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Achievement Report October 2015

Report Title

 Telling the World About Our Work

ObjectiveIncrease conservation value for Curieuse Island by continuing to improve thescientic and cultural importance of the islands uniue biodiversity andenvironment!

"ummaryAt the end of October Curieuse #ase $anager Alan %rant attended the annual

WIO$"A symposium in &ort 'd(ard) "outh Africa) to present the results of therst year of %*I+",&A -emon shark studies on Curieuse and the last ten years ofcoral reef research on $ah.! A gathering of several hundred delegates fromaround the (orld) it is the primary event for dissemination of research results inthe region) and (as an ideal opportunity to improve the scientic understandingof the islands of the "eychelles!

Report'ach year) the Western Indian Ocean $arine "cience Association /WIO$"A0 holdsa symposium in one of the countries bordering the Western Indian Ocean! Theaim of the association is to advance regional co1operation in all aspects of coastal and marine sciences and management) and to support sustainable

development in the Western Indian Ocean region) (hile promotinginterdisciplinary and multi1disciplinary approaches! This year it (as the turn of 

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"outh Africa) (ith the event being hosted at the Wild Coast "un Resort) 'asternCape) just across the river from &ort 'd(ard) 2(a3ulu ,atal! The venue (as (ellchosen) (ith ve presenting halls and all reuired facilities at hand! Over 455delegates attended from locations all around the (orld) including several fromthe "eychelles! The theme of the symposium (as 62no(ledge 7 improving livesin ocean and coastal systems8!

 The symposium began (ith some traditional African drum and dance) follo(edby opening addresses from the WIO$"A president and other key organisers) thenit (as straight into the scientic presentations! The presentations (ere groupedinto diverse topics ranging from the status of coral reefs to primary productivity)provision of ecosystem services) elasmobranchs of the Western Indian Ocean)$arine &rotected Areas) shery resources) and climate change! In all) there (ereover 955 oral presentations) and it (as often di:cult to choose (hich to attend;

 The nal day (as dedicated to special sessions covering a number of currentissues) including coral reefs) reforestation in Africa) African (etlands) ande<ective conservation communication in the Western Indian Ocean!

 The afternoon of the second day (as a session dedicated to the 945 or soposters on display) and this is (here the %*I story (as really told! T(o posters(ere presented) one on the recently started and ongoing -emon shark researchbeing carried out by %*I Curieuse= 6>se of the Curieuse Island) "eychelles)$angroves as a ,ursery %round for "icklen -emon "harks /Negaprionacutidens08) and the other summarising the past ten years of coral reef monitoring by %*I Cap Ternay= 6Coral Reef Recovery Along the ,orth(est Coastof $ah.) "eychelles ?ollo(ing the @B $ass #leaching 'vent8! As (ith allprojects run by %*I "eychelles) both have been carried out in collaboration (iththe "eychelles ,ational &arks Authority /",&A0!

 The -emon shark project (as begun in October 95@ (ith funding from the"eychelles #ritish Digh Commission in *ictoria) (ith the initial aim of gatheringbaseline data on the previously un1studied population of juveniles) specically onthe si3e and structure of the population and the gro(th rates of the pups! It hasbeen a phenomenally successful rst season (ith E individuals captured andtagged (ith electronic &assive Integrated Transponder /&IT0 tags) and the datacollected has sho(n just ho( little (e kne( about the little sharks! Our estimatesof the population si3e (ere proved to be a vast under1estimate) (ith the mark1recapture calculations sho(ing a maFimum population si3e of over G55 sharks;

 The gro(th data also highlighted some very interesting trends) and as (ith manyscientic studies raised more uestions than it ans(ered! There (as much

interest in the poster and our results from a diverse range of delegates!

 The Cap Ternay coral reef poster (as also very (ell received) and (ith this yearbeing the neFt major 'l ,ino follo(ing the one in @B) (ith (idely predictedglobal mass coral bleaching again) it (as a most appropriate time to present theresults of the recovery from the previous bleaching event! The data sho(s thatall components of the reef /live hard coral cover) coral recruitment) and sh andinvertebrate densities0) have sho(ed a signicant recovery over the past @5years! The results (ill no( be able to be used as a solid baseline to assess thee<ects of the coming 'l ,ino) and this aroused the interest of uite a number of delegates!

 The symposium (as such a success on many levels! The presentation andsharing of so many studies) including our o(n) greatly advances understanding

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of the current science going on in the region) and it (as a great opportunity tomeet and talk to a diverse group of people) ranging from other shark and coralreef scientists to geneticists) to "eychelles government o:cials) to many eF1%*Ivolunteers and ,ational "cholars from all around the (orld!

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