of the Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park 3-31 - Direktorat

A Marine Rapid Assessment (MRAP)
of the Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park
3-31 May 2012
A report by Conservation International Indonesia
For MPAG USAID
Edited by Putu L. Mustika, Tiene Gunawan and Mark V. Erdmann
Denpasar, 30 September 2013
i
Suggested citation:
Mustika, P. L., Gunawan, T. & Erdmann, M. V. (eds) 2013, A Marine Rapid Assessment (MRAP) of
the Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park, 3-31 May 2012, Ministry of Marine Affairs and
Fisheries, Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI), the Government of Anambas Regency, The
Nature Conservancy, Conservation International Indonesia, Denpasar.
ii
Executive Summary
Anambas Islands Marine Rapid Assessment (MRAP)
3-31 May 2012
Introduction
The Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park in the South China Sea was officially gazetted on 6
July 2011 as per Ministerial Decree Number 35/MEN/2011 of the Minister of Marine Affairs and
Fisheries (MMAF). The park includes 1,261,686 hectares of diverse coral reef area, divided over
two sections: one totalling 167,945.2 hectares in area and the other 1,094,741 hectares.
Administratively, the park is located wholly within the regency of Kabupaten Anambas, itself
located within the maritime province of the Riau Archipelago. Included within the park's
boundaries are 238 islands, only 26 of which are inhabited. There are three large islands in the
park (including Pulau Siantan, Pulau Matak and Pulau Jemaja), while the remaining islands are
all quite small. The park has excellent representative habitats of mangrove, seagrass and coral
reef ecosystems.
The park is considered highly strategic within the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries'
overall national portfolio of MPAs for two primary reasons. Firstly, the Anambas Islands are
located within the politically contested South China Sea, at the border of Indonesia's territorial
claims with Malaysia and Singapore to the west and Vietnam and Thailand in the north. With
five of its small islands located right on these international borders, the MPA is seen as a strategic
management tool to not only manage the rich marine resources of the archipelago, but also to
strengthen Indonesia's national borders in this region. Moreover, the Anambas Islands Marine
Tourism Park is one of only a few MPAs within Indonesia's national system of MPAs that are
found in the western reaches of the country.
As a newly gazetted MPA, the Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park must now develop a
detailed management plan that includes a zonation system and overall guidelines for marine
tourism development in the regency. Unfortunately, relatively few data exist on the biodiversity
and reef condition (and tourism potential) of this fascinating archipelago. In 2002, the Indonesian
Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and the Raffles Museum at the National University of Singapore ran a
joint "Anambas-Natuna Survey" that succeeded in cataloging a surprising level of coastal and
marine biodiversity, including a number of new species. Additional small-scale surveys were
conducted by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries in 2010, by the Pekanbaru
"LokaKKPN" agency in 2011, and by the Riau Provincial Department of Fisheries and Marine
Affairs and Conservation International in 2011. While the data from these various surveys will be
very useful for the development of the MPAs management plan, a more geographically
comprehensive survey with the express purpose of generating recommendations for the new
MPA's management plan is now needed to fill in knowledge gaps.
In order to provide a comprehensive picture of the biodiversity, community/assemblage
structure, current condition of coral reefs and related ecosystems and socio-economic status of
iii
local coastal communities within the Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park, MMAF's
Directorate of MPAs and Species Conservation (KKJI) conducted an Anambas Islands Marine
Rapid Assessment (MRAP) in May 2012. The rapid assessment was implemented in collaboration
with LIPI, Loka KKPN Pekanbaru, the Anambas Department of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, the
Riau Provincial Fisheries Department, the Nature Conservancy and Conservation International
Indonesia. The assessment was conducted by two separate teams: a socioeonomic team that
moved between villages using speedboat transportation, and a biodiversity and tourism potential
assessment team that utilized the survey vessel MV Mata Ikan as a liveaboard diving platform.
The data collected from this MRAP assessment is compiled herein and is intended to inform the
Anambas Islands Marine Park zonation and management plans as well as the regency's marine
tourism development plans. This executive summary provides an overview of the key findings
and recommendations of the survey teams.
Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park MRAP Objectives
The assessment, conducted from 3-31 May 2012, had the following five primary objectives:
1.
Assess the current status (including biodiversity, coral reef condition and conservation
status/resilience of hard corals, coral reef fishes and marine megafauna including sea turtles
and cetaceans) of approximately 20 sites representing the full range of oceanographic and
ecological conditions found in the Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park, compiling
thorough species-level inventories of each of these groups.
2.
Compile spatially-detailed data on biological features which must be taken into consideration
in development of the Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park Management Plan. This
includes not only an analysis of any differences in reef community structure across the 20
priority sites, but also specifically identifying areas of outstanding conservation importance
and/or marine tourism interest due to rare or endemic hard coral or fish assemblages or
marine megafauna, presence of reef fish spawning aggregation or cleaning sites, sea turtle
nesting beaches, reef communities exposed to frequent cold-water upwelling that are resilient
to global climate change, or other outstanding biological features.
3.
Assess the socio-economic conditions of the coastal communities living within the Anambas
Islands Marine Tourism Park, including the degree of reliance on marine resources for
livelihoods, the main fisheries capture techniques (including those with the potential to
damage marine ecosystems), as well as community perspectives on conservation and
acceptance of MPAs.
4.
Assess and describe the key social, economic and biological features of the Napoleon wrasse
(Cheilinus undulatus) grow-out aquaculture system in Kecamatan Siantan Tengah, and
provide recommendations to MMAF and DKP Anambas on managing this important local
industry.
5.
Evaluate the potential for marine tourism development in the Anambas Islands Marine
Tourism Park and provide concrete recommendations for doing so.
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Survey Results: General

The Anambas Islands Marine Rapid Assessment (MRAP) was successfully completed
during a 28-day period of 3-31 May 2012, with a presentation of preliminary findings to the
Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) and the Kabupaten Anambas government
on 18 September 2012. The MRAP was led by Dr. Toni Ruchimat, the Director of MPAs and
Species Conservation (KKJI) at MMAF, and the survey team comprised 27 individuals
representing the following institutions: MMAF, the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI),
the National MPA Authority (Loka KKPN) at Pekanbaru, the Anambas Fisheries
Department (DKP Anambas), the Anambas MPA Task Force, The Nature Conservancy and
Conservation International Indonesia. In total, twelve individuals participated in the socioeconomic component of the MRAP and fifteen in the marine biodiversity and tourism
assessment component. The survey was funded in its entirety through the Marine Protected
Areas Governance (MPAG) Program of the United States Agency for International
Development (USAID) and the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries.
Figure 1 Anambas Islands MRAP team in front of the survey vessel, MV Mata Ikan.

The socio-economic component of the MRAP was conducted from 3-31 May 2012 and
visited 35 of the 45 villages in the 7 kecamatan districts in Anambas Regency. The team
aimed to interview at least 10% of the heads-of-household from each village individually, as
well as conducting focus group discussions with village officials, community leaders and
fisherfolk.

The biodiversity and marine tourism assessments were conducted during the period of 1930 May 2012, using the MV Mata Ikan as a survey platform. In total, twenty sites were
successfully surveyed (see Table 1) that included broad geographic representation of the
Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park. The team was further divided into four specialities,
including reef fish biodiversity, hard coral biodiversity, coral reef condition, and marine
megafauna assessment, with all participants also providing inputs into the marine tourism
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assessment. The team recorded over 330 man-hours of diving during this period, while also
visiting 9 turtle-nesting beaches and surveying continuously for cetaceans.
Table 1 Summary of biodiversity survey sites for Anambas Islands Marine RAP and their GPS
coordinates and dates surveyed.
Site
No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

Date
Surveyed
20 May 12
20 May 12
21 May 12
21 May 12
22 May 12
22 May 12
23 May 12
23 May 12
24 May 12
24 May 12
25 May 12
25 May 12
26 May 12
26 May 12
27 May 12
27 May 12
28 May 12
28 May 12
29 May 12
29 May 12
Location Name
Pulau Tokongmalangbiru
Pulau Repong
Pulau Renge
Pulau Piantai
Pulau Tokongberlayar
Pulau Pahat
Pulau Durai
Pulau Tokongnenas
Pulau Telaga
Terempa Harbor
Pulau Keramut
NW Jemaja
NE Jemaja (Tg. Pinanang)
SE Jemaja (Kuala Maras)
SE Pulau Bawah
NE Pulau Bawah
Pulau Ayerabu (Gemili)
NW Temiang
Pulau Selai
Pulau Mandariau Laut
Coordinates
02° 18.090’ N, 105° 35.802’ E
02° 21.590’ N, 105° 52.556’ E
03° 18.258’ N, 106° 10.611’ E
03° 21.401’ N, 106° 10.531’ E
03° 26.944’ N, 106° 16.018’ E
03° 24.305’ N, 106° 08.261’ E
03° 19.936’ N, 106° 03.170’ E
03° 19.826’ N, 105° 57.289’ E
03° 05.680’ N, 105° 58.531’ E
03° 13.486’ N, 106° 14.581’ E
03° 05.364’ N, 105° 39.408’ E
03° 02.543’ N, 105° 42.981’ E
02° 59.617’ N, 105° 50.072’ E
02° 50.475’ N, 105° 46.609’ E
02° 29.967’ N, 106° 02.710’ E
02° 31.389’ N, 106° 02.650’ E
02° 45.710’ N, 106° 10.297’ E
02° 55.788’ N, 106° 06.744’ E
03° 10.865’ N, 106° 29.615’ E
03° 17.079’ N, 106° 25.119’ E
Overall, the biodiversity and tourism team was extremely impressed with the many
stunning hard coral gardens, crystal clear water, large schools of herbivorous fishes and
beautiful uninhabited rocky islands with striking white sand beaches that are scattered
throughout the Anambas archipelago. Unquestionably the MPA has excellent potential for
marine tourism development. At the same time, the team also made a number of findings
that highlight the urgency of developing a management plan (including a comprehensive
zonation system and associated fishing regulations) for the MPA. In over 330 hours of
diving, the team only encountered 4 sharks and 1 Napoleon wrasse, and very few large reef
predators (such as groupers, jacks and snappers) in general - with clear evidence of strong
overfishing on these reefs. Perhaps because of the scarcity of reef predators, we also
recorded high populations of the coral-eating Crown-of-thorns seastars (COTS) and saw
evidence of past population explosions and mass coral die-off. Moreover, we also found
strong evidence of past incidents of blast-fishing, with an extensive "rubble belt" of
destroyed reef framework between 6 and 18m depth on many reefs. Fortunately, the
Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries and the Anambas government are now actively
working to manage this important MPA, and we are hopeful the recommendations this
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report provides will help to ensure a strong recovery of the fish stocks and coral reefs in this
beautiful region of Indonesia.
Survey Results: Reef Fish Biodiversity

A list of coral reef fish species was compiled for 20 survey sites in the Anambas
Archipelago. The survey involved approximately 120 hours of scuba diving by G. Allen and
M. Erdmann to a maximum depth of 50 m.

A total of 578 coral reef fish species was recorded for the survey. Combined with previous
survey efforts by Adrim et al. (2002), the current total for the Anambas Islands is 667 species
of reef fishes representing 260 genera and 71 families.

A formula for predicting the total reef fish fauna based on the number of species in six key
families (Chaetodontidae, Pomacanthidae, Pomacentridae, Labridae, Scaridae, and
Acanthuridae) indicates that as many as 801 species can be expected to occur in the
Anambas region.

Gobies (Gobiidae), wrasses (Labridae), damselfishes (Pomacentridae), groupers
(Serranidae), cardinalfishes (Apogonidae), blennies (Blenniidae), butterflyfishes
(Chaetodontidae), and parrotfishes (Scaridae) are the most speciose families on Anambas
reefs with 90, 73, 66, 33, 32, 30, 24, and 24 species respectively.

Species numbers at visually sampled sites during the survey ranged from 118 to 240, with
an average of 179 species/site. Sites with the most fish diversity included southeastern Pulau
Bawah (site 15 – 240 species), Pulau Selai (site 19 – 215 species), Pulau Piantai (site 4 - 199
species), Pulau Pahat (site 6 – 198 species), southeastern Pulau Jemaja (site 14 – 196 species),
and Pulau Mandariau Laut (Site 20 – 194 species).

The majority of Anambas fishes have broad distributions in either the Indo-Pacific (67%) or
western Pacific (22%). Other categories include species that are mainly distributed in the
East Indian region (8%), circumtropically (1%), or have undetermined distributions (2%).

Seven potential new species were collected during the survey including Heteroconger sp.
(Congridae), Stalix sp. (Opistognathidae), Paracheilinus sp. (Labridae), Myersina sp.
(Gobiidae), Helcogramma sp. (Trypterygiidae) and 2 species of Ecsenius (Blenniidae). An
additional 4 species of coral gobies in the genus Gobiodon were collected that are not readily
assignable to any currently recognized taxa, and may eventually be determined to be new
species as well.

Large fishes, including Napoleon wrasses, groupers, and sharks, were generally scarce at
the Anambas Islands and the designation of strictly-enforced "no-take zones" or fisheries
replenishment zones within the MPA are strongly recommended to help rectify this
situation.
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Survey Results: Hard Coral Biodiversity

A total of 41 sites (adjacent deep and shallow areas) at 20 stations (individual GPS locations)
were surveyed throughout the Anambas Islands for their hard coral biodiversity and
condition. Coral communities were assessed in a range of wave exposure, and current
regimes, and generally included representation of most habitat types in the archipelago,
though unfortunately a number of the most sheltered/lagoonal sites were not sampled and
thus represent a gap in our data set.

The Anambas Islands host a diverse reef coral fauna, with a confirmed total of 339 reefbuilding (hermatypic) coral species. An additional 27 species were unconfirmed, requiring
further taxonomic study. At least two species, Montipora and Anacropora spp.) show
significant morphological differences from their closest congeners, and are likely new to
science. In total, there are likely to be somewhere between 370 and 400 hermatypic
Scleractinia present in Anambas waters, with the higher estimate based on an assumption of
an additional suite of species occuring the sheltered habitats not sampled during the present
survey.

