The Jamaica Coral Reef Monitoring Network by Ms. Loureene Jones Introduction The Jamaica Coral Reef Monitoring Network (JCRMN) was launched in June of 2003 by twelve agencies, institutions and organizations involved in coral reef monitoring, research and/or management. The primary objectives of the Jamaica Coral Reef Monitoring Network (JCRMN) are to stimulate interest in the monitoring of the Jamaican coral reefs, train persons in coral reef monitoring methodologies and to develop a sustainable coral reef monitoring programme for the island. Since its inception the JCRMN has acquired funding to conduct training and monitoring at several sites around Jamaica and in Haiti. Despite the success of the network the development of a sustainable monitoring programme based on external funding and volunteer divers remains the biggest challenge. The network is coordinated through the Caribbean Coastal Data Centre (CCDC) of the Centre for Marine Sciences located at the University of the West Indies. Training and Monitoring Training in the Reef Check methodology of reef assessment is conducted and is geared towards expanding Jamaica s capabilities for monitoring the coral reefs, particularly those along the south coast. The Reef Check methodology was selected because it is the world s largest volunteer coral reef monitoring programme and provides basic data on the health of coral reefs. Reef Check focuses on the abundance of particular coral reef organisms that best reflect the condition of the ecosystem and that are easily recognizable to non-specialists. It provides a rapid assessment of selected fish and invertebrate species present as well as reef substrate composition (www.reefcheck.org). Individuals trained through the JCRMN provide a core group of divers who provide support to monitoring activities around the island. A total of 47 persons from various locations around the island, including two persons from Haiti have been trained. To date monitoring has been conducted in Negril; Port Royal Cays; Navy Island, Portland; Boscobel, St. Mary; and Les Arcadins, Haiti (Table 1). A year-long survey of 13 sites within the Portland Bight Protected Area was also conducted to inform local stakeholders on the status of corals in the area and to facilitate the development of sustainable management programmes (Table 2). Figure 1. Volunteers before 2003 Portland Bight survey.
Members of this Groups:- Front Row (L (L-R) R) Dave Guinness, Marlon Hibbert, Malden Miller, Brandon Hay. 2nd row Elizabeth McGhie, Loureene Jones, Nathalie Zenny, Minke Newman, Michelle McNaught, Ann Sutton, Dana Roeber, Kimberly John. Back Row Sean Green, Jerome S Smith, mith, Jahsen Levy, Andrew Ross, Tadoami Nakai, Michael Loftin, Brian Murray, Peter Edwards, Ainsley Henry. Missing: Krishna Desai, Peter Gayle and George Warner. Funding In 2003, funding was provided by the United Nations Environment Programm Programmee (UNEP) and the British High Commission (in Jamaica) to conduct training and monitoring exercises. For the training exercises that took place in Negril and Boscobel, accommodations were provided free of cost by hotels in the area. The Department for Envi Environment, ronment, Food and Rural Affairs in the United Kingdom (DEFRA) provided funding to conduct a one one-year year assessment (2004 to 2005) of the coral reefs within the Portland Bight Protected Area. They have also made funds available to carry out additional training and monitoring as well as the hosting of a stakeholders seminar to report on the work of the JCRMN. Table 1. Summary of training and monitoring activities conducted by the JCRMN at various locations in Jamaica and Haiti since its inception in 2003. Location Date JCRMN Team Negril September 6 7, 2003 16 trainees and 1 trainer Monitoring Site Bloody Bay (%) Coral Conclusions Cover 21.8% at 3 m The sites displayed a range of p 18.1% at 10 hard corals m
