 1 m transects. Leave a gap of ~3m between each transect. Always survey a minimum of three consecutive transects for statistical comparisons. For each belt transect, count all the coral colonies, identify them by genus and record the extent of bleaching per colony using these six categories (from Gleason 1993): 23

24 Objective 1) No bleaching 2) 1-10% of the colony is bleached 3) 11-50% of the colony is bleached 4) 51-99% of the colony is bleached 5) 100% bleached 6) Dead At each reef where you lay your three transects, please complete the required fields, entering the reef- and dive site name that is commonly used in the area, the time, atoll, latitude and longitude, water temperature, depth, visibility, and reef habitat. It is also important to record whether there are additional stressors visible or in the vicinity such as sedimentation, macro algae, cyanobacteria, near a sewage treatment plant, etc. Write in the start time of the survey, the site ID, the direction of the transect in compass degrees, and your Observer ID on the protocol datasheet. Write the survey method as one of these: Scuba or Snorkel. Below is an example of a data sheet that you could use to enter the data. The rows show 3 transects, with the most commonly found coral genera under each transect. Additional genera encountered can be added in the blank rows. A mark for each coral denoting bleaching severity can then be made in the appropriate column. Refer to DATASHEET (Option A - belt Option B Line intercept transect This option is recommended for observers with limited time and basic knowledge of benthic organisms or coral taxonomy in Maldives. Knowledge in coral taxonomy is not required to collect data using this option. The estimated time to do one transect (50m) is about minutes regardless of the coral cover present at the site. Survey coral at different depths. At 1m (or top reef), 5m (reef crest) and 10m (reef slope). If you can survey only one depth, then choose 5 m. Suggested equipment Protocol forms, pencils, Perspex or other u/w slate or clipboard, rubber bands to fix the form, 100 m transect tape (2x 50m), snorkeling or SCUBA gear and associated safety equipment, sunscreen and/or protective clothing, a safety plan and these instructions. Instructions Lay a 50m transect tape and every 50cm identify which of the following categories intercepts with the transect tape: BC All fully or partially bleached, living hard corals NBC All not bleached, living hard corals RKC Recently killed coral (disease, predation, algal overgrowth) OT Anything other than living hard corals (you can add your own categories to identify different benthic types if you are comfortable with identifying additional categories) When surveying, never count the benthic intercept at 0m on the transect tape. Instead start at 0.5m, and read intercepts until 50m to complete one transect. Leave a 5m gap between each transect. At each site and depth, 3 transects (3x50m) should be completed. For each reef, where you lay the transect tape, please fill in the required fields on the data form. Enter the reef name that is commonly used in the area, the time, atoll, water temperature, depth and visibility. Note down the latitude, longitude of the starting point and the direction (in compass degrees) to which the end transect tape is pointing. It is also important to record whether there are additional stressors visible such as sedimentation or crown of thorn starfish. You can take a video of the transect line but make sure that the transect tape and whole coral colonies are visible (do not go to close!). 24

25 Suggested Frequency Twice-yearly in case of no bleaching. In case of a bleaching event, survey the reef once before the predicted bleaching event, then during the bleaching event every 1-2 weeks (if possible), and then every month following the bleaching event (if possible) to monitor recovery. Notes/Suggestions Draw a line on the transect tape every 0.5m with permanent marker, on both sides. This makes it quicker underwater to see the location where you are assessing (and thus saves a LOT of time underwater). Also, if people are filming it ll make it easier for whoever is interpreting the video where to survey especially if the tape has rotated. Refer to DATA SHEET (Option B - Line Intercept) Instructions: Fill the collected data into the colored fields and send to, or request the Excel sheets to fill in from the following people: Nizam Ibrahim: nibrahim@mrc.gov.mv and copy Ahmed Basheer: ahmed.bashyr@ gmail.com How to identify bleaching during a mass bleaching event? Mass coral bleaching is visually very distinctive, but determining whether bleaching or some other stress is affecting individual corals can sometimes be difficult. See the photos on the next page: (a) Bleaching is usually distinguished by the way it affects entire colonies or large sections of colonies similarly. Sometimes coral tissue and polyps can still be seen remaining on the skeletons as the coral is still alive. The effects of coral predators, such as (b) crown-of-thorns starfish and (c) drupella snails can often be recognized by patches of bare skeleton adjoining patches of live, healthy tissue. (d) Coral diseases can also be sometimes mistaken for the early stages of mass coral bleaching. Disease takes many forms, but the effects of disease are often characterized by a strong line separating live 25

26 and dead parts of a coral, or by rapid erosion of the surface structure of the coral, as shown here (Marshall, Paul, 1969 A reef manager s guide to coral bleaching ). Snails feeding on coral polyps: stressors/predator-outbreaks/drupella/ White tips Branching and plating corals (for example Acropora species) appear to have white tips although the rest of the colony seems to be intense in color. In this case, it is part of the growing process of a healthy coral. Crown of thorn starfish: stressors/predator-outbreaks/crown-of-thornsstarfish/ A healthy, branching coral (Acropora sp.) displaying white tips. Coral disease: stressors/coral-disease/ A branching coral (Acropora sp.) displaying white tips as part of a natural growing process. These corals are not bleached. For more information, see the links below Facts about coral bleaching: bleach.html 26

27 PROJECT REGENERATE 2016 TEAM Ameer Abdulla, PhD Chief of Party / Chief Technical Officer Senior Advisor, Marine Biodiversity and Conservation Science, IUCN Global Marine and Polar Program Patrik Svensson, PhD Senior Project Officer Gabriel Grimsditch Acting Chief Tehnical Officer Amir Schmidt Marine Field Officer Fathimath Nistharan Marine Spatial Analyst Dorothee Herr Marine Programme Officer Ali Nizar Communications Officer Njoki Njoroge Office Manager Fathimath Shihany Community Outreach Officer Abdulla Fisam Marine Conservation Officer Ahmed Basheer Citizen Science Officer Munshidha Ibrahim Community Engagement Liaison Ahmed Naaif Mohamed Monitoring & Evaluation Assistant Maleeha Ibrahim GIS Technician Farah Ahmed Communications Assistant Aishath Amal Intern Hussain Khalid Intern Fizan Ahmed Intern 27