Results for overall richness are similar to those from Komodo and higher than Banda
Islands, but lower than Derawan, Wakatobi, Bunaken, Raja Ampat, Brunei Darussalam and
El Nido (Palawan, Philippines), the latter two locations also being in the South China Sea.

Within-station (point) species richness in the Anambas Islands averaged 163 species,
ranging from a low of 126 species at Station 6 (Pulau Pahat) to a high of 193 species at
Station 18 (NW Temiang). Other particularly species-rich stations included Station 14 (SE
Jemaja with 188 spp.) and Station 17 (Pulau Ayerabu with 184 spp.). Notably, the mean
station richness of 163 spp. for Anambas is very high, similar to that of Derawan and
Bunaken and higher than most other locations previously surveyed.

Using cluster analysis at the station level, four coral community types were identified. Each
of the communities was characterized by a more-or-less distinctive suite of species and
benthic attributes, although some species were ubiquitous across several community types
(including Acropora and Porites spp. and various faviids and fungiids). The four community
types are found throughout the archipelago and appear to be largely determined by wave
exposure; we strongly recommend that representatives of each of these four community
types be included with "No-Take Zones" in the park's zonation system to ensure long-term
survival of each community type.

Cover of living hard corals was typically moderate to high, averaging 35 % and ranging
from 10 – 70 %. The highest coral cover (>50%) generally occurred in shallow areas (<6m
depth), while deeper (6-15 m) parts of many reefs were frequently covered with large belts
of broken coral rubble indicative of widespread blast fishing damage in the past.
Paradoxically, many of those sites with the highest coral cover in the shallows often had the
highest cover of broken rubble at depth; examples of this include sites 1
(Tokongmalangbiru), 2 (Repong), 4 (Piantai), 5 (Tokongberlayar) and 16 (Pulau Bawah). The
overall ratio of live : dead cover of hard corals remained positive at ca 7 : 2, indicative of a
reef tract in moderate to good condition in terms of coral cover.
viii

In addition to the aforementioned blast-fishing damage, there was considerable evidence of
past and recent bleaching-induced coral mortality at some shallow sites, particularly Durai,
which also had significant Crown-of-thorns seastar (COTS) predation. The bleaching was
likely caused by periods of elevated sea temperatures and associated high irradiance in 1998
and 2010. There was no evidence of consistent upwelling areas encountered during the
present brief survey, although a cool water thermocline was present at many stations at ca.
30-35m depth, potentiall offering some resilience/protection to deeper water coral
communities.

A multiple use MPA model, with different areas zoned for different levels of protection and
use, is likely to be the most appropriate for Anambas, given the range of activities that
already occur and are planned (eg. expansion of marine tourism). This model should
include adequate core areas excluding extractive activities, to ensure conservation of key
habitat and community types and foster replenishment.

The Anambas Islands have great potential for the development of ecologically sensitive
marine tourism. Fringing reefs have high coral cover in the shallows and are easily
accessible, with typically clear, warm, sheltered waters, providing ideal snorkel and SCUBA
diving options, among other water sports. Particular locations that stand out in this regard
include Pulau Bawah and Pulau Durai.
Survey Results: Coral Reef Condition

Coral reef condition was assessed at 19 of the survey sites using a point-intercept transect
methodology. Two 50m replicate transects each were conducted at shallow (3m) and
intermediate (10m) depths, and benthic cover was classified into 12 different categories.
Observations on hard coral species composition were also made opportunistically by the
team.

Live hard coral cover was overall very high, averaging 50.5% and ranging from a low of 16%
at NE Pulau Bawah to a high of 74.5% at Jemaja Island. By comparison, soft coral cover was
very low, averaging only 4.2%. Four sites had no soft coral recorded, while only three sites
had more than 5% soft coral cover: Tokongmalangbiru (21%), NE Pulau Bawah (18.5%), and
SE Pulau Bawah (15%). In the first 2 of these sites, the high soft coral coverage was from
Xenia spp. growing over extensive blast-damaged rubble fields.

Many sites also displayed significant amounts of rubble from previous blast fishing damage;
average cover of rubble for all 19 sites was 12.7% but went as high as 50.5% in the
extensively-blasted reefs of NE Pulau Bawah. Overall, live hard coral cover was much
higher in shallow depths, and decreased strongly with increasing depth.

Using LIPI's national classification system for ranking coral reef condition, eleven of the
nineteen sites (57% of sites) were classified as being in "good" condition (50-75% live hard
coral cover), while an additional seven locations (36.8% of sites) were classified as being in
fair condition (25-50% live hard coral cover). Only one site (NE Pulau Bawah) was classified
as poor condition, with only 16% live hard coral cover.
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
Hard coral assemblages in the Anambas Islands are dominated by Acroporid, Pocilloporid
and Poritid species, with exact compositions varying from site to site.

Reef structures can be divided into several coral assemblages such as Porites assemblages
with relatively small colonies, Porites assemblages with large colonies, monotypic Acropora
stands and assemblages dominated by Pocilloporid colonies.

The primary threats to Anambas' coral reefs were identified as follows: blast fishing, cyanide
fishing for the live reef food fish trade, coral bleaching, and Crown-of-thorns seastar
predation.
Survey Results: Marine Megafauna

The Anambas Islands Regency in the South China Sea contains regionally-important sea
turtle habitat. The rapid assessment of sea turtle distribution in Anambas showed that the
MPA contains extensive habitat for green (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys
imbricata) feeding and nesting.

A total of 12 hawksbill and 3 green turtles were observed during the course of the survey,
with all hawksbill turtles observed considered to be juveniles (by contrast, the 3 green
turtles were adults).

Nine sea turtle nesting beaches were identified during the course of the survey, including at
Pahat, Durai (Pasir Depan and Labuh Aji), Telaga Besar, Impol, Ayam, Bawah (southern and
northern beaches) and Penilan Islands. Pahat and Durai are the largest and best-known
nesting beaches and are primarily used by green turtles (a single night's observations at
Durai revealed 30 green turtle tracks), though with occasional hawksbill nesting. Ayam and
Telaga Besar also appear to be green turtle nesting beaches, while the remaining
abovementioned beaches were narrow and predominantly utilized by hawksbills.

Natural predation (particularly by Varanus monitor lizards) and extractive anthropogenic
uses (turtle egg harvesting and unsustainable fisheries) are the two primary threats to sea
turtles in Anambas.

Turtle egg exploitation was observed at almost all visited sites, both for subsistence and
commercial purposes. At the Tarempa market, turtle eggs were still traded for Rp 2,000 – Rp
3,000 per egg.

A collaborative sea turtle conservation management program has been conducted in Durai
Island since 2009 with the financial support of Premier Oil. Data from Premier Oil showed
1,958 turtle nests on Durai Island from December 2009 until June 2012. Unfortunately, only a
percentage of the nests on Durai Island are protected, while others are still exploited for
turtle eggs. This situation needs to be addressed if Anambas is to significantly develop a
marine tourism industry in the region, as tourists will not be tolerant of continued egg
collection.

Sea turtle-based ecotourism is a sustainable alternative to the current turtle egg trade.
However, there is still significant work that needs to be done to both socialize this
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alternative plan and develop reliable mechanisms to ensure local communities receive
benefits that equal or exceed what they can now achieve through egg harvest. Developing
this system should be a top priority for marine tourism development in Anambas.

A cetacean (whales and dolphins) survey was also conducted on board the research vessel at
the same time with other biodiversity surveys. Very low sightings of cetaceans were found:
only two groups of suspected bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.) were recorded around
Jemaja. Interviews with local community members revealed that the dolphins are likely to
be nocturnal feeders, which make them susceptible to accidental capture in lift nets and
other artisanal fishing gears. Villagers report that dolphins that were accidentally caught
were usually kept for a few days for local entertainment purposes before being released
back to the sea.
Survey Results: Socio-economic Assessment

The socio-economic component of the MRAP was conducted from 3-31 May 2012 and
interviewed a total of 405 respondents from 35 villages, representing all 7 kecamatans in
Anambas Regency. Most respondents had a low education level (66.9% had at most a
primary school education), and most were of a lower income class (88.4% owned houses
made of wooden planks). A large proportion of the respondents were fishers (50.6%),
whereas 42.4% of them combined fishing with either farming or other income-earning jobs.
Focus group discussions were also conducted in each village with village officials,
community leaders and fisherfolk.

Capture fisheries target both reef and pelagic fish, as well as various species of crustaceans
and other invertebrates of high economic value such as teripang and squid. The majority of
respondents (76.55%) used hook and line as their main gear, while 14.6% used fish traps,
2.7% used lift nets, and 0.7% used gill nets to fish. Many also combined their capture fishery
activities with Napoleon wrasse aquaculture activities (see below). Nearly 60% of
respondents sold their catch, while only 6.2% fished for consumption only; over 34% of
respondents both sold and self-consumed their catch.

Most people in Anambas, particularly in the kecamatans of Palmatak, Siantan Tengah and
Siantan Timur, are strongly supportive of and in some way deriving benefit from Napoleon
wrasse grow-out aquaculture (over 82% reported some income derived from various aspects
of fish farming). Anambas is well-known as a center of cage culture for eventual export of
Napoleon wrasse to Hong Kong and China, and the prices fetched by fishers for tiny
juveniles (<2cm) captured from the wild can exceed IDR 100,000 per fish. After grow-out,
the fish fetch a handsome price of SGD$ 174 for a 0.6Kg plate-sized individual. With these
prices and the broad community involvement in and support for the trade, it is clear that
management of this grow-out aquaculture system is strongly needed - both to prevent
overharvesting of wild-caught juveniles and even post-larvae, as well as overfishing for the
"trash fish" that are used to feed the caged Napoleon wrasse. Constructive engagement with
the cage owners and communities on these topics should be a top priority of both DKP
Anambas and the Marine Park managers.

Of the 405 respondents, only one was familiar with the term "conservation" - providing
telling evidence of the need for a strong focus on socialization and publich outreach for the
xi
MPA. Nonetheless, most coastal fisher communities in the Anambas Islands are very aware
of the importance of protecting their natural marine resources for future generations (over
60% agreed that mangrove protection was important, and over 95% of respondents agreed
or strongly agreed that future generations were entitled to have undamaged coral reef and
mangrove forest). Perhaps even more impressively, when asked if the government and
communities needed to set aside an area "for fish to spawn", 68.4% of respondents agreed,
and 22% strongly agreed! Overall, the socioeconomic team found that while additional
public outreach is most definitely needed to improve conservation and fisheries
management technical understanding in the coastal villages of Anambas, there is a strong
innate support for the MPA and improved fisheries management that simply needs further
cultivation. This of course bodes very well for the nascent MPA.

Despite the strong general support for improved marine resource management, the team
recorded seven primary threats to the reefs and fisheries of Anambas, including: 1)
explosive or "bomb" fishing; 2) use of potassium cyanide for live reef food fish capture; 3)
use of compressors at night to collect fish and invertebrates; 4) infringement of large
commercial trawlers (>30GT; many of them foreign) and purse seiners in traditional fishing
grounds; 5) disposing of rubbish and sewage irresponsibly, both on land and in the sea; 6)
laying fish traps using powerboats; and 7) quarrying live corals and beach sand for building
material. The Anambas Islands Tourism Marine Park Management Plan will need to
carefully address each of these major threat categories.

While many of the above threats are local in nature and may be addressed by a combination
of improved outreah and education as well as strict local enforcement, the issue of large
commercial (often foreign) trawlers and purse seiners operating inshore is of serious
concern to all villagers and will require a concerted enforcement effort by fisheries, police
and naval officers to bring under control.
Survey Results: Potential for Marine Tourism Development

The Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park features a number of key characteristics that
ensure excellent potential for marine tourism development, including:
 Gin clear waters, beautiful and healthy coral gardens in shallow depths and abundant
colourful coral reef fishes are perfect for snorkelling tourism;
 Numerous uninhabited islands with a unique and esthetically-pleasing rocky coastline
interspersed with stunning white sand beaches
 Proximity to major Asian cities with huge tourism market potential including Singapore,
Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, and even Hong Kong
 Numerous important turtle nesting beaches (and possibly local dolphin and cetacean
populations) with tremendous potential for careful, high-end ecotourism development
 Proximity to some of the most famous deep-diving wrecks in Asia, including the HMS
Repulse and the Seven Skies.
 A unique and friendly Malay culture with quaint coffee shops and restaurants and clean,
well-laid out villages that would be of significant cultural tourism interest to travellers.

At the same time, there are several important factors that could hinder marine tourism
development if not properly addressed, including:
xii
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

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
Many reefs currently show the strong impacts of blast fishing, destructive net fishing and
overfishing, making them less competitive in the diving industry than other wellprotected destinations in Indonesia with still healthy fish populations (such as Raja
Ampat or Bunaken).
Most community members are not familiar with tourism and don't understand its
potential benefits to them
Access to Anambas, particularly from international cities such as Singapore, is currently
limited and extremely inconvenient for international travellers
There is an ongoing culture of turtle egg harvesting that is strongly incompatible with
ecotourism development and that continues to eliminate the local nesting population of
turtles that could otherwise be a major tourism asset.
Continued mining of live corals and beach sand that threaten the very beaches and
shallow reefs that are the main tourism asset of the Regency.
Overall, there is tremendous potential for marine tourism development in the Anambas
Islands Marine Tourism Park, but there are a number of urgent issues to be addressed to
ensure optimal development (see next section).
Survey Recommendations

In order to ensure maximum long-term (and sustainable) economic benefits to local
communities from the marine and coastal resources of Anambas, it is essential to prioritize
the development of a comprehensive Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park Management
Plan that includes an effective zonation system that prevents overlap of non-compatible
resource uses and prohibits destructive activities while also promoting fish stock recovery
and marine tourism development. The zonation plan should aim to include 20-30% of all
critical habitats in "No-Take" zones that prohibit all fishing and extractive uses and allow
only non-extractive uses (such as marine tourism). As part of this zonation plan, we have
identified four areas of the MPA that should be prioritized for inclusion in No-Take Zones
(see Fig. 2) based upon their outstanding biodiversity, presence of important features such
as turtle nesting beaches, coral community representation and coral reef condition, and
suitability for development of marine tourism. These include the remote islands to the south
of the MPA (including Tokongmalangbiru, Repong, Bawah and Ritan), the southwest
quadrant of the MPA (including Pulau Damar and the southern uninhabited area of Jemaja
Island), the northwest islands (including Tokongnanas and the major turtle-nesting beaches
of Durai and Pahat), and the northeastern islands (including Pejalin Besar and Kecil and
Mandariau Laut and Darat and surrounding islands).
xiii
Figure 2 Map of Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park showing four areas of the park that
should be prioritized for inclusion in No-Take Zones and for marine tourism development.

