Starting point or solution? Community-based marine protected areas in the Philippines

In 1985, in response to declining coral reef conditions, local residents and officials established small, no-take marine sanctuaries on Balicasag and Pamilacan Islands through a community-based process. The implementation of marine protected areas (MPAs) on Balicasag and Pamilacan Islands has been a partial success. As a direct result of protection, living hard coral cover has increased by 119% in Balicasag's sanctuary and by 67% in the non-sanctuary during the period 1984 to 1999, but Balicasag's reef is increasingly affected by breakage from anchors from dive boats and Crown-of-thorns starfish infestations. During the same period, living hard coral cover decreased by 20% in Pamilacan's sanctuary and by 45% in the non-sanctuary from 1984 to 1999. The decrease in living hard coral cover in Pamilacan's sanctuary is most likely a result of the 1998 bleaching event, Crown-of-thorn starfish and possible storm damage. Although there was an initial increase in the economically important target fish abundance in the Balicasag sanctuary and non-sanctuary and in the Pamilacan sanctuary during the first two years of implementation in the mid-1980s, there has since been a significant decline. Mean target fish abundance for the Balicasag non-sanctuary at 230 (+/- 65) individuals per 500 m2 is not significantly different from control sites without MPAs on nearby Panglao and Cabilao Islands at 164 (+/- 67) individuals per 500 m2. In general, fish abundance and diversity inside and outside the sanctuaries peaked in 1986, a year after the establishment of the sanctuaries when enforcement was strictest. Therefore, despite considerable success in enforcing regulations associated with these small MPAs at Balicasag and Pamilacan Islands, a trend of declining fish abundance and species richness among economically valuable species immediately outside the no-take areas highlights the limitations of small and isolated MPAs. This study contributes to the growing sentiment that it is not realistic for scattered, small no-take areas to maintain fish abundance and diversity on surrounding reefs when intensive fishing effort immediately adjacent to no-take areas removes most fish that exit these areas. This finding emphasizes the importance of nesting individual MPAs within broader management regimes that lead to overall fishing effort reduction and networking of MPAs. Among other recommendations, the authors advocate for continued support for community-based MPAs, a network of MPAs, reduced fishing effort in areas surrounding the MPAs and other management measures to improve the quality of the coral reef habitats.     

ACUTE TOXICITY OF PICRIC ACID AND PICRAMIC ACID TO RAINBOW TROUT,SALMO GAIRDNERI,AND AMERICAN OYSTER,CRASSOSTREA VIRGINICA1

ABSTRACT Picric acid (2,4,6-trinitrophenol) and picramic acid (2-amino-4,6-dinitrophenol) are potential water pollutents due to a variety of industrial and munition uses. The possible impacts of picric and picramic acid to two recreationally and commercially important species, rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri, and American oysters, Crassostrea virginica, were evaluated. Picramic acid was more toxic than picric acid to both species tested. The 96-h LC50s for picric and picramic acids for rainbow trout were 109.6 and 46.2 mg/1, respectively. The 144-h LC50s for picric and picramic acid for American oysters were 254.9 and 69.8 mg/1, respectively. Sublethal no growth EC50s and shell deposition EC50s for oysters showed that both compounds caused adverse effects at much lower concentrations than indicated by the LC50s. For example, the 144-h shell deposition EC50s were 27.9 mg/1 for picric acid and 5.6 mg/1 for picramic acid. Sediment adsorbtion studies in estuarine water indicated that both compounds are not readily adsorbed which suggests that sediment would not play a major role as a sink in contaminated systems. Oysters, which filter large quantities of particulate matter, would more likely be affected by picric and picramic acids in the water column than by exposure to contaminated sediment.     

牡蛎壳水热—盐析法制备高白度碳酸钙粉体及其表征

以牡蛎壳为原料,采用水热处理工艺和盐析技术制备高白度碳酸钙粉体。利用X射线衍射仪、透射电子显微镜、粉体白度测试仪、红外光谱仪等分析技术,研究水热一盐析工艺对碳酸钙粉体蒔性的影响规律。结果表明:牡蛎壳和碳酸钙粉体的晶型都是方解石型结构,碳酸钙粉体白度随pH值上升,水热温度升高,呈现出先增大后降低的趋势。190t反应3h,粉体白度达到最大值91%。在水热反应过程中添加N^SO,作为中性盐,通过盐析作用,降低粉体中有机杂质,碳酸钙粉体白度提高到91.7%,碳酸钙粉体的晶粒尺寸为500nm.     

A numerical model of wave- and current-driven nutrient uptake by coral reef communities

We developed a numerical model capable of simulating the spatial zonation of nutrient uptake in coral reef systems driven by hydrodynamic forcing (both from waves and currents). Relationships between nutrient uptake and bed stress derived from flume and field studies were added to a four-component biogeochemical model embedded within a three-dimensional (3-D) hydrodynamic ocean model coupled to a numerical wave model. The performance of the resulting coupled physical-biogeochemical model was first evaluated in an idealized one-dimensional (1-D) channel for both a pure current and a combined wave-current flow. Waves in the channel were represented by an oscillatory flow with constant amplitude and frequency. The simulated nutrient concentrations were in good agreement with the analytical solution for nutrient depletion along a uniform channel, as well as with existing observations of phosphate uptake across a real reef flat. We then applied this integrated model to investigate more complex two-dimensional (2-D) nutrient dynamics, firstly to an idealized coral reef-lagoon morphology, and secondly to a realistic section of Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia, where nutrients were advected into the domain via alongshore coastal currents. Both the idealized reef and Ningaloo Reef simulations showed similar patterns of maximum uptake rates on the shallow forereef and reef crest, and with nutrient concentration decreasing as water flowed over the reef flat. As a result of the cumulative outflow of nutrient-depleted water exiting the reef channels and then being advected down the coast by alongshore currents, both reef simulations exhibited substantial alongshore variation in nutrient concentrations. The coupled models successfully reproduced the observed spatial-variability in nitrate concentration across the Ningaloo Reef system.     

