Research overview

African Coelacanth Ecosystem Program

Marine Ecology Program

1. MARINE ECOLOGY TEAM

TEAM

• Dr Kerry Sink – co-ordinator Marine Ecology, ACEP. Deep reef ecology. Marine conservation and MPAs.
• Ms Karen Hissmann, Jago team, Coelacanth biologist
• Dr Sven Kaehler, Isotope study, Rhodes University, South Africa
• Dr Christopher McQuaid, Isotope study, Rhodes University, South Africa
• Dr Phil Heemstra, Fish taxonomist, SAIAB.
• Dr Toufiek Samaai- Marine systematic research, Sponge taxonomist, University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
• Dr Mike Davies Coleman, Marine product chemistry, Rhodes University
• Mr Peter Watt Pringle, Research Assistant ACEP, Rhodes University, MSc Student.

• Mr Sean Porter, University of Cape Town, MSc Student (shallow subtidal reef ecology and biogeography).
• Mr Sven Kerwath, Rhodes University, PhD Student (Fish movement and marine protected areas).
• Ms Vuyiswa Radebe, Ezemvelo KwaZulu Natal Wildlife, Marine resource ecologist and University of KwaZulu-Natal student (conservation planning, coastal dune ecology, marine resource use).

Comoros

• Mr Said Ahamada, MSc Student (biotopes in the coelacanth conservation area), Coelacanth researcher, Member of APG (Association for the preservation coelacanths).
• Mr Jaffar Mouhhidine from HTC Groupe / Antenne AIDEA Anjouan. Marine Biologist and teacher.

Kenya

• Mr Dalmas Oyugi, National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Senior Marine Research Co-ordinator. Fish taxonomist. MSc benthic fish biodiversity and community structure.
• Mr James Gonda, Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, Lab Technologist. Diploma in Biology. Presently managing the wet lab (Fish and crustacean culture, fish taxonomy).

Mozambique

• Ms Rezia Cumbi, Final year student biology dept, University Eduardo Mondlane. Presently writing up a thesis on bottlenose and humpback dolphins at Bazaruto Island.

Madagascar

• Dr Jean Maharavo – CNRE, National Centre of Environmental Research, Co-ordinator South west Indian Ocean Reef monitoring program, Antananarivo, co-supervisor Said Ahamada.
• Mr Toany, Biologist, Teacher-researcher at IH.SM (Institut Halieutique et des Sciences Marine) . DEA in Octopus cyanea since 1995; presently doing PhD on Deepwater shrimps of the slope habitat of Southwestern of Madagascar.
• Mr Lavitra Thierry, IH.SM (Institut Halieutique et des Sciences Marine) student, collaborates with Reef-Doctor for ‘Coral reef restoration and coral reef survey’ in the Ifaty region. DEA on Echinoderm larvae; starting October 2004 - PhD on aquaculture of sea cucumber.

Tanzania

• Mr Hassan Mhitu, Senior Research Officer, Tanzanian Fisheries Research Institute, Dar es Salaam Centre. Presently working on prawn fisheries and bycatch. MSc Marine Biology, University of Dar es Salaam.
• Amin (need details)

2. MARINE ECOLOGY OVERVIEW & PROJECTS

Overview

The Marine Ecology component of the African Coelacanth Ecosystem Program (ACEP) aims for local and international marine scientists to collaborate in coelacanth research and in the exploration and study of deep subtidal habitats and their ecology. The study area is the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) with a focus on known localities where coelacanths have been found in South Africa, Comoros, Mozambique, Madagascar, Kenya and Tanzania ranging in depths from 30-700m. The program aims to collate and collect information to define the physical and biological features of coelacanth habitats and to identify, characterize and understand linked habitats, the biological communities they support and the processes that sustain them. Key research objectives include conduction of research to support management and conservation of coelacanths, to contribute to marine systematics and inventories of marine biodiversity, to classify deep subtidal habitats and associated biological communities, to examine spatial patterns in community structure for selected habitats and to recognize processes that sustain and link coelacanth habitats and the communities they support. It is envisioned that the program will also play a synthesizing and co-ordinatory role in offshore marine ecology in the region and contribute to regional conservation initiatives.

Coelacanth Science

Coelacanth habitat

A systematic examination of the physical environment of all coelacanth capture sites these sites shows that coelacanths in the western Indian Ocean have been captured in very different of habitat types (Table x). This challenges the perception that Latimeria is a specialised fish with specific habitat requirements.