It is imperative that the Anambas government and all stakeholders recognize that effective
management of the Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park will require not only a
comprehensive management plan and zonation plan, but just as importantly, serious
enforcement efforts (which will be a relatively expensive undertaking that will need
significant governmental funding to succeed). The government should strongly consider
working with the marine tourism sector to develop an MPA user fee system (such as those
already working effectively in MPAs like Bunaken and Raja Ampat in eastern Indonesia)
that could contribute significantly to the costs of enforcement and MPA management.
Importantly, management and enforcement in the Anambas MPA should strive to involve
local communities as much as possible; while this will undoubtedly require significant
investment in local capacity building, in the long run having community-led enforcement
and management provides the strongest likelihood of long term sustainability and
effectiveness of the MPA(s). Given the spread-out nature and remote islands of the MPA, it
will be important to develop at least four patrol posts (one in each of the areas outlined in
Fig. 2). Moreover, given the issues of both foreign commercial trawlers illegally operating as
well as blast and cyanide fishing, enforcement efforts in the MPA must also involve strong
cooperation and support of formal enforcement officers from either DKP, the water police or
the Navy. We note that with effective implementation of the MPA management plan, a
significant buildup in fish biomass is to be expected within a relatively short time frame of
3-5 years. Recovering fish stocks will likely make the area an even more enticing target for
illegal foreign fishing boats, which will undoubtedly require national level enforcement
efforts beyond what can reasonably be expected of local community-based patrols.
xiv

Anambas Regency and the MPA have excellent potential to further develop its marine
tourism industry. As stated above, it has a wealth of natural and cultural assets that could
drive a highly competitive and lucrative tourism industry, but there are also a number of
potentially negative factors that require immediate attention to ensure optimal tourism
growth. Moreover, it is important to note that in the absence of strong governmental
guidance and legislation, the private tourism sector will rarely self-organize or develop
tourism in a way that is inherently environmentally-sustainable or that provides clear
benefits to local communities. Bearing this in mind, we strongly recommend that the
Anambas government and MPA develop a marine tourism master plan (formalized as a
PERDA with tough sanctions) that incorporates a clear "tourism carrying capacity"
paradigm that limits the number of operating licenses, provides clear regulations on
environmentally-friendly accommodation construction and waste management, and
includes stipulations to ensure that local communities derive clear benefits (by requiring, for
instance, a minimum percentage of resort staff to be hired from local communities, etc). It is
important to note that most private sector investors actually strongly prefer an investment
climate that includes a strict set of rules and that limits access - and if this is put into place
before tourism development begins on a large scale, it will readily be accepted by all. As
noted previously, the master plan should also include the development of a marine tourism
entrance fee system that is used to fund both MPA management and community
improvement programs as has been done effectively in a number of well-established Coral
Triangle MPAs.

In developing the marine tourism master plan, the Anambas Regency government should
consider the "one island, one resort" development model that has been successfully
developed in the Maldives. With its abundance of uninhabited and unspoilt small islands, a
model that seeks to develop high-end, exclusive boutique resorts may very well prove to be
the most beneficial to the local economy whilst having the least impact on local culture (as
compared to the model of mass tourism development with large resorts seen on neighboring
Batam and Bintan Islands). It is important to note that the likely main market will be
Singapore, and it will be difficult for a mass tourism model to compete with Batam and
Bintan given the much easier access to those islands from Singapore. Anambas must present
a more exclusive tourism product to lure tourists to travel the further distance to this island
group.

As a general note, the Anambas government should not focus its energy on developing
infrastructure such as hotels and "pondoks" to encourage marine tourism development.
Most infrastructure development is far more efficiently conducted by the tourism private
sector; the primary role of the government is in developing the master plan and regulations
needed to ensure a conducive environment for appropriate private sector investment. In
addition to those recommendations above, additional priority actions for the government to
ensure an optimal environment for marine tourism growth include:

All exploitation of sea turtles (eggs and meat) should be stopped, as this is incompatible
with high-end ecotourism development and will cause problems for the reputation of the
destination. Moreover, it has been shown conclusively that sea turtles have a much
higher value alive as tourism assets than dead as meat or eggs. We moreover note that
the oil and gas companies operating in Anambas have shown strong interest in funding
turtle nest conservation programs that replace the lost income of egg collectors; we
xv
strongly recommend that the MPA management work closely with these companies to
further develop this model and thereby protect all nesting beaches in Anambas fully.

As previously noted, local communities in Anambas are generally unfamiliar with the
concept of marine tourism and how it could benefit them. The MPA management should
work closely with the Anambas department of tourism to develop a tourism awareness
campaign for local communities to engender strong local support for and understanding
of tourism. Links should also be made with the education department to begin an
intensive program of English language training in primary and secondary schools, with
an eventual goal of opening a high school in Tarempa focused on tourism vocational
training. Only by investing now in the local human resources of Anambas will the
government be able to ensure maximum benefits accrue to local communities - having
this strong local human resource base is also an attractive incentive to companies wishing
to invest in the region.

Finally, the one pressing infrastructure investment which is urgently needed in order to
encourage private sector investment is to open up convenient international air access to
Anambas. The Anambas Regency government should work with the relevant national
Ministeries (including the Ministry of Transportation) to gain international airport status
for Anambas, and develop the airport. If a Maldives-style model of high-end private
island development is pursued, it may also be necessary to involve a private sector
"floatplane" company to efficiently transport guests from the main international airport
facility to outlying island resorts.
Overall, the Anambas MRAP assessment has shown conclusively that Kabupaten Anambas and
the Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park have excellent potential to further develop a
profitable maritime economy based on sustainable fisheries and aquaculture and appropriate
marine tourism development. In order to do so, it is imperative to prioritize the development of a
comprehensive Anambas MPA management plan (with associated zonation system and
regulations) and relatedly an Anambas Marine Tourism Master Plan. To the extent that these
plans and regulations can be developed promptly and before there is significant uncontrolled
development of tourism and fisheries, the Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park has a bright
future indeed.
xvi
Table of Content
Chapter
Title
Pages
Title page
i
Suggested citation
ii
Executive summary
iii-xvi
Table of Content
xvii
1
Prologue
1-6
2
Site Description
7-10
3
Biodiversity and Conservation Priorities of Reef-building Corals in
Anambas Islands, Indonesia
Emre Turak and Lyndon DeVantier
11-74
4
The status of coral reefs in Anambas Islands, Indonesia
Suharsono, Meity Mongdong, Yusuf Arif Afandi, Leri Nuriadi, Supriyadi,
Yuwanda Ilham, Andriyatno Hanif, Syamsuh Herman, Nur Alam
75-92
5
Reef Fishes of the Anambas Archipelago
Gerald R. Allen and Mark V. Erdmann
93-130
6
Sea Turtle Utilisation and Habitat Distribution in Anambas Islands
Made Jaya Ratha, Muhamad Khazali, Tiene Gunawan, Putu Liza Mustika,
131-136
Meity Mongdong, Asril Djunaedi, Mark V. Erdman
7
The Socio-Economics of the Fisheries Industry of Coastal Communities
137-142
in the Anambas Islands
Asril Djunaidi, Arisetiarso Soemodinoto, Syamsuh Herman, Mairianto, Marzuki,
Hendra, Herman, Sopian, Andriyanto Hanif, Jurianto M. Nur, Riyanto Basuki,
Suraji
8
Epilogue
143
xvii
Chapter 1 Prologue
Introduction
The Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park in the South China Sea was officially gazetted on 6 July 2011
as per Ministerial Decree Number 35/MEN/2011 of the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF).
The park includes 1,261,686 hectares of diverse coral reef area, divided over two sections: one totalling
167,945.2 hectares in area and the other 1,094,741 hectares.
Administratively, the park is located wholly within the regency of Kabupaten Anambas, itself located
within the maritime province of the Riau Archipelago. Included within the park's boundaries are 238
islands, only 26 of which are inhabited. There are three large islands in the park (including Pulau Siantan,
Pulau Matak and Pulau Jemaja), while the remaining islands are all quite small. The park has excellent
representative habitats of mangrove, seagrass and coral reef ecosystems.
The park is considered highly strategic within the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries' overall
national portfolio of MPAs for two primary reasons. Firstly, the Anambas Islands are located within the
politically contested South China Sea, at the border of Indonesia's territorial claims with Malaysia and
Singapore to the west and Vietnam and Thailand in the north. With five of its small islands located right
on these international borders, the MPA is seen as a strategic management tool to not only manage the
rich marine resources of the archipelago, but also to strengthen Indonesia's national borders in this
region. Moreover, the Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park is one of only a few MPAs within
Indonesia's national system of MPAs that are found in the western reaches of the country.
As a newly gazetted MPA, the Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park must now develop a detailed
management plan that includes a zonation system and overall guidelines for marine tourism
development in the regency. Unfortunately, relatively few data exist on the biodiversity and reef
condition (and tourism potential) of this fascinating archipelago. In 2002, the Indonesian Institute of
Sciences (LIPI) and the Raffles Museum at the National University of Singapore ran a joint "AnambasNatuna Survey" that succeeded in cataloging a surprising level of coastal and marine biodiversity,
including a number of new species. Additional small-scale surveys were conducted by the Ministry of
Marine Affairs and Fisheries in 2010, by the Pekanbaru "LokaKKPN" agency in 2011, and by the Riau
Provincial Department of Fisheries and Marine Affairs and Conservation International in 2011. While the
data from these various surveys will be very useful for the development of the MPAs management plan,
a more geographically comprehensive survey with the express purpose of generating recommendations
for the new MPA's management plan is now needed to fill in knowledge gaps.
In order to provide a comprehensive picture of the biodiversity, community/assemblage structure,
current condition of coral reefs and related ecosystems and socio-economic status of local coastal
communities within the Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park, MMAF's Directorate of MPAs and
Species Conservation (KKJI) conducted an Anambas Islands Marine Rapid Assessment (MRAP) in May
2012. The rapid assessment was implemented in collaboration with LIPI, Loka KKPN Pekanbaru, the
Anambas Department of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, the Riau Provincial Fisheries Department, the
Nature Conservancy and Conservation International Indonesia. The assessment was conducted by two
Page | 1
separate teams: a socioeonomic team that moved between villages using speedboat transportation, and a
biodiversity and tourism potential assessment team that utilized the survey vessel MV Mata Ikan as a
liveaboard diving platform. The data collected from this MRAP assessment is compiled herein and is
intended to inform the Anambas Islands Marine Park zonation and management plans as well as the
regency's marine tourism development plans. This executive summary provides an overview of the key
findings and recommendations of the survey teams.
Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park MRAP Objectives
The assessment, conducted from 3-31 May 2012, had the following five primary objectives:
1.
Assess the current status (including biodiversity, coral reef condition and conservation
status/resilience of hard corals, coral reef fishes and marine megafauna including sea turtles and
cetaceans) of approximately 20 sites representing the full range of oceanographic and ecological
conditions found in the Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park, compiling thorough species-level
inventories of each of these groups.
2.
Compile spatially-detailed data on biological features which must be taken into consideration in
development of the Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park Management Plan. This includes not only
an analysis of any differences in reef community structure across the 20 priority sites, but also
specifically identifying areas of outstanding conservation importance and/or marine tourism interest
due to rare or endemic hard coral or fish assemblages or marine megafauna, presence of reef fish
spawning aggregation or cleaning sites, sea turtle nesting beaches, reef communities exposed to
frequent cold-water upwelling that are resilient to global climate change, or other outstanding
biological features.
3.
Assess the socio-economic conditions of the coastal communities living within the Anambas Islands
Marine Tourism Park, including the degree of reliance on marine resources for livelihoods, the main
fisheries capture techniques (including those with the potential to damage marine ecosystems), as
well as community perspectives on conservation and acceptance of MPAs.
4.
Assess and describe the key social, economic and biological features of the Napoleon wrasse
(Cheilinus undulatus) grow-out aquaculture system in Kecamatan Siantan Tengah, and provide
recommendations to MMAF and DKP Anambas on managing this important local industry.
5.
Evaluate the potential for marine tourism development in the Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park
and provide concrete recommendations for doing so.
Location
Most of the Anambas Marine Tourism Park (see details below)
Time
-
Assessment of Anambas’ marine biodiversity and marine tourism potentials for 15 days (19 May – 3
June 2012)
Page | 2
-
Assessment of the socio-economics of Anambas and the napoleon mariculture for one month
(April/May 2012)
Methods
The method used during the Anambas Marine Rapid Assessment Program (MRAP) was a method
developed for more than 20 years by Conservation International (CI). The method has been applied to
more than 23 countries in the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans. The followings explain each method
for taxonomic groups of reef fish and coral reef ecosystem:
a.
Reef fish
Underwater visual survey was used to assess the Anambas reef fish status by diving each site for 60-100
minutes. Every observed reef fish was recorded. The researchers conducted the first set of observations
on the 30-50m depth before slowly ascending to shallower depths. Most observations were conducted at
5-12m. Substrate conditions (e.g., rocky, flat reef, drop off, cave, rubbles or sand) were also recorded at
each diving site.
b. Hard coral (diversity and reef status)
Hard coral survey was conducted at several sites to give a general understanding on environmentallyrelated habitat types (e.g., exposure, slope and depth). At all diving sites, coral reefs at shallow and deep
waters were concurrently surveyed. Surveys were conducted at deeper reef slopes (usually > 10m depth)
and at shallow slopes, at reef flats and at the tips of the reefs (usually < 10m depth). During the 1.5 half
diving, the coral team recorded the following information:
1) Inventory of species, genus and family of the sessile benthic communities; and
2) Assessment of main benthic substrate converage and the status of several environmental parameters
c. Migratory species (cetaceans and sea turtles)
Migratory species such as the cetaceans and sea turtles were assessed based on direct observation and
literature review/secondary data. The assessment was expected to unearth the following information:



