Conservation Society of Pohnpei

Pohnpei Coral Reef Monitoring (CRM) Team - NOAA 2011 Final Report

2011

Conservation Society of Pohnpei (CRM)

13

Final Report, 2011

"Pohnpei Coral Reef Monitoring (CRM) team completed another round of monitoring using a refined Long Swim or Timed Swim monitoring protocol as recommended by our partners from the University of Guam (UOG) to survey large reef food fish. Adopted by CRM team, this method is to help in meeting the goals of the Micronesia challenge to help detect change in MPA effectiveness. Unlike the 5X50 meter transect, this method is designed the capture large reef food fish and key indicator species that cannot be detected in 5X50 meter transects. CSP continues to partner with Division of Forestry and Conservation and Office of Fisheries and Aquaculture in conducting coral reef monitoring throughout Pohnpei. There are two sets of monitoring protocol being implemented by the CRM team. There is the MPA monitoring where the CRM team monitors MPA effectiveness and then there is the general coral reef monitoring where the CRM team assesses the overall health of Pohnpeis reef. This report will mainly cover the MPA effectiveness coral reef monitoring program. There are 32 permanent sites around Pohnpei that encompass five MPAs (Dehpehk, Mwahnd, Lenger, Kehpara and Nahtik). This protocol is design to give us a general view of the larger reef fish population inside and outside MPAs. In addition, the CRM team continues to collect monthly sedimentationcollection at (8) stations to evaluate run-off fluctuations at Nett/Kolonia bay. Continue working with two MPA communities to improve their monitoring method. Collect annual Spawning and Aggregation (SPAG) data for three species of groupers at Kehpara MPA to detect change overtime in density and size. Collect quarterly Sea-grass monitoring to detect change in sea-grass health. Seagrass data is not presented in this report due to data is send and analyzed at the University of New Hampshire, data can be acquired at (www.seagrassnet.org)."

FY2011 CRCP Project ID 20682; Project Title: I096 International Coral Reef Conservation Grant Programs; Principal Investigator: Scot Frew. International grant NA11NOS4820011

NA11NOS4820011