Netherlands Antilles Coral Reef InitiativePaul Hoetjes, coordinator

MPAs

• Four islands have MPAs including all coastal waters, managed by NGOs, with user fees in place

• Curaçao has MPA for 12% of leeward coast, but no user fees and lack of management

What is NACRI:

• Established in 2000• Consists of:

– MPA management NGO’s– Dive operators– Grassroots groups– Tourism organizations– Island government agencies– (fishermen organizations)– Central government, Department of

Environment (MINA)

• Member of the ICRI (Int. Coral Reef Initiative)

Priorities• Coral reef monitoring• Increased public awareness• Sustainable fisheries• Support for island MPAs• Improved legislation• strengthening communication

and cooperation

Coral Reef Monitoring

• funding by NFWF and UNEP to form NACRI monitoring node for GCRMN– Volunteer Reef Check groups trained on all

islands– Coral ID training for AGRRA volunteers in

Bonaire– Nutrient Monitoring started for Curaçao and

Bonaire

Results of Isotope Ratio 15N/14N

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

5.5

6.0

Red

Sla

ve

An

gel

City

Eig

hte

ens

Pal

m

Pla

ya L

ech

i

Fro

nt P

orc

h

Hab

itat B

on

aire

Kar

pat

a

Pla

ya F

unch

i

So

uth

Bay

Ebo

's S

pec

ial

Lag

un

Sal

t Co

mp

any

Car

gill

Ch

anne

l

Car

gill

Po

nd

Eas

t Po

int

Fui

k B

ay

Car

acas

Bay

Jan

Th

iel

Meg

a P

ier

Pis

cad

era

Bay

Hab

itat C

urac

ao R

esor

t

Sun

set W

ater

s R

esor

t

Wat

amul

a

Sp

anis

h W

ater

Op

en W

ater

Ra

tio

‰ )

Locations

Isotope Ratio 14N / 15N of Algae Shallow

Deep

Others

Nutrient Monitoring Program

Bonaire Curaçao

Coral Reef Monitoring

• St. Lucia added to extended nutrient monitoring program

• Funded by WW2BW (via NMSF)

• Comparing low-level nutrient concentrations, N sources, and algae cover

Status of the reefs

Windward islands (St. Maarten, St. Eustatius, Saba

• severe bleaching in 2005 ~ 80% of corals bleached

• Disease impacts after bleaching much coral cover loss

Status of the reefs

Bonaire and Curacao, • Very little bleaching• Some localized Diadema recovery• Acropora with high genetic diversity • Recruitment of corals is high• Coral cover ~ slight decline over ten

years, but not statistically significant

Status of the reefs

Conclusions

• Reefs continue to deteriorate, but recruitment rate and genetic diversity of Bonaire and Curaçao reefs is hopeful

• Cooperation through NACRI has improved monitoring

• Recent establishment of Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance has strengthened MPAs

http://www.DCNAnature.org

Protected area organizations of all Dutch Caribbean islands, including ArubaCooperation, fundraising, capacity building, supportJoint projects

• turtle outreach • turtle tracking• management success

Education and Marine

Infrastructure, 320

Saba Bank, 320

Marine Water Quality, 10

Mooring drilling, 35 Mooring supply,

35

Dive equipment, 5

Saba: Hours spent on Marine Projects in 2007

Projects

2200 km2

to be designated Specially Protected Area St. Barth

Conclusions

• Regional cooperation has strengthened local cooperation

• Need for further strengthening of monitoring groups and MPAs to improve monitoring frequency

• Need to further strengthen regional cooperation through instruments such as the SPAW protocol and its RAC, and the CaMPAM network