A list of encountered species
Habitat use of the cetaceans and sea turtles in Anambas
Specific time frame of observation
d. The development of marine tourism industry in Anambas
During the survey, the biodiversity team took plentiful pictures and notes on each site with unique
marine tourism attraction. The team had previously conducted a rapid assessment on the potentials of
marine tourism industry in several regencies/provinces in Indonesia, as well as other countries (including
Bali, Raja Ampat, Kaimana, Cendrawasih Bay, North Sulawesi, Brunei Darussalam and Palawan in the
Philippines). The team has a vast understanding on biological features and sceneries that would appeal to
the eyes of divers, snorkelers and general tourists. These features include unique and endemic fish and
other marine species as well as favourable seascapes or coral formations. This report compiles priority
marine tourism locations. The report also offers the local Anambas government some recommendations
for the development of the local marine tourism industry.
Page | 3
e.
The socio-cultural and economic status of the Anambas communities
Direct observation and literature review/secondary data collection were used to understand the sociocultural and economic setting of the local communities in Anambas. Primary data collection was
conducted by visiting all villages in and around the Anambas Park and conducting randomized
interviews to selected informants. Secondary data collection was obtained from published literatures on
regional statistics and profiles.
We conducted a survey targeting napoleon mariculturists in Central Siantan District and adjacent
villages. Target informants were napoleon mariculturists. Interviewers asked questions on the socioeconomic aspects of the artisanal industry, including the number of households involved in the industry
and how many type of fish traps (and the number of each type) every household had. Randomized
interviews were conducted to understand the technical details of the mariculture and annual marketing
trend. Field observations were conducted to understand the status of napoleon brood stock and
offsprings in natural habitat.
Analyses of napoleon wrasse life cycle and supply/demand chains were conducted to understand the role
of market in Siantan. Economic benefit analysis of this artisanal industry to the people of Siantan was also
conducted.
Detailed activities
The Anambas MRAP was conducted from 3 May to 3 June. The survey team was divided into two interconnecting sub-teams: socio-economics team and biodiversity team (including fish, coral and mega
fauna).
A.
Socio-economic survey
Socio-economic surveys were conducted at every island considered important in the overall
understanding of the Anambas socio-cultural and economic settings. An in-depth study on the Central
Siantan napoleon wrasse mariculture was conducted for a week. Below is the name of the places visited
during the socio-economic surveys.
Table 1.1 Summary of survey sites for the socio-economic rapid assessment in Anambas
Date
3-4 May 2012
5-18 May 2012
Place
Batam, Tanjung Pinang and Matak
Jemaja
19-20 May 2012
21-30 May 2012
Tarempa
Central Siantan
31 May 2012
1 June 2012
Tarempa
Batam
Remarks
Team arrival
Socio-economic surveys (focus group
discussion on 13 May)
Data entry, survey preparation
Napoleon
survey
(focus
group
discussion on 30 May)
Data entry
Team returned to Batam
Page | 4
B.
Survei Keanekaragaman Hayati dan Potensi Pariwisata Bahari
In general, the biodiversity and marine tourism team surveyed two sites per day: one in the morning and
one in the afternoon. Two dives were conducted at every location, each taking 1.5-2.5 hours. Below is the
name of the places visited during the biodiversity surveys. The GPS coordinates of the biodiversity
survey sites can be found in the Executive Summary and Chapters 3, 4, 5 and 6.
The Team
A collaborative team for the Anambas MRAP consisted of biodiversity, coral and fish experts from the
Indonesian Institute of Science, the Ministry of Marine and Fisheries Affairs, the Pekanbaru and Anambas
Marine and Fisheries Agencies, the Riau Archipelago Marine and Fisheries Agencies and Conservation
International Indonesia. The team was divided into two: the socio-economic team and the biodiversity
and marine tourism team.
A. The socio-economic team
1) Syamsuh Herman, Anambas Marine and Fisheries Office
2) Mairianto, Anambas Marine and Fisheries Office
3) Marzuki, Anambas MPA Task Force
4) Hendra, Anambas MPA Task Force
5) Herman, Anambas MPA Task Force
6) Sopian, Anambas MPA Task Force
7) Andriyanto Hanif, S.Pi (National MPA Authority at Pekanbaru)
8) Dr Arisetiarso Soemodinoto (The Nature Conservancy)
9) Jurianto M. Nur, S.Pi (Conservation International Indonesia)
10) Asril Djunaidi, M.Sc (Conservation Internasional Indonesia)
11) Mr Riyanto Basuki, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries
12) Mr Suraji, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries
B. The biodiversity and marine tourism team
13) Prof Dr. Suharsono, the Indonesian Institute of Science, coral expert
14) Dr Mark Erdman, Conservation International Indonesia: expert on reef fish and marine tourism
development
15) Dr Gerald Robert Allen, reef fish expert
16) Dr Lynn Devantier, hard coral expert
17) Dr Emre Turak, hard coral expert
18) Romi Tampi, Conservation International Indonesia, reef fish expert
19) Meity Mongdong, Conservation International Indonesia, reef fish and hard coral expert
20) Dr Putu Liza Mustika, Conservation International Indonesia, marine mammal expert
21) I Made Jaya Ratha, Conservation International Indonesia, sea turtle expert
22) Yusuf Arif Afandi, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries
23) Leri Nuriadi, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries
24) Supriyadi, National MPA Authority at Pekanbaru
25) Yuwanda Ilham, National MPA Authority at Pekanbaru
26) Andriyatno Hanif, National MPA Authority at Pekanbaru
27) Syamsuh Herman, DKP Anambas
Page | 5
28) Nur Alam, Anambas Marine and Fisheries Office
Data
Sharing of all data collected (including fish and coral species list, coral coverage, biological features such
as fish spawning and aggregation sites, and photographs) is encouraged among the participants and
associated institutions. The preliminary results of the MRAP were presented in late September 2012 in
Batam. This report is the final report that encapsulates all important findings during the Anambas MRAP
in May 2012. The report will hopefully serve as guidance for the Pekanbaru, Anambas and Riau
government agencies in designing the Anambas Marine Tourism Park, including the development of its
marine tourism industry.
Page | 6
Chapter 2 Site Description
The followings are site descriptions for the biodiversity survey, largely from the viewpoints of the coral
and fish teams.
1. Tokongmalangbiru. Steep rocky island (no beaches) with nesting sea birds; island drops off sharply to
3-5m depth, from which there is a gently sloping reef that becomes much steeper at about 10m, sloping
quickly to just over 50m. Overall very nice reef with excellent coral cover, though with some previous
blast fishing damage. Overall hard coral cover reaching up to 90% in shallows, significantly lower below
12m; other dominant substrata was rubble (and sea fans below 35m). One large school of rainbow
runners and 5 medium-sized coral trout (Plectropomus leopardus).
2. Pulau Repong. Larger, high island with 1.5km beach that reportedly has turtle nesting. Very gradual
hard coral slope from 1-10m (with excellent hard coral cover approaching 90%); below 10m mostly large
rubble fields (bombing?) but then increasing back to about 25% from 10-30m. At least 30 COTS starfish
observed feeding in shallows (>3m). One juvenile black tip shark and one juvenile hawksbill turtle
observed at 2-5m depth. Other large fish included 7 large bumphead parrotfish, about 20 large milkfish
Chanos chanos and a few jacks.
3. Pulau Renge. Fringing reef off of a small island with coastal influence from surrounding large islands.
Extensive signs of blast fishing, including one large bomb blast heard while diving. Some nice coral cover
(up to 30% in shallows), but overall a quite damaged reef. Interesting surge zone with big rocks. 2 small
bumphead parrotfish and a single hawksbill turtle observed.
4. Pulau Piantai. Fringing reef off small island with coastal influence. Overall very gradual slope with
some spur and grove zone formation leading up to large rocks on shoreline. Generally very good coral
cover (50-80%) and western point of island with large Porites heads and covered with sea whips and
gorgonians deeper on current-swept point. Three scattered COTS starfish were observed in 3m depth, as
well as some old torn net. Towards the point, quite fishy - a school of approximately 50 large big-eye
trevally, numerous other jacks, 5 medium-sized bumphead parrotfish, and 1 black tip reef shark.
5. Tokongberlayar. Small rocky islet with lighthouse; very gradually sloping fringing reef with
outstanding coral cover from 2 to 12m depth with high rugosity and good diversity of branching and
massive corals, including a number of 300 year old++ Porites heads (some over 7m in diameter). As we've
seen at all other sites to date, though, there was a massive bombed belt from about 12 to 20m depth.
Below this was again some outstanding beautiful big foliose coral fields from 20-30m, below which it
became a sand/rubble slope with occasional corals and gorgonians. COTS were present in low numbers
in shallows and in moderate numbers (about 15 observed) on deep foliose coral beds. Larger fish
generally scarce, though with lots of parrotfish including bumpheads and quite some schools of fusiliers,
as well as a number of larger emperors in shallows.
6. Pulau Pahat. Larger high island with gradually sloping fringing reef and very large boulders on
shoreline. Deeper (25m+) was mostly sand/rubble with a few reef patches; these were swarming with
jacks (Alipes, rainbow runners, and big eye trevally). Also saw 2 large eagle rays. The reef was largely
dead, though still with coral structure intact - appeared to have been COTS damaged severely in the past.
Page | 7
Some nice live patches of coral in spur and groove zone, but overall perhaps only 20% live. Ten live
COTS observed, as well as some large old pieces of net. Very large schools of parrotfishes feeding on
algae on dead coral skeletons.
7. Pulau Durai. High island with two large green turtle nesting beaches (several pairs of green turtles
seen mating in early morning in water). Gradually sloping fringing reef with some minor spur and
groove zone development; slope becoming steeper at 10m down to 25m, where reef transitioned to
sand/rubble. At 40-50m steep sand slope, then at 50m flat sand plain. From 10-25m the reef was mostly
alive, though with some apparent bomb damage. However, from 2-10m, the reef was 90% dead, though
most reef structure (including table corals and branching thickets) still completely intact - though now
covered with algae. Those remaining live corals frequently had COTS starfish feeding on them. Appears
to have been major COTS outbreak, perhaps augmented by bleaching event. Also observed a number of
large pieces of abandoned gill net. 2 pairs of mating green turtles observed, as well as a single whitetip
reef shark and 8 large milkfish.
8. Tokongnenas. Very gradually sloping fringing reef off of small rocky islet. Large boulders in shallows
with decent fish life; from boulders seaward for about 100m mostly sand and large rubble with occasional
Porites head. Beyond this, from about 8m depth sloping to 18m depth, very low relief reef comprised
mostly of small Porites heads and other stout corals; reef slope increasing in grade from 18-25m, where it
then became sand and rubble. One large school of queenfish and a number of large emperors, but
otherwise not many large fish.
9. Pulau Telaga. Fringing reef at the mouth of a strait at NW tip of Pulau Telaga, subject to strong current.
Gradually sloping reef from 2 to 25m, after which it turned to sand and rubble with occasional large low
bommie. From 2-12m was a mix of dead standing and live hard coral (apparent recovery), while from 1225m the reef was nearly 100% live hard coral cover, with vast expanses of Porites rus and other
submassive growth forms. Impressive coral cover, with large numbers of fusiliers feeding in the current.
No larger fish observed, though we observed perhaps 20 fishing boats in the vicinity.
10. Terempa. Fringing reef off the mainland, and just outside of the NE harbor of Terempa. Coral was in
surprisingly good condition despite being only 150m from a major settlement, though with large
population of Diadema sea urchins. Reef top at 1m depth, moderately sloping to about 20m where it
tapered off into sand. Corals mostly massives and lagoonal forms, given that this area is in a large strait
and completely protected from wave action. Top of reef had 60-80% live coral cover in most areas. Some
schooling fusiliers and a number of larger turbid water snappers, but generally appeared quite
overfished. A few COTS starfish observed.
11. Pulau Keramut. Fringing reef in a largely protected embayment with moderate turbidity. From small
boulders in the surge zone, reef flat extends about 50m seaward and then gradually slopes down to about
25m before tapering into sand and rubble - which continues to about 35m depth before flattening out.
Reef flat a mix of dead acroporids and some areas of 80% live massive Porites cover; reef crest dominated
by Porites rus and Montipora digitata with 70-80% live cover that tapers off dramatically as slope descends
below 10m. No large fish observed, and generally very few food fish of any kind save for a few schooling
fusiliers (likely due to overfishing by nearby village). Many juvenile COTS starfish seen in reef
framework.
12. NW Jemaja. Sheltered fringing reef with moderate turbidity. From large boulders in the surge zone,
