ALBERT

Description: Worldwide, coral reefs are challenged by multiple stressors due to growing urbanization, industrialization and coastal development. Coral reefs along the Thousand Islands off Jakarta, one of the largest megacities worldwide, have degraded dramatically over recent decades. The shift and decline in coral cover and composition has been extensively studied with a focus on large-scale gradients (i.e. regional drivers), however special focus on local drivers in shaping spatial community composition is still lacking. Here, the spatial impact of anthropogenic stressors on local and regional scales on coral reefs north of Jakarta was investigated. Results indicate that the direct impact of Jakarta is mainly restricted to inshore reefs, separating reefs in Jakarta Bay from reefs along the Thousand Islands further north. A spatial patchwork of differentially degraded reefs is present along the islands as a result of localized anthropogenic effects rather than regional gradients. Pollution is the main anthropogenic stressor, with over 80 % of variation in benthic community composition driven by sedimentation rate, NO2, PO4 and Chlorophyll a. Thus, the spatial structure of reefs is directly related to intense anthropogenic pressure from local as well as regional sources. Therefore, improved spatial management that accounts for both local and regional stressors is needed for effective marine conservation.

Description: This submission contains data on local ecological knowledge of marine fishes collected in Roviana Lagoon, Western Province, Solomon Islands, between 2014 and 2015. At four communities (from west to east: Ilangana, Nusa Roviana, Baraulu, and Nusa Hope)—those in the west being closer to the provincial town Munda—eight focus groups were held each, representing four age groups (13-19, 20-35, 36-55 and 〉55 years) divided by gender. Participants in each age group were selected by each village leadership to participate in the focus groups under the premise of being a "competent marine harvester" for their age group and gender. Participants were asked to free-list all local names of marine species (particularly fishes) known to them, thus allowing each respondent to list as many responses as they wanted. Then, they were instructed to assign the free-listed names into broader categories through pile sorting if possible, which represented local taxonomic groupings, and provide information on the characteristics underlying classification into each of the broader categories. To assess what kind of domains of knowledge respondents drew on in their classification, the descriptors used to characterize categories were assigned to one of five domains: taxonomic (e.g. if respondents used a generic term such as mara [carangids] to describe a group), appearance (i.e. for information on morphology, color or smell), behavior (e.g. schooling), habitat (e.g. deep water, seagrass), or utilitarian characteristics (e.g. bait, gear used to catch a species, or way of preparation). The data comprises two tables.

Description: Sea cucumbers play an important role in the recycling and remineralization of organic matter (OM) in reef sands through feeding, excretion, and bioturbation processes. Growing demand from Asian markets has driven the overexploitation of these animals globally. The implications of this fishery for shallow coastal ecosystems and their management remain poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, the current study manipulated densities of Holothuria scabra within enclosures on a reef flat in Fiji, between August 2015 and February 2016, to study the effects of sea cucumber removal on sedimentary functions. Three treatments were investigated: (i) high (350 g m-2 wet weight; ca. 15 individuals); (ii) natural (60 g m-2 (ca. 3 individuals)); and (iii) exclusion (0 g m-2). Quantity of sediment reworked through ingestion by H. scabra, grain size distribution, O2 penetration depth, and sedimentary oxygen consumption (SOC) were quantified within each treatment. Findings revealed that the natural population at the study site can rework ca. 10590 kg dry sediment 1000 m-2 year-1; more than three times the turnover recorded for H. atra and Stichopus chloronotus. There was a shift towards finer fraction grains in the high treatment. In the exclusion treatment, the O2 penetration depth decreased by 63% following a 6ºC increase in water temperature over the course of two months, while in the high treatment no such change was observed. SOC rates increased ca. two-fold in exclusion treatments within the first month, and were consistently higher than in high treatment. These results suggest that the removal of sea cucumbers can reduce the capacity of sediments to buffer OM pulses, impeding the function and productivity of shallow coastal ecosystems.

Description: This dataset contains measurements and estimates of sea water properties from a PhD project in North Sulawesi. The data were collected from December 2006 to July 2007 in the coral reefs around the islands Bunaken and Gangga and near the city Manado. Secchi depth was estimated by lowering a Secchi disc from a boat. Salinity was measured with a Refractometer. Tidal cycle information was taken from a tide calendar. Wind speed was estimated based on wave development. Underwater visibility was estimated by divers and water temperature was measured with a dive computer (Suunto Favor).

Description: This table contains locally-recognized names of marine fish species from Roviana Lagoon, Western Province, collected in 2014-2015 from four communities (Ilangana, Nusa Roviana, Baraulu and Nusa Hope) in eight focus groups per community, covering four age groups (13-19, 20-35, 36-55 and 〉55 years) for both men and women (rows 3-34). The table furthermore contains species names collected from multiple communities across Roviana Lagoon in 1992-1995, published previously in Aswani 1997. The data is organized with species names, samples and code of sites, corresponding to gender, age group and community, in one column each.