Table 1. Details of sites where coelacanths Latimeria chalumnae have been caught or found in the western Indian Ocean.

Coelacanths in the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park

Marine Taxonomy & Systematics

from aug cruise

Acep total of 238 specimens representing at least 180 species were collected during this research expedition (Table 10). These included whole specimens and tissue samples of selected species for genetic analysis. Voucher specimens were collected for benthic invertebrates that were included in quantitative surveys. Additional sponges and algae were collected for active regional taxonomists. All serranids and lutjanids were preserved and genetic samples were collected for the SAIAB WIO phylogenetic programme. Ha limeda and Codium species were collected to support a project of the Phycology Research Group, Ghent University. This project is examining genetic divergence between disjunct populations of marine green algae.

Subtidal habitat classification, mapping & baseline data

Subtidal habitats that are sampled by scuba diving include deep slopes, rubble and deep sea grass habitats, offshore reefs and banks, coral reefs and soft bottom communities. Quantitative surveys of benthic community structure have been undertaken at x sites covering more than 150 taxa.

Biotopes

A biotope is defined as a physical habitat together with an associated community of species. The term “biotope” therefore encompasses both physical and biological elements. One of the goals of the marine ecology section of ACEP is to develop a biotope classification system describing and mapping different types of habitats and the unique assemblages of living animals and plants they support in the subtidal areas of the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park. The next challenge is for scientists to work out how these systems fit together and how energy flows between them.

Biotopes in the Canyons of Sodwana Bay:

Six biotopes have been identified and investigated in the Sodwana canyons so far.

1. The Canyon Margin

The canyon margin or drop-off is the area where the canyon begins – it’s the edge where the deep divers say you can hang on and peer over and see the water turning from blue to indigo to deep purple and then black. At Sodwana, most canyon edges are found at a depth of 90m. This is the most exciting and busy area in the canyon with many organisms and lots of fish. From the bottom of the canyon you can look up towards the dropoff and see the silhouettes of fish against the sunlit water, clouds of perfect fish cut-outs moving along the top of the canyon walls. The fish fauna include species that are commercially important such as Slinger, Englishman and Blueskin. There are also schools of stripy blue and yellow fusiliers and snappers with bright yellow tail flashes (Paraceasio xanthura).There are many invertebrates too – especially those animals that filter the water for their food. Sponges, seafans, soft corals and basket stars all make the most of the water flow around the canyon edge as their particulate and planktonic food is delivered whilst they remain attached to the rocky slopes.

2. Canyon walls

A surprising find on the canyon walls was the presence of the green alga wedgeweed (Halimeada sp.) a seaweed that occurs commonly as several species on rocky shores and the shallow subtidal. A specimen has not been collected so the deep water species has yet to be identified. The canyon walls range from steeper slopes with no sediment to less steep areas that are usually covered with sand. Common animals include sponges, black corals and octocorals (soft corals with 8 tentacles surrounding the mouth of each polyp). One common sponge found in a distinct zone between 130 and 160m is the birdnest sponge (Phaeronema sp.), first described from trawled specimen in the early 1900’s. It has long hair-like spicules at its base that look like roots and seem to keep the main body of the sponge above the sediment on the sandy slopes that it inhabits. There is a conspicuous black coral that the biologists refer to as the “p ipecleaner black coral” an undescribed species that needs to be collected for further identification. There are many gorgonians (seafans) including a common pale pink variety which always has identically coloured brittlestars entwined in its intricate branches. Other seafans are sometimes parasitized by anemones known as gorgonian wrappers. They are poorly studied and the bright black and yellow stripy variety the scientists know as the tiger anemone seems to be a new species. Fish that cruise the canyon walls include predatory gamefish such as yellowtail but the large invertebrates also shelter many smaller fish such as the one-stripe sea goldies (Pseudanthias fasciatus) of which the males and females look quite different, only the females having a distinct red stripe. These fish feed on zooplankton and some scientists expect coelacanths to feed on this common canyon species.

3. Rooftops

Rooftops refer to a distinct rocky habitat that is a kind of ledge or overhang, the upper surface of which supports a dense community of animals. It often indicates to scientists that here may be a cave (or even a coelacanth!) below the ledge. Octocorals and whip corals of both the gorgonian (unbranched seafans) and black coral variety are characteristic. Unbranched horny corals including orange and white whip corals sometimes have tiny fish that live on their stems. These are called whip coral gobies. There are also cup sponges and pencil sponges (including a new species of Echinostylis identified from a sample taken by Jago in 2002) as well as bryozoan lace corals. The bryozoans are delicate colonies of tiny animals each encased in a brittle skeleton.