reef flat extends about 100m seaward and then gradually slopes down to 20m before tapering into sand
Page | 8
and rubble and flattening out entirely by 25m depth. Deeper reef mostly dead with algal cover; reef crest
with 60-80% live coral cover, and reef flat with lots of dead standing cover due to apparent COTS
outbreak in the past. VERY few commercially important fishes observed.
13. NE Jemaja (Tanjung Pinanang). Fringing reef off a rocky exposed point with relatively strong
current. Large wave-washed boulders in shallows, with a very gradually sloping reef to 20m, tapering
into sand with many sea whips and occasional rocky outcrops down to 28m. Again, VERY few
commercially important fishes observed, save for some small schools of fusiliers and several bumphead
parrotfish, and a single female Napoleon wrasse.
14. SE Jemaja. Fringing reef off a wave-exposed point just outside of large mangrove bay on SE side of
Jemaja island. Unusual reef formation with wide rubble/sand reef flat, then a zone from 2-4m of 100%
Acropora live cover, descending to a very lagoonal-like reef (50-70% cover, quite a bit of standing dead
coral from perhaps a previous COTS starfish outbreak?) that sloped down to only 10-15m before
transitioning into sand. Extensive sand flats surrounding the reef area. Six large jacks and quite a number
of medium-sized snappers.
15. SE Pulau Bawah. Fringing reef off south coast of island with excellent habitat variability, ranging
from current/wave exposed point (some blast fishing damage observed in 3-8m depth, but otherwise 4050% live) with steep reef slope tapering into sand and scattered rocks and gorgonians/sea whips from 2545m depth to a extensive reef crest (over 100m wide) with 100% live Acropora cover, dropping down into
a sandy lagoon with high coral cover from 2-7m before tapering into pure white sand. Very high fish
diversity. One blacktip reef shark, one juvenile hawksbill turtle, rainbow runners and permits observed.
No COTS starfish observed, though past blast fishing damage was seen.
16. NE Pulau Bawah. Fringing reef with large lagoon behind reef flat; reef slope apparently badly bomb
damaged from 5-25m (mostly rubble field with occasional coral bommie). Reef flat with good coral cover,
while lagoon was a mixture of badly damaged areas and excellent lagoonal coral growth. Seemingly very
overfished, or perhaps due to lack of habitat - there were no charismatic vertebrates observed.
17. Pulau Gemili, Ayerabu. Fringing coastal reef with wide (75m) reef flat with very gradual slope; 6090% live coral cover from 2m down to about 8m, where slope increased and coral cover dropped off. Reef
tapering into sand at 25m, though with scattered rocky outcrops with coral at 30-35m. In shallows,
medium sized boulders with very gradual slope, creating an interesting blenny habitat. No large fish
observed.
18. NW Temiang. Fringing reef exposed to significant current; large Porites heads in the shallows with a
very gradual slope to 20m, where reef turned to clean expanse of sand. Across 30m wide sand flat an
extensive but low relief patch reef arose. Overall excellent hard coral cover, though with numerous small
bombed patches. Two large milkfish and several large jacks observed.
19. Pulau Selai. Protected fringing reef off eastern coast of island. Shallow reef flat (about 75m wide) with
relatively steep reef drop off from 3 to 20m depth (reef largely intact with 50-80% live coral cover,
dominated by Porites rus submassive colonies). Below 20m, fine white sand descending to about 40m,
with several vibrant patch reefs in the 30-35m depth range. Seven rainbow runners and several large jacks
observed, but otherwise not many fish.
Page | 9
20. Pulau Mandariau Laut. Relatively protected fringing reef with very narrow reef flat; from large
boulders on shore, reef descends at relatively steep slope immediately from 4-20m, where it transitions
into sand and several large coral-encrusted boulders in the 20-25m depth range. Flat sand at 25m as far as
eye can see. Very few large fish recorded - only a single large bumphead parrotfish.
Page | 10
Chapter 3 Biodiversity and Conservation Priorities of Reef-building
Corals in Anambas Islands, Indonesia
Emre Turak and Lyndon DeVantier
Executive Summary
This report describes the biodiversity and status of coral communities of the Anambas Islands,
Indonesia, surveyed in May 2012. This area forms part of the South China Sea, bordering the
western edge of the Coral Triangle (CT), earth’s most diverse tropical marine province. The
surveys were designed to identify sites of conservation priority, planning for the Anambas
Marine Tourism Park (MTP). A total of 41 sites (adjacent deep and shallow areas) at 20 stations
(individual GPS locations) were surveyed. Due to circumstances beyond our control, the survey
was not completed, and some key sites with different habitat types to those surveyed were not
assessed. Thus these results should be considered preliminary.
The survey formed part of a collaborative project between Conservation International and
partners, including the Indonesian Department of Nature Conservation (PHKA), the Indonesian
Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF), the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI).
Species richness and undescribed species:
Anambas Islands host a diverse reef coral fauna, with a confirmed total of 339 reef-building
(hermatypic) coral species. An additional 27 species were unconfirmed, requiring further
taxonomic study. At least two species, Montipora and Anacropora spp. are likely to be new to
science, such that there are likely to be somewhere between 370 and (possibly) 400 hermatypic
Scleractinia present, in total. The latter higher estimate is based on the assumption of an
additional suite of species occurring in habitats not assessed during the present survey. Results
for overall richness are similar to those from Komodo and higher than Banda Islands, but lower
than Derewan, Wakatobi, Bunaken or Raja Ampat, or Brunei Darusallam or El Nido (Palawan,
Philippines), the latter two locations also being in the South China Sea.
Within-station (point) richness around Anambas Islands averaged 163 species (s.d. 18 spp.),
ranging from a low of 126 species at Station 6 to a high of 193 species at Station 18. Other
particularly species-rich stations included Station 14 (188 spp.) and Station 17 (184 spp.). Notably,
mean station richness for Anambas Islands of 163 spp. was high, being similar to that of Derewan
and Bunaken and higher than most other locations surveyed.
Community structure:
At station level, four major coral community types were identified, albeit with reservation, since
one community type was represented with only 3 stations. Each with a more-or-less distinctive
suite of species and benthic attributes, although some species were more or less ubiquitous across
several community types, notably Acropora and Porites spp. and various faviids and fungiids.
Page | 11
Coral cover:
Cover of living hard corals was typically moderate to high, averaging 35 % and ranging from 10 –
70 %. Stations with high live coral cover were widespread. Highest cover (50 % or more) occurred
most commonly (but not exclusively) in shallow sites (< 10m depth), notably at sites 1.2, 2.2, 4.1,
4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 10.2, 12.1, 12.2, 13.2, 16.3, 17.2 and 18.2.
Overall, rubble and dead corals contributed ca. 25 % cover, more than half of which was in the
form of rubble (14 %). Sites with high cover of rubble (30 % or more) included sites 1.1, 2.2, 4.2,
5.1, 7.1, 16.2 and 16.3. Sites with relatively high cover of standing dead corals (20 % or more) were
4.1, 6.1, 6.2, 7.2, 9.2 and 11.2. Previous mortality of live corals was mostly attributable to
destructive fishing damage (mainly blast fishing but also possibly some poison fishing, Crown-ofthorns seastar and/or Drupella snail predation, bleaching and diseases. Evidence of coral mortality
attributable to past coral bleaching episodes, in the form of characteristic scarring patterns on the
tops of massive corals that was consistent with the anomalously high sea surface temperatures of
1998 and 2010.
Blast fishing damage was widespread, clearly identifiable as a zone of broken coral rubble
typically extending from ca 6m – 15m depth. Individual blast craters were also apparent in
shallower waters at some sites. Although no major outbreaks of Crown-of-thorns seastars were
found during the survey, individuals and small – moderate populations were present on at least
five of the survey stations and recent coral scarring consistent with their feeding activity was
found at several other stations. Only low levels of coral diseases were apparent, developed
primarily on tabular species of Acropora.
There was only low cover of recently killed corals (ca 2%), and continuing disturbances
notwithstanding, the overall ratio of live : dead cover of hard corals remained positive at ca 7 : 2,
indicative of a reef tract in moderate to good condition in terms of coral cover. The ratio of live
hard coral cover to dead corals plus rubble was also positive, albeit weakly, at ca 7 : 5, and is
consistent with these reefs supporting ca. 50-60 % mean live hard coral cover, very high by world
standards, during periods of low disturbance. Soft coral cover was mostly low, averaging just 4 %
overall.
Interregional comparisons:
Anambas Islands’ coral faunal composition is typical of the larger region, with almost all species
recorded being found elsewhere in the broader region. The overall high similarity in species
composition with other locations notwithstanding, several important differences were apparent
among these regions in the structure of their coral communities. At station level, Anambas
Islands’ coral communities were more similar to each other than with any other location. In terms
of coral species composition (presence) Anambas Islands corals were similar to those of Bunaken
NP (Sulawesi), well to the East and Phuket area (Andaman Sea, Thailand), well to the west. This
reflects the high underlying similarity in coral species composition across the broader region.
These three locations were then most similar to Brunei Darusallam and South-central Vietnam.
This larger set of locations included three of four survey locations in the South China Sea, with the
exception of El Nido (Palawan, Philippines), which has substantially higher species richness.
Resilience to climate change
There was considerable evidence, in the form of characteristic scarring patterns on the tops of
large, long-lived massive corals, of past and recent bleaching-induced coral mortality at some
shallow sites, particularly Durai (Site 7.2) which also had Crown-of-thorns seastar predation. The
bleaching was likely caused by periods of elevated sea temperatures and associated high
irradiance in 1998 and 2010. No evidence of consistent upwelling areas was found during the
Page | 12
present brief survey, although a cool water thermocline was present at many stations at ca 30-35m
depth, potentially offering some protection to deeper water coral communities.
Conservation priorities:
There is significant potential for successful zoning and management of Anambas MTP as long as
sufficient logistic resources and long-term support are provided. In respect of zoning the MPA,
the following recommendations are made:
1. A multiple use MPA model, with different areas zoned for different levels of protection
and use, is likely to be the most appropriate, given the range of activities that already
occur and are planned (eg. expansion of marine tourism). However, this model should
include adequate core areas excluding extractive activities, to ensure conservation of key
habitat and community types and foster replenishment.
2. As far as practicable, the MPA network should include representative and
complementary areas encompassing the main coral community types and reefs of high
conservation value (in terms of richness, cover, replenishment, rarity).
3. Given the above considerations, key stations for consideration for inclusion in core zones
of the Anambas Islands MTP include Stations 1, 4, 5, 12-15 and 17-19.
4. Once MPA zoning is in place, enforcement of regulations will be crucial.
5. Consideration should be given to a ‘User-pays’ system (eg. Bunaken National Park)
whereby visitors pay a nominal fee for access. This can provide significant funds for MPA
management and benefits to local communities.
Marine Tourism Potential:
Anambas Islands have great potential for the development of ecologically sensitive marine
tourism. Most islands are uninhabited or have only small human populations, are visually very
attractive and have most if not all of their native vegetation intact. Fringing reefs are easily
accessible, with typically clear, warm, sheltered waters, providing ideal snorkel and SCUBA
diving options, among other water sports. In these respects, particularly spectacular locations
include Pulau Bawah and Pulau Durai.
Page | 13
Introduction
The islands of Anambas, Indonesia, are situated in the Riau Archipelago, well to the north of
Sumatra, approximately midway between Peninsula Malaysia to the west and Kalimantan,
Borneo to the east, in the southern part of the South China Sea. The region is located adjacent to
the western edge of the Coral Triangle (CT), renowned for its globally outstanding marine
biodiversity (Fig. 3.1).
Figure 3.1 The Coral Triangle (dark red, after Veron et al. 2009). Anambas (marked with a star) is
located adjacent to the western edge, within the 451-500 reef-building coral species isopleth.
Environmental Conditions and Oceanography
The Anambas Islands are sufficiently close to the equator (2-3 degrees N) to be unaffected directly
by major tropical storms – typhoons. There are two monsoon seasons annually, the South-west
and North-east monsoons, with the main wet season occurring from November to April, although
episodic thunder storms and torrential rain may develop at any time.
The Anambas Islands are located on the relatively shallow Sunda Shelf (Fig. 3.2), with
