Episodic heterogeneous decline and recovery of coral cover in the Indian Ocean

Published source details Ateweberhan M., McClanahan T.R., Graham N.A.J. & Sheppard C.R.C. (2011) Episodic heterogeneous decline and recovery of coral cover in the Indian Ocean. Coral Reefs, 30, 739-752.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Designate a Marine Protected Area and prohibit some fishing and collection (including where restrictions are unspecified) Action Link

Designate a Marine Protected Area and prohibit some fishing and collection (including where restrictions are unspecified)

A review of studies of coral reefs in the western Indian Ocean (Ateweberhan et al. 2011) found that in protected areas that prohibited some fishing and collection, coral cover was higher in two time periods compared to fished reefs, lower in one and similar in a fourth. In the first two time periods (1977–1993 and 1994–1997), cover was higher on protected reefs with fishery closures (42–47%) than on fished reefs (16–33%). In the third period (1999–2000), immediately after a climatic disturbance in 1998, cover was lower on protected reefs (17%) than on fished reefs (24%), and by the final period (2001–2005) cover was similar in both reef types (protected: 26%, fished: 26%). Information was collated for the western Indian Ocean (region west of the 90°E meridian) for areas with fisheries closures (including reserves and no-take areas) and explicitly fished reefs. Samples came from peer reviewed publications, grey literature, Reef Check surveys and regional monitoring programs. The number of samples for each period ranged from 23–115 (16, 52, 55, 77 samples for fishery closures, 7, 31, 28, 38 for fished reefs). Most field sampling was based on haphazard or permanent line intercept transects.

(Summarised by: William Morgan)