Les Arcadins, Haiti September 15 20, 2003 7 volunteers and 2 Haitian trainees Port Royal Cays November 1, 2003 3 trainers and 11 trainees November 16, 2003 1 trainer 4 trainees El Punto Negrilo Ireland Pen Bo wout Montrouis Ilé Fa Ilé Sud Ti Teal Trou Forban Drunkenman s Cay 6.9% at 3 m 17.5% at 10 m 3.8% at 3 m 9.4% at 10 m 15.0% at 3m 21.9%10 m 40.6% at 3m 35.6% at 5m 21.9% at 3m 4.4% at 10m 5.6% at 5m 24.4% at 3m 21.9% at 10m 18.1% at 4m 9.4% at 10m 13.8% at 2m 26.6% at 6m 35.6% at 7m 34.4% at 8m The sites appear to be in reason condition, with the exception o Sud which showed signed of an impacts. Reasonably healthy with relativ cover of hard corals 2004 Assessments Boscobel Port Royal Cays February 22, 2004 Port Antonio February 8, 2004 7 team scientists and 15 trainees from the Sandals International Hotel chain Channel Edge at Boscobel near Oracabessa 9 team Drunkenman s Cay October 2, 2004 5 team Navy Island Reef 33.8% at 2 m 41.3% at 12 m 17.5% at 3m 45.6% at 10m Relatively healthy reef site w percent cover by hard corals Nutrient Indicating Algae Relatively high percent cove 33.1% at 7m The reef site appears to be a site with a high percent cove Negril October 16-17, 2004 13 team Bloody Bay El Punto Negrilo 22.5% at 6m 24.4% at 10m 20.0% at 3m 29.4% at 10m 16.9% at 3m 11.3% at 7m Sites displayed relatively stab El Punto Negrilo which had h over 2003 figures 2005 Assessments
Negril Port Royal Cays November 8, 2005 November 17, 2005 September 2005 10 team including 2 NCRPS personnel Bloody Bay 15.6% at 4m 30.0% at 10m El Punto 6.3% at 4m Negrilo 32.5% at 10m Ireland Pen 3.1% at 4m 15.6% at 8m 9.4% at 5m 32.5% at 8m 6 team Drunkenman s 20.6% at 4m Cay 34.4% at 7m 10 team Lime Cay 20.0% at 5m 23.8% at 7m Deeper transects displayed re percentage cover which is an 2004 figures Relatively high percent cove decline from the 2003 assess Fairly good coral cover Data Processing Data processing and the production of reports are conducted by the CCDC. Data analysis show that despite the variability in the mean percentage coral cover at depths of 2m to 10m, some coral reefs are in reasonably healthy condition (Figure 2). On recent surveys conducted at Drunkenman s Cay and Lime Cay, considerable bleaching was noted. The average percentage of bleaching noted on each colony was approximately 75%; approximately 90% of all corals encountered along the transects were bleached. Figure 2. Variation in mean percentage cover by hard corals on Jamaican reef sites 60 Mean percentage cover by hard corals 50 40 30 20 10 0 Big Pelican West Ireland Pen Hotch Kyn Patches El Punto Negrilo Pigican Bloody Bay Big Pelican East Lime Cay Pigeon Island West Morris Shoal Tern Cay Wreck Reef Pigeon Island East Drunken Man's Cay Navy Island Channel Edge Table 2. Summary of the monitoring activities conducted in the Portland Bight Protected Area by the JCRMN
Dates JCRMN Team Monitoring Site (%) Coral Cover Conclusions December 4 7, 2003 24 team Big Portland Cay 4.4% at 3m 6.9% at 7m Hans Reef 20.6% at 3m 28.1% at 8m PI-Lighthouse Reef 18.8% at 4m 20.6% at 8m Pigeon Island West 13.8% at 3m 22.5% at 8m PI-South East Reef 29.4% at 3m 30% at 7m PI-South West Reef 9.4% at 3m 11.9% at 8m Preliminary Surveys Sites surveyed consisted of fairly good indicated some variability in the status the 3 cays surveyed DEFRA funded Assessments May 28, 2004 May 29, 2004 May 30, 2004 December 11, 2004 December 17, 2004 February 20, 2005 April 16, 2005 13 team 13 team 5 team 5 team 5 team 8 team 4 team Pigeon Island East Pigeon Island West Morris Shoal Big Pelican Cay - West Big Pelican Cay - East Wreck Reef Tern Cay Hotch Kyn Patches Pigican 33.8% at 4m 21.3% at 7m 22.5% at 2m 31.3% at 8m 32.5% at 5m 13.8% at 7m 2.5% at 3m 6.3% at 7m 20.6% at 3m Variable cover by hard corals and ot substrates. 26.9% at 4m Hotch Kyn Patches was the most deg three sites but showed the highest co 25.0% at 3m diversity. 0% at 8m 29.0% at 16m 18.8% at 9m Fairly good coral cover
Future Plans There are several activities planned based on funding already received. These include the monitoring of the St. Thomas reefs, the acquisition of additional equipment and supplies and the hosting a stakeholders seminar to report on the findings of the Portland Bight monitoring and the other accomplishments of the JCRMN. There are also plans to assist the Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation (CCAM), the organization with management responsibility for the Portland Bight Protected Area with their annual Reef Check assessments and the establishment of a CARICOMP (Caribbean Coastal Marine Productivity Programme) monitoring site at Pigeon Island. CARICOMP monitors the coastal ecosystems; mangroves, seagrass beds and coral reef. Contact Information: Ms. Loureene Jones Jamaica Coral Reef Monitoring Network c/o Caribbean Coastal Data Centre Centre for Marine Sciences UWI, Mona, Kingston 7 Tel: (876) 927-1609, (876) 935-8276 www.ccdc.org.jm