characteristic oceanography and tectonic – eustatic history, notably exposure to repeated
significant changes in sea level and drying of the Sunda Shelf during the Pleistocene ice-ages, and
subsequent return of sea level and inundation of islands and reefs during the interglacial periods.
The Sunda Shelf is approximately 40 metres deep at its periphery and 100 metres deep in its
central part, and is dissected by a network of submerged river valleys that converge into the
Sunda
Depression
and
then
into
the
China
Sea
Basin
(http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/556146/South-China-Sea):
“Shallow channels are found on the east along the Philippine island chain and on the south between Borneo
and Sumatra. The western connection to the Indian Ocean is the long Strait of Malacca. At its narrowest it
is 19 miles (31 km) wide and about 100 feet (30 metres) deep…
… Monsoons control the sea-surface currents as well as the exchange of water between the South China Sea
and adjacent bodies of water. In August the surface flow into the South China Sea is from the south from the
Page | 14
Java Sea through the Karimata and Gelasa (Gasper) straits. Near the mainland the general flow is
northeasterly, passing out through the Taiwan and Luzon straits. There is a weak countercurrent on the
eastern side of the sea. In February the flow is generally to the southwest; the strongest flow occurs in
summer along the bulging part of Vietnam, with speeds of up to 3.5 miles (5.6 km) per hour generated by
the strong southwestern monsoon.
The near-surface waters are relatively warm (about 84 °F [29 °C] in the summer) because of the low latitude
and a tendency for the equatorial current to feed warm water into the area. In early summer, wind from the
southwest not only moves the surface water to the northeast but causes it to be displaced off the coast. … In
winter the general surface temperature is cooler, ranging from about 70 °F (21 °C) in the north to 81 °F
(27 °C) in the south.”
Sunda
Shelf
Figure 3.2 Extent of exposed land during the major Pleistocene glaciations. Figure courtesy of
Veron et al. (2009).
The islands support fringing coral reefs, seagrass and mangrove habitats, with distinct ecological
and biological patterns, as highlighted by previous surveys:
“In 2002, the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and the Raffles Museum at the National University of
Singapore ran a joint "Anambas-Natuna Survey" that succeeded in cataloging a surprising level of coastal
and marine biodiversity, including a number of new species. Additional small-scale surveys were conducted
by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries in 2010, by the Pekanbaru "LokaKKPN" agency in 2011,
and by the Riau Provincial Department of Fisheries and Marine Affairs and Conservation International in
2011.” (M. Erdmann, CI Indonesia Marine Program 2012).
More recently, according to their website, the Biosphere Foundation (BF) has initiated survey and
conservation
activities
focused
on
sea
turtles
in
the
Anambas
Islands
(http://www.biospherefoundation.org/BFAbout12-11.pdf):
“Durai Island has the greatest concentration of nesting endangered green & hawksbill sea turtles in the
Anambas Islands. Despite the fact that it is illegal to eat sea turtle eggs, nearly 100% of the eggs were
gathered for human consumption until 2009 when BF initiated a program to make Durai beach a sea turtle
protected area. BF will continue to provide guidance to support the long-term sustainability of this project.
Page | 15
… BF initiated a coral reef conservation program to protect Durai Island’s fringing coral reef and restore
depleted fish stocks and conducted a base-line study in 2011. On the recommendation of BF and based on
data collected, the local government declared Durai and Pahat (its neighbouring island) a Marine Protected
Area in July of 2011. The next step is to work with the Anambas community to implement a communitybased conservation program to ensure the area remains protected. BF will return in subsequent years to
continue to monitor the reef and provide educational programs and consultation.”
Socio-economy
A census of the population of Anambas Islands Regency (capital Tarempa) in 2010 recorded
37,493 people, increasing steadily from the 28,510 people present in 2000
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anambas_Islands). Main forms of employment include various
types of fisheries, mainly artisanal. Significant income is derived from the mining of natural gas
for export to Malaysia and Singapore.
Planning for future sustainability
The Indonesian Government, particularly the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, is
presently working towards a comprehensive long-term development strategy, including recent
establishment of a Marine Tourism Park (M. Erdmann, CI Indonesia Marine Program):
“The Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park in the South China Sea was officially gazetted on 6 July 2011
as per Ministerial Decree Number 35/MEN/2011 of the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries. The park
includes 1,261,686 hectares of diverse coral reef area, divided over two sections: one totalling 167,945.2 ha.
in area and the other 1,094,741 ha.
Administratively, the park is located wholly within the regency of Kabupaten Anambas, itself located within
the maritime province of the Riau Archipelago. Included within the park's boundaries are 238 islands, only
26 of which are inhabited. There are three large islands in the park (including Pulau Siantan, Pulau Matak
and Pulau Jemaja), while the remaining islands are all quite small. The park has excellent representative
habitats of mangrove, seagrass and coral reef ecosystems.
The park is considered highly strategic within the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries' overall
national portfolio of MPAs for two primary reasons. Firstly, the Anambas Islands are located within the
politically contested South China Sea, at the border of Indonesia's territorial claims with Malaysia and
Singapore to the west and Vietnam and Thailand in the north. With five of its small islands located right on
these international borders, the MPA is seen as a strategic management tool to not only manage the rich
marine resources of the archipelago, but also to strengthen Indonesia's national borders in this region.
Moreover, the Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park is one of only a few MPAs within Indonesia's
national system of MPAs that are found in the western reaches of the country.” (M. Erdmann, CI
Indonesia Marine Program 2012)
Rationale and assessment objectives
CI was asked by the government to lead a team of local and international experts in surveying key
sites within the newly gazetted MPA, the results to be used to provide clear recommendations on
priority development sites and next steps for the design of the MPA network.
“As a newly gazetted MPA, the Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park must now develop a detailed
management plan that includes a zonation system and overall guidelines for marine tourism development
in the regency. Unfortunately, relatively few data exist on the biodiversity and reef condition (and tourism
potential) of this fascinating archipelago.
Page | 16
In order to provide a comprehensive picture of the biodiversity, community / assemblage structure, and
current condition of coral reefs and related ecosystems within the Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park,
the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries' Directorate of MPAs and Species Conservation (KKJI), in
collaboration with LIPI, LokaKKPN Pekanbaru, the Anambas Department of Marine Affairs and Fisheries,
the Riau Provincial Fisheries Department, and Conservation International Indonesia, are planning an
Anambas Islands Marine Rapid Assessment (MRAP) utilizing the survey vessel MV Mata Ikan and
including up to 15 local, national and international experts on the survey team..” (M. Erdmann, CI
Indonesia Marine Program 2012).
The MRAP assessment, conducted during the period of 19-30 May2012, had the following three
primary objectives:
 Assess the current status (including biodiversity, coral reef condition and conservation
status/resilience of hard corals and coral reef fishes) of approximately 25 sites
representing the full range of oceanographic and ecological conditions found in the
Anambas Island Marine Tourism Park. Thorough species-level inventories of each of
these groups will be compiled.
 Compile spatially-detailed data on biological features which must be taken into
consideration in development of the Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park Management
Plan. This includes not only an analysis of any differences in reef community structure
across the 25 priority sites, but also specifically identifying areas of outstanding
conservation importance and/or marine tourism interest due to rare or endemic hard
coral or fish assemblages, presence of reef fish spawning aggregation or cleaning sites,
reef communities exposed to frequent cold-water upwelling that are resilient to global
climate change, or other outstanding biological features.
 Taking the above into account, provide concrete recommendations to KKJI, LokaKKPN
Pekanbaru and the Anambas Regency government on development of the MPA's
management plan (including zonation plan) and on developing marine tourism in the
MPA.
In addressing these objectives, this study documents coral species composition, community
structure and ecological status of the reef-building corals of Anambas Islands. These results were
compared with those of previous surveys in the “Coral Triangle” region, specifically with those
from Berau, East Kalimantan (2004 TNC REA), Raja Ampat (including 2001 CI Marine RAP and
2002 TNC REA), Cenderawasih Bay (2006 CI Marine RAP), the FakFak/Kaimana Coastline (2006
CI Marine RAP) the Sangihe-Talaud region of North Sulawesi (2001 TNC REA), Bali (2008/2011
MRAP) and Brunei (2009-2010 marine surveys) with a specific goal of quantitatively assessing
ecological and taxonomic similarities in coral assemblages between Anambas and neighbouring
regions within the Coral Triangle. Based upon the above information, concrete recommendations
were provided to KKJI and the Anambas government on next steps in developing the Anambas
MPA Management Plan and fostering marine tourism development in the park. This included
identification of reef (and other related ecosystem) areas that should be considered top priorities
for inclusion in no-take or fisheries or tourism management zones within the MPA.
Page | 17
Methods
Rapid Ecological Assessment (REA) surveys were conducted using SCUBA at 20 reef locations
(each with a specific GPS position) around Anambas Islands in May 2012 (Fig. 3.3, Annex I). Due
to circumstances beyond our control, the survey was not completed, with some six key locations
not assessed. Hence this report’s results and recommendations should be considered as
preliminary, pending assessment of the remaining key locations.
At the 20 locations (stations), deep and shallow reef sites (designated as site #.1 and #.2
respectively) were surveyed concurrently, representing the deeper reef slope (typically > 10m
depth) and the shallow slope, reef crest and flat (typically < 10m depth). At one station, an
additional lagoonal site was surveyed, for a total of 41 sites in all. Deep sites were surveyed first,
in accordance with safe diving practice, with the surveyor swimming initially to the maximum
survey depth (usually 30-40m), then working steadily into shallower waters. In this report, the
term ‘station’ refers to the combined results of the two sites (depths), unless otherwise specified
with the specific depth designator (site #.1 and #.2 respectively).
The method was identical to that employed during biodiversity assessments in ca. 35 other
regions of Indonesia and the Indo-Pacific, providing the opportunity for detailed comparisons of
species diversity, composition and community structure, and of the representativeness and
complementarity of different areas in terms of their coral communities. The field and analytical
methods are explained in detail elsewhere (eg. DeVantier et al. 1998).
At each site, the survey swim covered an area of approx. one ha in total. Although 'semiquantitative', this method has proven superior to more traditional quantitative methods
(transects, quadrats) in terms of biodiversity assessment, allowing for the active searching for new
species records at each site, rather than being restricted to a defined quadrat area or transect line.
For example, the present method has regularly returned a two- to three-fold increase in coral
species records in comparison with line transects conducted concurrently at the same sites
(DeVantier et al. 2004).
Two types of information were recorded on water-proof data-sheets during the ca. one and a half
hour SCUBA survey swims at each site:
1) An inventory of species, genera and families of sessile benthic taxa; and
2) an assessment of the percent cover of the substrate by the major benthic groups and status of
various environmental parameters (after Done 1982, Sheppard and Sheppard 1991).
1. Taxonomic inventories
A detailed inventory of sessile benthic taxa was compiled during each swim. Taxa were
identified in situ to the following levels:
 stony (hard) corals - species wherever possible (Veron and Pichon 1976, 1980, 1982, Veron,
Pichon and Wijsman-Best 1977, Veron and Wallace 1984, Veron 1986, 1993, 1995, 2000, Best et
al. 1989, Hoeksema 1989, Wallace and Wolstenholme 1998, Wallace 1999, Veron and StaffordSmith 2002, Turak and DeVantier 2011), otherwise genus and growth form (e.g. Porites sp. of
massive growth-form).
 soft corals, zoanthids, corallimorpharians, anemones and some macro-algae - genus, family or
broader taxonomic group (Allen and Steen 1995, Colin and Arneson 1995, Gosliner et al. 1996,
Fabricius and Alderslade 2000);
Page | 18

