Over one-half
Coral
of the world's population lives
ReefTargeted Research &
within 100 kilometres
Capacity Building for Management
of the sea.
Coral Reef Targeted Research
& Capacity Building for Management
Connectivity and Large-Scale Ecological
Processes Working Group
Connectivity: What is it? How is it measured?
Why is it important for management?
image: Gary Bell (Ocean Wide Images)
image: Steve Turek
Members of the Connectivity working
group at Calabash Caye, Belize in 2005
Implications for Coral Reef
What?
Measuring connectivity requires field
Management
Most reef species have pelagic larval stages.
observations that are:
The dispersal during larval life means that
1) Over large regions to encompass the
Progress to date
Until now, management of coral reefs,
neighboring populations are connected by the
potential extent of larval movement;
where it exists, has been reactive rather
exchange of lavae. Movements of adults may
than proactive. With coral reefs entering a
2) Timed to coincide with critical biological
The Connectivity program has commenced several
also connect populations, but this is usually far
distinct, but interrelated projects in the Mesoamerican
time of even greater stress, it is mandatory
events such as spawning pulses, and;
less important than larval exchange. This linking
region. They are intended to advance the science, and
that managers develop more proactive
3) By people with a broad range of skills
of populations is termed connectivity.
demonstrate its effectiveness in measuring connectivity
approaches, strongly embedded in science.
­ physical oceanographers, ecologists,
for particular kinds of species. We work closely with
behavioral scientists and others.
The use of connectivity information to
local management agencies to build a database of
It also benefits from use of sophisticated
recruitment of particular species at sites through
accurately assess linkages among locations,
laboratory-based sciences including molecular
the region, because recruitment data can inform
and local demographic capabilities is going
genetics, trace-element chemistry, and
us of the demographic rates of local populations,
to be essential if we are to have management
advanced computer modeling. This is not
and can provide basic data needed for determining
programs that are capable of sustaining coral
routine monitoring.
connectivity patterns.
reefs. The CRTR Connectivity program is
providing and testing new methods for building
Why?
the connectivity database that effective
management will use.
Management of coral reefs, for conservation
and/or for sustainable fisheries requires that
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a
Model run showing possible pattern of dispersal of larval
we manage human impacts to levels that
management tool holding great promise.
snapper from
fr
known spawning sites in Belize during May
ensure the sustainability of the populations of
Realizing that promise requires Connectivity
2004. Red repr
r
esents
epr
greatest
gr
number of larvae while blue
reef organisms. This depends on the ability of
repr
r
esents
epr
fewest Belizean larvae arriving at that location
science as an essential tool for guiding the
after 30 days of larval life. An example of the modeling
the local (impacted) population to grow, and
design and implementation of MPAs.
done in Project
Pr
7.
population growth depends upon connectivity
Belizean student, Nataniel Alvarado, attaching
as well as on local reproductive potential.
settlement plates to monitor recruitment of coral
How?
Design and management of Marine Protected
larvae for Project 3.
Measuring connectivity is technically difficult for Areas, in particular, depends on knowledge
Studies of fish concern one typical species that does
several reasons, including:
of the connectivity relationships of the local
not aggregate over large distances to spawn, and
- Long larval lives
populations of targeted species.
one species that aggregates for spawning once a
- Larvae too small to be tagged
year. Quite different methods are required for these
different kinds of species.
- Dispersal a complex product of passive
More information
transport and active movement.
Studies of corals center on technique development for
Many species are larval for many days or weeks
tracking dispersing planula larvae and for identifying
The University of Queensland is the
and potentially able to travel large distances
them to species. Genetic studies of coral populations
Project Executing Agency (PEA). More
during this time. The movement of water around
are being used to discern likely connectivity patterns
information about the CRTR Program
complex coral reef topography is itself far
both now and in the past. Studies of coral settlement
can be obtained from the PEA:
Monitoring fish recruitment using a line transect and
from simple, and dispersal of larvae is strongly
and early survival are being done because this early
1m wide T-bar to delineate a belt transect. Used in the
benthic phase may be a critical bottleneck to coral
C/O Center for Marine Studies
recruitment monitoring program of Project 6.
influenced by patterns of water movement.
success.
The University of Queensland
But larvae can also sense their surroundings,
St Lucia QLD 4072
Goals:
respond to them, and swim, sometimes
The spiny lobster has one of the longest larval lives
Australia
surprisingly well. Larval behavior also changes
The Connectivity Working Group is
Graduate student Ainhoa Zubillaga testing immunogenetic
of any reef species, so determining is connectivity
as the larvae develop and grow.
assay for coral planulae of Montastrea
Montastr
faviolata.
faviolata.
Telephone: +61 7 3365 4333
undertaking demonstration projects in the
patterns may be very difficult. We are collecting
This assay is being developed to screen
scr
water samples for
Email: info@gefcoral.org
Mesoamerican region that will
data on lobster recruitment, and on lobster larval
develop tools
presence
pr
of larvae of specific coral species in Project
Pr
4.
biology for use in building models of larval dispersal.
and apply them to determine connectivity
The CRTR Program is a partnership
Validated models can provide information on
patterns for selected species in that region.
between the Global Environment
At present there is very little information on
connectivity among locations.
Facility, The World Bank, The
Work is being done in collaboration with
levels of connectivity in coral reef regions, and
University of Queensland (Australia),
local management agency personnel, students
the United States National Oceanic
from the region are receiving advanced
MPA management depends too much on good
and Atmospheric Administration
education, and efforts are being made to
luck and `guesstimates'.
(NOAA) and approximately 40
use the projects and results to inform local
If we are to be successful in maintaining coral
research institutes and other third
communities and show how connectivity
reefs into the future, we must incorporate
parties around the world.
data can be obtained, and
much more real information on connectivity
The four sites or Centers of
used effectively in
Excellence are Southeast Asia:
management planning.
into our management plans and procedures.
Marine Science Institute of Bolinao,
The first step is to develop the tools to collect
University of the Philippines; East
Searching
Sear
a collector for lobster larvae. Technique
T
that information.
Africa: Institute of Marine Sciences,
used in monitoring lobster recruitment
r
in Project
Pr
6.
A tiny postlarval stage of the Caribbean spiny lobster sitting
on a finger. This is the larval stage that enters reef habitat,
University of Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar,
and the stage that recruits to collectors used in Project 6..
Tanzania; Mesoamerica/Western
Caribbean: Unidad Academica
Puerto Morelos, Universidad Nacional
Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico; and
Australasia/South Pacific: Heron
Island Research Laboratory, Centre
for Marine Studies, The University of
www.gefcoral.org
Queensland, Australia.

---