4. Caves and overhangs

Caves and overhangs host a distinct assemblage of organisms. This is where Sodwana’s coelacanths seem to spend much of their time during the day. Other fish fauna found in caves include huge specimens of yellowbelly rockcod, small schools of baardman (also known as bellman or tasselfish), yellowfin soldiers and pineapplefish. Common invertebrates that are found in caves include Stylasterine lace corals. These differ from bryozoan lace corals in that they are members of the phylum Cnidaria which includes other polyp animals such as anemones, soft and hard corals, all of which have tentacles and stinging cells. Bryozoa resemble many other organisms and are easily confused with corals, hydroids and even seaweeds. They are composed of many tiny individuals encased in lime or chitin skeletons. These brittle colonies encrust other organisms or form beautiful intricately patterned whorls or branches and are also found in caves and ledges. Small colonies of cup corals (Dendrophyllia sp.), azooxanthellate hard corals occur under overhangs in the canyons as well as in shallow water.

5. Mixed substrates

The amount of sand or loose sediment in a rocky area influences the kind of animals living there. Often diversity is low, ie there is less variety of animals living in these areas. Fauna inhabiting these mixed sand/rock areas include black corals, sponges and seapens. Seapens are a kind of soft coral that are adapted to live in sand An interesting fish that Jago filmed in the mixed substrate habitat is the Target John Dory.

6. Sandy plains

The soft bottom habitats in the canyon might seem barren but closer examination will reveal signs of life. Burrows and holes, footprints and trails – features scientists call bioperturbation – signs of disturbance indicate that there is life in the sandy plains. Some of the inhabitants lie buried in the sandy substrate which has yet to be sampled. Exciting animals that have been encountered in this habitat include a giant spider crab seen at 314m and deepwater rock lobsters found between 310 and 340m in Wright canyon. The latter are slow growing rocklobsters not unlike the shallower species we know as crayfish. The deepwater rocklobsters Palinurus delagoae have intresting life history traits. Tagging studies have shown that this species undergo long-distance migrations to compensate for the extensive distances traveled by their larvae which spend several months in the southward flowing Agulhas current.

Biogeography and large scale patterns

a. Table . Dive sites and activities. (we should make a map of this with symbols representing different activities – UTR sites need to be included)

Deep subtidal ecology

A short tale from the private diary of Kerry Sink, 15 January 2003

“…..It was late in the morning and so the summer sun was high in the sky and bold shafts of sunlight were leading the way. The water was so clean that soon after we started finning down, the surreal shapes of the ledge below at 48 m began to appear. The distinctive forms of spiral wire corals, seawhips and sponges are easily recognised. Settling on the ledge, the fine details of the deep reef call my attention as I try to briefly focus on quickly adjusting equipment and making eye contact with the other divers. Between my knees are 3 sponges I have never seen before, there is a new nudibranch on my left and just next to me is a beautiful specimen of an unidentified seafan that we know from visiting this place before. This creature we call the magenta gorgonian and I think again "How could this spectacularly coloured thing have been unnoticed by science!". I see a basket star I know so well from analysing deep reef video footage taken by the divers who discovered coelacanths at Sodwana Bay and by the submersible used in the coelacanth research program. I, however, have never seen this species for myself and this sets my heart pounding harder because it reminds me that there is a chance of encountering a coelacanth. I just know that they must come here. This excitement is fuelled by the sight of one-stripe goldies, the most common fish in the canyon habitat and by the recognition of so many fauna from video footage of coelacanth habitat in Jesser Canyon. But we have'nt come to look for coelacanths so we leave the caves and overhangs unexplored.

We are here to visit the coral tree, a large colony of Tubastrea micrantha, a deep water coral that forms a unique reef habitat and supports a fantastical array of other creatures. We are north of the tree and need to swim over the drop-off and along the ledge to reach the tree. We dont have a lot of time - diving on normal air limits our bottom time at 56m to 12 minutes. Swimming over the drop-off is like floating off the edge of a cliff - my mind is racing with trying to take note of everything - which corals are there, which sponges, new things, tube anemones, seasquirts, something moving over there, layer upon layer of intricate detail. Just taking a few seconds to focus my attention on a single bushy black coral and I see winged oysters attached on that branch, a nudibranch there, a hawkfish, tiny brittlestars,the delicate skeleton of encrusting lace corals on a frond of attached seaweed. We have to go to make it to the tree.