other sessile macro-benthos, such as sponges, ascidians and most algae - usually phylum plus
growth-form (Allen and Steen 1995, Colin and Arneson 1995, Gosliner et al. 1996).
At the end of each survey swim, the inventory was reviewed, and each taxon was categorized in
terms of its relative abundance in the community (Table 1). These ordinal ranks are similar to
those long employed in vegetation analysis (Barkman et al. 1964, van der Maarel 1979, Jongman et
al. 1997).
For each coral taxon present, a visual estimate of the total amount of injury (dead surface area)
present on colonies at each site was made, in increments of 0.1, where 0 = no injury and 1 = all
colonies dead. The approximate proportion of colonies of each taxon in each of three size classes
was also estimated. The size classes were 1 - 10 cm diameter, 11 - 50 cm diameter and > 50 cm
diameter (Table 1).
Table 3.1 Categories of relative abundance, injury and sizes (maximum diameter) of each benthic
taxon in the biological inventories.
Rank
0
1
2
3
4
5
Relative abundance
absent
rare
uncommon
common
abundant
dominant
Injury
0 - 1 in
increments of
0.1
Size frequency distribution
proportion of corals in each of
3 size classes:
1) 1 - 10 cm
2) 11 - 50 cm
3) > 50 cm
Taxonomic certainty: Despite recent advances in field identification and stabilizing of coral
taxonomy (e.g. Hoeksema 1989, Veron 1986, Wallace 1999, Veron 2000, Veron and Stafford-Smith
2002), substantial taxonomic uncertainty and disagreement among different workers remains
(Fukami et al. 2008). This is particularly so in the families Acroporidae and Fungiidae, with
different workers each providing different taxonomic classifications and synonymies for various
corals (see e.g. Hoeksema 1989, Sheppard and Sheppard 1991, Wallace 1999, Veron 2000). The
analyses herein rely on our synthesis and interpretation of these revisions and with particular
reliance on the species distribution maps of Veron (2000), currently being updated in the
biogeographic database Coral Geographic (www.coralreefresearch.org).
Extensive use of digital underwater photography and a limited collection of specimens of
taxonomically difficult reef-building coral species were made, in collaboration with Indonesian
colleagues, notably Dr. Suharsono and colleagues of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (P20LIPI), to aid in confirmation of field identifications.
Small samples, usually < 30 cm on longest axis, were removed from taxonomically-difficult corals
in situ, leaving the majority of the sampled colonies intact. Living tissue was removed from the
specimens by bleaching with household bleach. Many of these specimens were identified, using
the above reference materials, during and following the survey, and have been deposited at P20LIPI and the CI Indonesia Bali office.
Page | 19
2. Benthic cover and reef development
At completion of each survey swim, six ecological and six substratum attributes were assigned to
1 of 6 standard categories (Table 2), based on an assessment integrated over the length and depth
range of the swim (after Done 1982, Miller & De’ath 1995). Because the cover estimates apply for
the area and depth range over which each survey swim was conducted (eg. ca 40 – 9m depth; 8 –
1m depth respectively), these may not correspond precisely with line transect estimates made at a
single depth or set of depths.
Table 3.2 Categories of benthic attributes
Attribute
ecological
Hard coral
Dead standing coral
Soft coral
Coralline algae
Turf algae
Macro-algae
physical
Hard substrate
Continuous pavement
Large blocks (diam. > 1 m)
Small blocks (diam. < 1 m)
Rubble
Sand
Ranks used in calculating
Replenishment index CI
% cover
Rank
0
0
1 – 10 %
1
11 – 30 %
2
31 – 50 %
3
51 – 75 %
4
76 – 100 %
5
The sites were classified into one of four categories based on the amount of biogenic reef
development (after Hopley 1982, Hopley et al. 1989, Sheppard & Sheppard 1991):
1) Coral communities developed directly on non-biogenic rock, sand or rubble;
2) Incipient reefs, with some calcium carbonate accretion but no reef flat;
3) Reefs with moderate flats (< 50m wide); and
4) Reefs with extensive flats (> 50m wide).
The sites were also classified arbitrarily on the degree of exposure to wave energy, where:
1) sheltered
2) semi-sheltered
3) semi-exposed
4) exposed
The depths of the sites (maximum and minimum in m), average angle of reef slope to the
horizontal (estimated visually to the nearest 10 degrees), and underwater visibility (to the nearest
m) were also recorded. The presence of any unique or outstanding biological features, such as
particularly large corals or unusual community composition, and evidence of impacts, were also
recorded, such as:
 sedimentation
 blast fishing
 poison fishing
 anchoring
 bleaching impact
 crown-of-thorns seastars predation
 Drupella snails predation
 coral diseases
All data were input to EXCEL spreadsheets for storage and analysis of summary statistics.
Page | 20
Replenishment Index CI
The presence of high species richness, abundance and cover of reef-building corals may afford
some sites greater importance than others in terms of their role as reproductive sources for local
replenishment of populations. A local replenishment index, CI which rates sites based on a
combination of their reef-building coral cover and individual species' rank abundance scores
(DeVantier et al. 1998) was calculated for each site (depth):
CI   Ai Hi / 100
where Ai = abundance rank for the ith reef-building coral taxon (as in Table 3.1), and Hi = rank
hard coral cover category (1-5, as in Table 3.2), at each site. This index gives highest scores to sites
that have high cover, species richness and abundance of reef-building corals. CI values for each
site were averaged to produce Station totals.
Rarity index
The presence of species that are rare in the study area may afford some sites greater importance
than others in terms of the conservation of biodiversity of corals. An index, RI, to indicate the
relative importance of sites based on their compliment of rare coral species was calculated for
each site (after DeVantier et al. 1998):
RI  ( Ai / Pi ) / 100
where Ai = abundance rank for the ith coral taxon at a given site (1-5, as in Table 3.2), and Pi = the
proportion of all sites in which the taxon was present. This index weights species on a continuum
according to their frequency in the data set, and gives highest values to sites which are least
representative or most unusual faunistically (ie. with high abundance of taxa which are rare in the
data set). RI values for each site were averaged to produce Station totals.
Coral Injury
Each coral species in the sites was assigned a score for its level of injury, from 0 – 1 in increments
of 0.1 (from 0: no injury to any colony of that species in the site to 1: all colonies of the species
were dead, see Methods above). Sites were compared for the amounts of injury to their coral
communities, for the proportion of the total number of species present in each site that were
injured, and the average injury to those coral species in each site.
Coral community types
Site groups defined by community type were generated by hierarchical cluster analysis using
abundance ranks of all corals in the individual site inventories. The analysis used Squared
Euclidean Distance as the clustering algorithm and Ward's Method as the fusion strategy to
generate site groups of similar community composition and abundance. Analyses were conducted
on the raw (untransformed) data. The clustering results were plotted as dendrograms to illustrate
the relationships among sites in terms of levels of similarity among the different community
groups. Two sets of analysis were undertaken:
i.
Anambas Islands
Page | 21
ii.
Various regional analyses of adjacent regions of the CT, including Komodo,
Wakatobi, Derewan, Sangihe-Talaud, Banda Islands, Bunaken National Park, Raja
Ampat, Cenderwasih Bay and Fak-Fak/Kaimana (Fig. 3.4).
To facilitate accurate comparison, all datasets used in the regional analysis had been recorded
during various surveys undertaken by the present authors (listed in References).
Figure 3.3 Location of survey stations, Anambas Islands (20 stations, May-June 2012). Outline is of
the Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park.
Page | 22
Figure 3.4 General areas of surveys conducted in the Coral Triangle and vicinity, including
Anambas Islands (red star), Con Dao and Nha Trang (Vietnam), El Nido, Palawan (Philippines),
Brunei Darusallam, and Bali, Komodo, Banda Islands, Wakatobi, Derewan, Bunaken and SangiheTalaud, Halmahera, Raja Ampat, Teluk Cenderwasih and Fak-Fak/Kaimana (all Indonesia). These
survey regions are each large and support diverse reef habitats. These were each surveyed as
comprehensively as practicable in the limited time available (see References for details).
Page | 23
Results
I. Environmental Setting
A broad range of reef development occurs throughout the survey area, ranging from incipient
reefs with some accretion, to large sub-tidal and inter-tidal reefs with flats wider than 50 m (Table
3, Annex I). The coral communities were developed from low-tide level to > 50 m depth, although
most coral growth occurred above 30 m depth, on slopes ranging from < 5 o (reef flats) to 30o to the
horizontal. No vertical or near-vertical reef walls were encountered (Annex II). The communities
were distributed over exposure regimes from sheltered to semi-exposed, related to the degree of
protection provided by coastal features, notably the large number of islands present. As noted
previously, the region’s equatorial location means it is outside the typhoon belt, and its location in
the marginal South China Sea limits the fetch for oceanic swell. Hence, wave battered reef crests,
with their characteristic suite of coral species, were not encountered during the survey.
Most coral communities were developed in areas of hard reefal or non-reefal substrate (mean of
79% cover) with only small areas of sand (mean 8%), and were subject to variable levels of current
flow, ranging from calm to > 2 knots, related chiefly to the influence of tidal movements between
islands. There were usually negligible levels of sedimentation, with no terriginous silts recorded.
The typically low silt levels contributed to the relatively high water clarity, which averaged 22m,
ranging from 4m to 35m during the survey period (Table 3).
Table 3.3 Summary statistics for environmental variables, Anambas Islands, May 2012.
Environmental variable
Reef development (rank 1-4)
Slope angle (degrees)
Exposure (rank 1 - 4)
Water Clarity (Visibility m)
Hard substrate (%)
Sand (%)
Water temperature (C)
Mean (s.d.)
2.9 (0.8)
17 (9)
2 (0.7)
22 (8)
79 (14)
8 (10)
30 (0.4)
Range
2-4
2 - 30
1-3
4 - 35
30 - 100
0 - 40
29 - 31
Median
3
20
2
25
80
5
30
Mode
2
10
2
30
90
0
30
II. Cover of corals and other sessile benthos
Cover of living hard corals was typically moderate to high (eg. Plates 3.1-3.3), averaging 35% (Fig.
3.5), and ranging from 10 – 70 %. Stations with high live coral cover were widespread (Annex II).
Highest cover (50 % or more) occurred most commonly (but not exclusively) in shallow sites (<
10m depth), notably at sites 1.2, 2.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 10.2, 12.1, 12.2, 13.2, 16.3, 17.2 and 18.2.
Overall, rubble and dead corals contributed ca. 25 % cover, more than half of which was in the
form of rubble (14 %). Sites with high cover of rubble (30 % or more) included sites 1.1, 2.2, 4.2,
5.1, 7.1, 16.2 and 16.3. Sites with relatively high cover of standing dead corals (20 % or more) were
4.1, 6.1, 6.2, 7.2, 9.2 and 11.2. Previous mortality of live corals was mostly attributable to
destructive fishing damage (mainly blast fishing but also possibly some poison fishing, Plate 3.4),
Crown-of-thorns seastar and/or Drupella snail predation, bleaching and diseases. Evidence of
coral mortality attributable to past coral bleaching episodes, in the form of characteristic scarring
patterns on the tops of massive corals (Plate 3.5), was found at several stations, consistent with
the anomalously high sea surface temperatures of 1998 and 2010.
Page | 24
Plate 3.1 High cover of reef-building corals, site 7, composed predominantly of foliose Montipora
spp.
Plate 3.2 High cover of reef-building corals, site 7, composed predominantly by massive Porites
spp.
Page | 25
Plate 3.3 High cover of reef-building corals, site 2, composed predominantly by branching Porites
spp.
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
HC
ADC
RDC
RBL
SC
MA
TA
CA
-10
Figure 3.5 Mean % cover (+/- 1sd) of sessile benthos, Anambas Islands, May-June 2012. HC – Hard
Coral; ADC – All Dead standing Coral; RDC – Recently Dead Coral; RBL – coral Rubble; SC – Soft
Coral; MA – Macro-Algae; TA – Turf Algae; CA – Coralline Algae.
Page | 26
Blast fishing damage was widespread throughout the survey region, clearly identifiable as a zone
of broken coral rubble typically extending from ca 6m – 15m depth. Individual blast craters were
also apparent in shallower waters at some sites. Although no major outbreaks of Crown-of-thorns
seastars were found during the survey, individuals and small – moderate populations were
present on at least five of the survey stations (Plate 3.6), and recent coral scarring consistent with
their feeding activity was found at several other stations. Only low levels of coral diseases were
apparent, developed primarily on tabular species of Acropora.
There was only low cover of recently killed corals (ca 2%), and continuing disturbances
notwithstanding, the overall ratio of live : dead cover of hard corals remained positive at ca 7 : 2,
indicative of a reef tract in moderate to good condition in terms of coral cover. The ratio of live
hard coral cover to dead corals plus rubble was also positive, albeit weakly, at ca 7 : 5, and is
consistent with these reefs supporting ca. 50-60 % mean live hard coral cover, very high by world
standards, during periods of low disturbance. Soft coral cover was mostly low, averaging just 4 %
overall. Only one site had soft coral cover higher than 10 % (site 15.2, 35%, Annex II).
Plate 3.4 Blast fishing damage at Site 9
Page | 27
Plate 3.5 Old scarring on top of massive coral Porites consistent with bleaching-induced injury
(partial colony mortality) in 1998 and/or 2010.
Plate 3.6 Crown-of-thorns seastars at Site 2, feeding on Caulastrea.
Page | 28
Despite the typically low cover, species richness of soft corals and related taxa was moderate to
high at some stations, particularly on the deeper slopes (Plate 3.7 and see later), typically
dominated by gorgonian sea fans. There was only low cover of macro-algae (MA) at most sites,
averaging < 3 % overall. No sites had MA cover > 10%. The low cover may be related to low levels
of nutrient run off, as most islands surveyed appeared to have mainly intact forest cover (Plate
3.8). Cover of turf and coralline algae was low to moderate overall, averaging 15 % and 7 % cover
respectively (Fig. 3.5).
Plate 3.7 Gorgonian sea fans in sites (clockwise from left); 3, 3 and 14.
Plate 3.8 Island with good cover of native forest, minimizing run-off of sediments and nutrients
to fringing reefs (Photo M. Erdmann).
Page | 29
III. Species richness
Anambas Islands host a rich coral fauna of 339 confirmed hermatypic scleractinian species. A
further ca. 27 species were recorded during the field surveys but remain unconfirmed at present
(Annex III), such that there are likely to be at least 370 hermatypic Scleractinia present. The total
tally could approach 400 species, if an additional suite of species is present in habitats not
surveyed during the present study. Two species in family Acroporidae, Montipora and Anacropora