Adaptive Comanagement of a Marine Protected Area Network in Fiji

Adaptive management of natural resources is an iterative process of decision making whereby management strategies are progressively changed or adjusted in response to new information. Despite an increasing focus on the need for adaptive conservation strategies, there remain few applied examples. We describe the 9‐year process of adaptive comanagement of a marine protected area network in Kubulau District, Fiji. In 2011, a review of protected area boundaries and management rules was motivated by the need to enhance management effectiveness and the desire to improve resilience to climate change. Through a series of consultations, with the Wildlife Conservation Society providing scientific input to community decision making, the network of marine protected areas was reconfigured so as to maximize resilience and compliance. Factors identified as contributing to this outcome include well‐defined resource‐access rights; community respect for a flexible system of customary governance; long‐term commitment and presence of comanagement partners; supportive policy environment for comanagement; synthesis of traditional management approaches with systematic monitoring; and district‐wide coordination, which provided a broader spatial context for adaptive‐management decision making. Co‐Manejo Adaptativo de una Red de Áreas Marinas Protegidas en Fiyi     

红树种植–养殖耦合系统牡蛎石油烃含量及红树净化效果

为减少滩涂养殖中的石油烃污染危害、提高水产品的品质,以珠江口滩涂红树林种植–养殖系统耦验示范研究基地A、B两系统的7个红树种植–养殖塘[包括桐花树(Aegiceras corniculatum)、木榄(Bruguiera gymnorhiza)、秋茄(Kandelia candel)、红海榄(Rhizophora stylosa)的单种或组合种植]为对象,采用荧光分光光度法监测了水体、底质及吊养的近江牡蛎(Ostrea rivularis)肉质的石油烃含量.结果表明,牡蛎体内石油烃含量在11.10~29.3 mg/kg之间;与水体中石油烃含量呈正相关(r=0.88),牡蛎能很好地指示水体水质状况.单种或组合种植秋茄、桐花树、木榄、红海榄4种红树植物能有效降低水体石油烃含量,与对照相比降幅为50%~80%;使牡蛎的石油烃含量受到不同程度的影响,与对照相比,红树种植塘牡蛎石油烃含量降幅在20%~60%不等.木榄和桐花树种植塘中,牡蛎中石油烃平均含量分别为11.20 mg/kg、14.13 mg/kg,能达到无公害水产品标准.因此红树种植–养殖塘具有"种植岛基质–红树植物–微生物"的协同效应,通过物理、化学和生物的共同作用降低了水体石油烃的含量,从而提高了养殖生物的品质.     

牡蛎壳粉末投加UASB反应器的运行特性

采用牡蛎壳粉末作为UASB反应器的辅助介质,探讨了牡蛎壳钙盐的溶出特性,系统考察了运行期中牡蛎壳粉末添加方式、进水有机负荷、水力停留时间等因素对反应器出水COD、碱度与pH的影响,分析了污泥比产甲烷活性变化。结果表明,当初始pH从5到9变化时,牡蛎壳粉末溶出Ca2+浓度为40~65 mg/L,平衡pH稳定在7.7~8.0;当进水COD负荷从3.4 kg/(m3·d)逐渐增至7.0 kg/(m3·d)、牡蛎壳粉末投加量从1.5 g/d逐渐增至3.2 g/d时,与未投加的反应器相比,投加牡蛎壳粉末反应器的启动周期缩短了10%左右,COD去除率与比产甲烷活性分别提高了13.3%和22%。投加牡蛎壳粉末可有效提供碱度,加快污泥的颗粒化进程。     

废弃牡蛎壳生产活性钙

利用废弃的牡蛎壳为原料。采用高温电解煅烧、微粒子化及碳酸化等特殊工艺。得到可供食品用的钙强化剂或药品用的原料药。该方法不但可以充分利用资源。变废为宝。而且选用的工艺路线也体现了清洁生产的要求。在降低设备投入和能耗的同时。还消除了三废的排放，适合工业化生产。     

Potential of Marine Reserves to Cause Community-Wide Changes beyond Their Boundaries

Abstract:  Fishing and other human activities can alter the abundances, size structure, and behavior of species playing key roles in shaping marine communities (e.g., keystone predators), which may in turn cause ecosystem shifts. Despite extensive evidence that cascading trophic interactions can underlie community-wide recovery inside no-take marine reserves by protecting high-level predators, the spatial extent of these effects into adjacent fished areas is unknown. I examined the potential for community-wide changes (i.e., the transition from overgrazed coralline barrens to macroalgal beds) in temperate rocky reefs within and around a no-take marine reserve. For this purpose I assessed distribution patterns of predatory fishes, sea urchins, and barrens across the reserve boundaries. Predatory fishes were significantly more abundant within the reserve than in adjacent locations, with moderate spillover across the reserve edges. In contrast, community-wide changes of benthic assemblages were apparent well beyond the reserve boundaries, which is consistent with temporary movements of predatory fishes (e.g., foraging migration) from the reserve to surrounding areas. My results suggest that no-take marine reserves can promote community-wide changes beyond their boundaries.