COMMUNITY ABUNDANCE ANALYSIS TO SUPPORT CORAL REEF MANAGEMENT IN EAST PORTLAND SPECIAL FISHERY CONSERVATION AREA, JAMAICA

Global warming and human impacts continue to be devastating for coral reef systems. Jamaican reefs have been adversely affected by a variety of threats including hurricanes, coral bleaching, disease, and algal overgrowth, the impact of which has been exacerbated by overfishing and urchin disease. Despite the dire situation, with proper protection, algal coral phase shifts can be reversed. One area that is being protected is the East Portland Special Fishery Conservation Area (EPSFCA). The EPSFCA is a “no take zone” monitored by the Alligator Head Foundation (AHF), which houses a coral nursery, mangrove nursery, and leads monitoring and restoration practices.

Although reefs in some parts of Jamaica, such as Discovery Bay, were well studied in the 1970s-early 2000s, many ecological studies have not continued, nor extended to other regions around the island. The unique reefs of Northeast Jamaica especially lack critical data necessary for conservation efforts; no baseline information on community composition had been done until the establishment of the AHF. To obtain an ecological baseline, this project synthesizes environmental and water quality data (nutrient levels, temperature, light) with community assemblage data (fish counts, benthic substrate assessments, and invertebrate counts conducted by AHF staff) from EPSFCA reefs. The similarities and differences between these sites will be compared using ordinations.

An analysis of EPSFCA reefs monitored from 2017-2019 found that many sites are distinct, but most reefs show signs of degradation (e.g., coral disease and high algal cover). Much of the variation between sites can be explained by the abundance of turf algae and the corals Colopophyllia natans, Mussa angluosa, Dichocoenia stokesi, and Acropora cervicornis. Fish populations were more similar, but the main species that drove differences between sites were the parrotfish Sparisoma chrysopterum, Scarus vetula, and Scarus guacamala. The ultimate goal of this project is to combine the EPSFCA data with environmental information to provide a road map for where conservation efforts are most likely to support the recovery of the protected area.