Swimming along the ledge I am fending off a million questions and trying to take in the simple pleasure of just being there in that moment. Then, ahead the distinctive shape of the coral tree is silhoutted against the sunlit blue. Because the water is so clean I can see the spectacular topography of the whole area around the tree. The sandstone ledge and drop off and the giant slab of rock which has slid off the ledge and stands at an angle on the sand bottom. The tree stands alone on top of this giant block of rock and you can swim around it. Hanging above the tree is a huge solitary rubberlips and a shoal of many blue-striped snapper hover on one side. As you get closer all the fish harboured in the branches of the tree fall into focus, devil firefish hanging...sea goldies darting..a gold ribbon soapfish...bigeyes ...yellowfin soldiers…al kinds of wrasses...an overwhelming diversity of fish...and then I turn my attention to all the other things, the turret corals attached to the underside of branches, a new anemone flourescing under an overhanging limb, something I cant fit into any biological category...and I know there can never be enough time but I also know that if I never get here again that it is enough..”

Isotope Study

(Sven to supply)

Marine Reserve Science & Fisheries impacts

(Kerry to do)

Regional Marine Resources

ACEP marine scientists visit fish markets to get an idea of the most important marine resources in each area. We also look for exciting fish finds and keep a database listing resource species for each market.

Maputo Municipal Market

Maputo Night Market

Dar es-Salaam Fish Market

Moroni fish market, Grande Comore

Kigombe Fishing Village, South of Tanga, Tanzania

Sahare Fish Market Tanga, Tanzania

Zanzibar Port Fish Market

Tulear Fish Market and Street Sellers

Regional Networking and capacity building

Our cruises facilitate the establishment of new links with other marine researchers in the region and allow us to share skills and knowledge. Sixteen marine scientists from six countries, representing 14 institutes participated in the August 2004 cruise. The principal subjects for expertise sharing, skills transfer and information exchange were:

• Marine systematics (fish and invertebrates)
• Specimen handling and preservation techniques
• Coelacanth specimens and data
• Research methodology and underwater survey techniques
• Data management
• Data analysis
• Regional monitoring programs
• Fisheries in the western Indian Ocean

Data collection methods and experimental design for regional research initiatives were presented and reviewed. Extensive discussions aimed at regional standardisation for monitoring programs and the facilitation of trans-border comparisons were held. Standardised data collection methods and data sheets were developed for coelacanth captures and specimens. A core ACEP Regional Marine Ecology Team is being established with new members identified. A regional group is collaborating on a publication focusing on the biological habitat of coelacanths.

Support for other studies

Marine mammal sightings

• humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae
• Southern Right whales Balaena glacialis
• Minke whales Balenoptera acutorostrata
• bottlenose dolphins Tursiops aduncus
• common dolphins Delphinus delphis
• spinner dolphins Stenella longirostris
• striped dolphin Stenella coeruleolba
• humback dolphins Sousa plumbea

KEY INTERNATIONAL & REGIONAL LINKS

Conferences / Meetings

SAMS 2005

WIOMSA 2005

Deep Sea 2003 (www.deepsea.govt.nz) 200m plus – fisheries and habitats

IUCN workshop Malaga, Spain – internatnl efforts to advance HSMPA conservation – Action plans formulated, Jan 2003

First international symposium on deep sea corals 2001

Programmes / websites

WWF International Endangered Seas Program http://wwf.panda.org/endangeredseas

IUCN Global Marine Program This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

www.iucn.org/themes/marine

WCPA world Commission on protected areas (IUCN’s commission)

conservation international

wwf/iucn/wcpa- High seas Program – HSMPAs

CML Census of Marine Life, secretariat Ron O’Dor, This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

http://www.coml.org

Sustainable Seas Expedition – NOAA, Nat Geo

OCEANA www.Oceana.org – Deep sea corals

MBARI http://www.mbari.org/data/mapping/seamounts/dividson.htm

NRC – trawl and dredge impacts

www.imr.no/coral/fishery_impacts.php

www.ices.dk/marineworld/deepseacoral.asp

EARME East African Marine Ecoregion WWF This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it – Tanzania office

BCLME Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem Program (GEF, UNDP, UNOPS) – Angola, Namibia, South Africa www.bclme.org

SA – Lesley Staegemann This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it