SCUBA divers above the waterline: Using participatory mapping of coral reef conditions to inform reef management |
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| Institution: | 1. National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science/National Ocean Service/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Hollings Marine Laboratory, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA; under contract by JHT, Inc., 2710 Discovery Way, Suite 600, Orlando FL 32826, USA;2. National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science/National Ocean Service/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment, Building SSMC4, Room 9326, 1305 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA;3. National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science/National Ocean Service/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Hollings Marine Laboratory, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA;4. School of Geography, Planning and Environment Management, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072 Australia;1. Marine Physical Laboratory, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0226, USA;2. Ocean Sciences and Institute for Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA;1. University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Joint Office for Science Support, Visiting Scientist at Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2725 Montlake Blvd. E., Seattle, WA 98112, USA;2. Environmental and Fisheries Sciences Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2725 Montlake Blvd. E., Seattle, WA 98112, USA;3. University of Washigton, under contract to Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2725 Montlake Blvd. E., Seattle, WA 98112, USA;4. University of Washington Tacoma, Campus Box 358400, 1900 Commerce St., Tacoma, WA 98402, USA;5. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, MS#32, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA;1. Ocean Sciences and Institute for Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA;2. Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive #0226, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA;3. Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, 3535 Harbor Blvd, Suite 110, Costa Mesa, CA, 92626, USA |
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| Abstract: | Coral reefs provide important ecological services such as biodiversity, climate regulation, and cultural benefits through recreation and tourism. However, many of the world's reefs are declining, with Caribbean reefs suffering a significant decline in living corals over the past half century. This situation emphasizes the need to assess and monitor reef conditions using a variety of methods. In this study, a new method for assessing reef conditions to inform management using participatory mapping by coral reef “experts” in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) is described. Occupational SCUBA divers were recruited (n=87) to map coral reef conditions, uses, and threats (stressors) using an internet-based mapping website. The data reveal an uneven geographic distribution of reef conditions in the USVI with the most frequently mapped perceived healthy reef characteristics being: large amount of physical reef structure (n=872 markers); endangered or threatened species present (n=721); and large amount of live coral cover (n=615). The greatest perceived threats were: invasive species (n=606); water pollution (n=234); and unsustainable fishing (n=200). Areas of important reef characteristics, perceived threats to reefs, and perceived recovery potential were plotted to identify areas requiring critical management attention. The authors found that perceptions of healthy reef conditions outnumbered perceptions of reef threats for nine of the ten most familiar coral reefs; the most frequent activity type within the coral reefs was tourism diving; and for the most familiar coral reefs, the divers perceived a high recovery potential. Given the novelty of participatory mapping methods to assess coral reefs, the strengths and weaknesses of the method is evaluated. The authors further propose a management typology for categorizing reef areas to inform their future management. In the absence of primary data, or, as a supplement to underwater surveys and remotely-sensed data on reef condition, participatory mapping can provide a cost-effective means for assessing coral reef conditions while identifying place-specific reef locations requiring management attention. |
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| Keywords: | Coral reefs Participatory mapping Coral reef management U S Virgin Islands SCUBA Local ecological knowledge |
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