spp., may be new to science (Plates 3.9 and 3.10), both showing significant morphological
variation from known species in their genera.
Plate 3.9 Montipora sp., Site 19, Anambas Islands.
Plate 3.10 Anacropora sp., Site 19, Anambas Islands.
Page | 30
A further ca. 100 reef-building coral species have distribution ranges that include the general area
(Wallace 1999, Veron 2000, Veron et al. 2009), but were not recorded during the present surveys.
These may also occur in the vicinity, or may have localized disjunctions related to failures of
dispersal and / or recruitment.
Of the 339 confirmed species recorded, almost all are shared with other areas of the South China
Sea and Indonesia (Annex III and see later). The overall high degree of biogeographic similarity
notwithstanding, differences exist among these areas in terms of the relative abundances of the
species present. This in turn has had a differentiating effect on coral community structure (see
later).
Within-station (point) richness around Anambas Islands averaged 163 species (s.d. 18 spp.),
ranging from a low of 126 species at Station 6 to a high of 193 species at Station 18 (Table 4). Other
particularly species-rich stations included Station 14 (188 spp.) and Station 17 (184 spp.).
These results for overall richness are similar to those from Komodo and higher than Banda
Islands, but lower than Derewan (Berau), Wakatobi, Bunaken or Raja Ampat (Table 5). Notably,
mean station richness for Anambas Islands of 163 spp. was high, being similar to that of Derewan
and Bunaken and higher than most other locations surveyed (Table 5).
Table 3.4 Species richness of reef-building corals at 20 stations, Anambas Islands, May-June 2012.
Scores for Rarity Index (RI) and Replenishment Index (CI) are also listed. Ranks from highest to
lowest score for each station for the 3 parameters are listed in parentheses. The three richest and
highest scoring stations are bolded.
Station
Richness
Rarity (RI)
Station
Richness
Rarity (RI)
6.40 (3)
Replenishment
(CI)
3.85 (12)
11
149 (15)
3.99 (18)
Replenishment
(CI)
3.02 (18)
1
145 (16)
2
143 (17)
4.75 (13)
4.31 (10)
12
156 (14)
5.56 (9)
6.78 (3)
3
165 (11)
5.17 (11)
3.35 (16)
13
173 (6)
5.80 (7)
4.67 (8)
4
170 (8)
5.82 (6)
7.72 (2)
14
188 (2)
6.98 (1)
4.215 (11)
5
176 (4)
5.66 (8)
8.16 (1)
15
176 (5)
5.48 (10)
5.205 (5)
6
126 (20)
3.58 (20)
2.86 (20)
16
163 (12)
4.52 (14)
2.96 (19)
7
161 (13)
5.01 (12)
3.61 (13)
17
184 (3)
6.60 (2)
5.17 (6)
8
140 (18)
4.12 (17)
3.26 (17)
18
193 (1)
6.33 (4)
5.37 (4)
9
168 (10)
4.48 (15)
4.535 (9)
19
172 (7)
6.08 (5)
4.965 (7)
10
134 (19)
3.84 (19)
3.515 (14)
20
170 (9)
4.46 (16)
3.38 (15)
Page | 31
Table 3.5 Comparison of diversity and other ecological characteristics of Anambas Islands with
other Indo-West Pacific coral reef areas. BRU – Brunei Darussalam; VIET – south-central Vietnam,
PHU – Phuket (Thailand) KO – Komodo National Park; DE – Derewan, East Kalimantan; W Wakatobi area, South Sulawesi; BN - Bunaken National Park; S-T - Sangihe-Talaud Isl.; BI - Banda
Isl., Banda Sea, Maluku RA - Rajah Ampat area, Papua. Data from Turak and DeVantier 2003,
Turak and DeVantier in press, Turak 2002, Turak and Fenner 2002, Turak and Shouhoko 2003,
Turak and Aitsi 2003, Turak et al. 2003, Turak 2006, Turak and DeVantier 2008.
Attribute
Total no.
confirmed species
from survey
Average no. of
species per station
% of stations with
over 1/3 rd
species
Average % hard
coral cover
Number of
stations surveyed
Area covered
(x1000 km2)
approx.
Anambas
BRU
VIET
PHU
KO
DE
W
BN
ST
BI
RA
339
390
393
302
342
449
396
392
445
301
487
163
141
117
95
100
164
124
155
100
106
131
100
90
39
40
43
78
41
85
8
61
18
35
28
25
33
32
36
32
41
21
40.3
33
20
36
59
30
21
36
27
20
52
18
51
17
2.4
1
3.3
2
20
10
0.9
23
0.4
30
Other hard corals, soft corals and other biota
In addition to the hermatypic Scleractinia, numerous other hard and soft corals were recorded,
with greater or lesser taxonomic certainty (see Methods and Table 3.6). These included one
species of the ahermatypic dendrophyllid Tubastrea, one species of Stylaster, the ‘blue coral’
Heliopora coerulea, four species of hydroid ‘fire corals’ Millepora, and the ‘organ-pipe coral’ Tubibora
musica (Table 6). An additional 33 genera of alcyonacean soft corals and gorgonians were
recorded, along with several species of zoanthids, corallimorpharians, hydroids and related
sessile benthos (Table 6).
Page | 32
Table 3.6 Mean abundance (abn) and total number of stations from which each taxon of
azooxanthellate scleractinian hard corals, non-scleractinian hard corals, soft corals and other biota
were recorded in Anambas Islands, 2012. P: Present.
Taxa
Hard coral Taxa
Dendrophylliidae
Tubastrea micrantha
Milleporidae
Millepora exesa
Millepora intricata
Millepora platyphylla
Millepora tenera
Stylastraeidae
Stylaster
Helioporidae
Heliopora coerulea
Tubiporidae
Tubipora musica
Soft coral Taxa
Clavulariidae
Carijoa
Clavularia
Alcyoniidae
Cladiella
Dampia
Lobophytum
Rhytisma
Sarcophyton
Sinularia
Sinularia flexibilis
Nephtheidae
Dendronephthya
Lemnalia
Nephthea
Paralemnalia
Scleronephthya
Stereonepthya
Nidaliidae
Chironephthya
Siphonogorgia
Xeniidae
Xenia
Briareidae
Briareum
Supergorgiidae
Annella
Melithaeidae
Melithaea
abn
station
3
3
34
6
15
6
18
4
10
4
2
1
34
19
15
11
1
26
1
11
3
2
21
2
1
11
30
35
4
17
18
4
16
16
26
6
9
9
8
9
15
3
7
5
1
1
1
4
4
2
32
17
7
7
P
1
Taxa
Acanthogorgiidae
Muricella
Plexauridae
Euplexaura
Menella
Gorgoniidae
Pinnigorgia
Rumphella
Ellisellidae
Ctenocella
Dichotella
Elisella
Junceella
Ifalukellidae
Ifalukella
Isididae
Isis
Antipathidae
Antipathes
Cirrhipathes
Zoanthidae
Palythoa
Zoanthus
Coralimorpharians
Anemones
Plumulariidae
Lytocarpus philippinus
Sponge
Carterospongia
Xestospongia
encrusting
massive
foliose
Ascidian
Diademnum
Tridacnidae
Tridacna crocea
Tridacna squamosa
Tridacna maxima
Hipopus hipopus
Linckia
Diadema
Culcita
Acanthaster planci
abn
station
P
1
P
P
4
3
2
9
1
8
5
3
7
26
4
4
7
12
P
1
33
16
27
19
14
12
12
4
2
8
10
2
1
4
2
1
18
1
29
21
10
11
1
13
11
6
9
5
28
23
15
1
15
14
11
1
26
3
8
18
14
1
7
8
Page | 33
IV. Coral Rarity
The Rarity Index, which rated stations in respect of the occurrence of species otherwise rare in the
Anambas Islands data set (see Methods), revealed a broad range of RI scores, with Stations 14, 17
and 1 being most unusual faunistically (Table 3.4, Fig. 3.6).
One hundred and eleven reef-building coral species (approx. one-third of the total species pool)
were locally uncommon or rare, occurring in four or less of the 20 stations. Forty-seven species
were recorded from only one station, 33 species from two stations, 16 species from three stations
and 15 species from four stations. Conversely, 67 species were recorded in 17 or more stations,
with 22 species occurring in all 20 stations.
Pahat
Tokongnanas
Tokongberlayar
Piantai
Durai
Renge
Mandariau
Siantan
Terempa
Selai
Keramut
Telaga
NW Jemaja
Jemaja
NE Jemaja
Temiang
SW Jemaja
Ayerabu
Bawah
Tokongmalangbiru
Repong
Figure 3.6 Locations of stations hosting unusual coral assemblages, Anambas Islands, 2012.
V. Coral Replenishment
Stations with high coral diversity, abundance and live cover were considered important for the
maintenance and replenishment of populations. These were ranked using a simple coral
replenishment index CI (Table 3.4 and see Methods), with highest scoring stations 5, 4 12 and 18,
Fig. 3.7).
Page | 34
Pahat
Tokongnanas
Tokongberlayar
Piantai
Durai
Renge
Mandariau
Siantan
Terempa
Selai
Keramut
Telaga
NW Jemaja
Jemaja
NE Jemaja
Temiang
SW Jemaja
Ayerabu
Bawah
Tokongmalangbiru
Repong
Figure 3.7 Locations of stations with high coral replenishment potential, Anambas Islands, 2012.
VI. Coral Injury
Corals of Anambas Islands exhibited relatively low levels of recent injury overall, in terms of the
proportion of species present that were injured and the average levels of injury to those species
(Fig. 3.8). This is consistent with the high positive ratio of live : dead coral cover. Earlier impacts
had, however, occurred from destructive fishing, Crown-of-thorns seastar predation and
bleaching. The main sources of recent coral injury were predation by Crown-of-thorns seastars
and Drupella snails, coral diseases and to a much lesser extent, littering / dumping of rubbish,
including ‘ghost nets’ (Plates 3.11-3.17).
16.3
6.1
6.2
11.2
7.2
Figure 3.8 Scatterplot of levels of recent injury to reef-building corals in 41 sites, Anambas Islands.
Sites with highest injury levels are listed.
Page | 35
Plate 3.11 Blast fishing damage at site 4.
Plate 3.12 Predation by Drupella snails on Acropora gemmifera in site 6.
Page | 36
Plate 3.13 Recent predation by Crown-of-thorns seastars on Isopora brueggemanni in site 2.
Plate 3.14 Disease on tabular Acropora spicifera in site 14.
Page | 37
Plate 3.15 Dumped steel cable.
Plate 3.16 Abundant fish trap in site 16.
Page | 38
Plate 3.17 Abandoned ‘ghost’ tangling corals in site 6.
VI. Coral community Structure
The cluster analysis revealed 4 main coral community groups (Figs. 3.9 and 3.10) at station level.
Each community was characterized by a distinctive suite of species and benthic attributes (Tables
3.7, 3.8 and Fig. 3.11), although some species were more or less ubiquitous across several
community types, notably Acropora and Porites spp. and various faviids and fungiids. Because of
their commonness, these taxa were not useful in differentiating among the different communities,
although they do contribute significantly to coral cover in the region (Plates 3.18 - 3.25).
Page | 39
Figure 3.9 Dendrogram illustrating results of cluster analysis of coral communities, Anambas
Islands, 2012.
Figure 3.10 Map illustrating locations of coral community types, Anambas Islands, 2012. Each
station has one shaded ‘community rectangle’ indicating the identity of the community present.
Page | 40
Community A: Isopora - Acropora community
This community occurred predominantly in waters of good clarity (mean underwater visibility of
25m) in moderately sheltered locations (mean exposure of 1.9), on well-developed reefs (mean
reef development of 3.6) with moderate slopes (mean of 19 degrees) (Table 3.7 and Fig. 3.11). It
was characterized by a mix of branching acroporids, notably Isopora brueggemanni, staghorn
Acropora muricata and A. intermedia, and tabular A. spicifera and A. cytherea (Table 8). Community
A had moderately high cover of living hard corals (mean 36 %) and was the most species rich
(mean of 178 reef coral spp. per station) (Plates 3.18, 3.19).
CommunityB: Porites - Echinopora community
This community occurred in waters of relatively low clarity (mean underwater visibility of 14 m)
in relatively sheltered exposure regime (mean of 1.8), and with a high degree of reef development
(mean of 3.3), and high level of hard substrate (mean of 87 %, Table 3.7 and Fig. 3.11). This
community had highest mean cover of live hard corals (42 %) and was characterized by branching
poritids Porites cylindrica and P. nigrescens, encrusting - plating Echinopora pacificus and E. lamellosa
and foliose Pachyseris foliosa (Table 3.8). Community B had lowest reef-building coral species
richness (mean of 146 reef coral spp. per station) (Plates 3.20, 3.21).
Community C: Astreopora - Favia community
This community occurred in waters of moderate clarity and exposure regime (mean underwater
visibility 20m; mean exposure of 1.9), with typically low levels of reef development (mean of 2.1 –
incipient reefs, see Methods) (Table 3.7 and Fig. 3.11). Characteristic indicator species included the
massive acroporids Astreopora gracilis and A. myriophthalma and faviids Favia truncatus, F. favus, F.
matthaii and F. pallida (Table 8). Other faviids, fungiids and Porites spp. were also common.
Community C had high reef coral species richness (mean of 167 spp. per station), lowest mean
cover of living hard corals (mean 27 %) and low cover of soft corals (mean of 3 %) (Plates 3.22,
3.23).
Community D: Foliose Montipora community
This community occurred in waters of typically high clarity (mean underwater visibility of 26m)
in areas of moderate exposure (mean of 2.1). Reef development was also moderate to low (mean
of 2.7). It had high cover of living hard corals (mean of 37 %) and dead corals (mean of 17%) and
was moderately species rich (mean of 156 reef coral species per station, (Table 3.7 and Fig. 3.11),
being characterized by foliose Montipora aequituberculata and M. foliosa and the stout branching
Acropora papillare (Table 3.8, Plates 3.24, 3.25). The ‘blue coral’ Heliopora coerulea was also common.
Page | 41
Table 3.7 Summary statistics (mean values) for environmental and benthic cover variables for four
coral communities, Anambas Islands, 2012. Differentiating characteristics are in bold type.
Coral community attributes
No. of stations
Maximum depth (m)
Minimum depth (m)
Slope (degrees angle)
Hard substrate (%)
Hard coral
Soft coral
Macro algae
Turf algae
Coralline algae
Recently dead coral
All dead coral
Continuous pavement
Large blocks
Small blocks
Rubble
Sand
Exposure
Reef development
Visibility (m)
Water temp. °C
A
5
B
3
32
24
1
1
19
26
74
87
% cover benthos
36
42
3
7
4
5
13
17
8
8
2
2
7
12
% cover substrate
51
42
13
27
10
18
19
5
10
8
Environmental variables
1.91
1.83
3.55
3.33
25
14
30.00
30.00
C
5
D
7
28
2
10
80
38
1
18
78
27
3
2
17
8
2
7
37
4
1
16
6
3
17
53
16
13
6
14
51
16
11
20
2
1.90
2.10
20
29.60
2.14
2.71
26
30.29
Estimate of litter (1-5)
1.18
1.33
0.60
0.57
Mean no. of reefbuilding coral species
178
146
167
156
Page | 42
A
100
80
% Bottom cover
% Bottom cover
80
60
40
20
60
40
20
0
0
HS HC
SC MA TA
HS HC
CA DC AD
C
100
SC MA TA CA DC AD
D
100
80
80
% Bottom cover
% Bottom cover
B
100
60
40
20
60
40
20
0
0
HS
HC
SC MA TA
CA
DC AD
HS HC
SC MA TA CA DC AD
Figure 3.11 Mean cover of benthic attributes in 4 coral community types, Anambas. HS: Hard
Substrate, HC: Hard Corals, SC: Soft Coral, MA: Macro Algae, TA: Turf Algae, CA: Coralline
Algae, DC: Recently Dead Coral: AD: Old Dead Coral. Error bars are Standart Error (+SE).
Page | 43
Table 3.8 Characteristic coral species and other taxa in four coral community types, Anambas
Islands, 2012. Taxa used as indicators for the relevant community types are in bold.
A (5 stations)
Zooxanthellate scleractinia
Porites rus
Fungia concinna
Acropora muricata
Fungia danai
Isopora brueggemanni
Porites massive
Acropora spicifera
Pavona cactus
Porites cylindrica
Ctenactis echinata
Galaxea horrescens
Pavona varians
Porites lichen
Acropora cytherea
Acropora humilis
Acropora intermedia
Acropora tenuis
Astreopora gracilis
Barabattoia amicorum
Ctenactis crassa
Others
Isis
Sponge encrusting
Nephthea
Sarcophyton
Sinularia spp.
Heliopora coerulea
Tubipora musica
Halimeda
Antipathes
Dendronephthya
Junceella
Lemnalia
Millepora exesa
Briareum
Linckia
Lobophytum
Sponge massive
Tridacna crocea
Tridacna squamosa
Carterospongia
abn
17
14
13
13
13
13
12
12
12
11
11
11
11
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
12
11
10
10
10
9
8
9
8
8
8
8
8
7
7
7
7
7
7
6
sites
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
B (3 stations)
Zooxanthellate scleractinia
Porites rus
Porites cylindrica
Pachyseris foliosa
Porites massive
Echinopora pacificus
Pavona cactus
Porites annae
Porites nigrescens
Scolymia vitiensis
Turbinaria reniformis
Acropora digitifera
Acropora samoensis
Acropora tenuis
Barabattoia amicorum
Ctenactis crassa
Ctenactis echinata
Diploastrea heliopora
Echinopora lamellosa
Favia favus
Fungia concinna
Others
Dictyota
Antipathes
Briareum
Linckia
Sponge massive
Carterospongia
Clavularia
Heliopora coerulea
Sarcophyton
Sargassum
Sinularia spp.
Cirrhipathes
Tridacna crocea
Tridacna squamosa
Millepora exesa
Sponge encrusting
Lobophora
CRA
Halimeda
Lobophytum
abn
14
10
9
8
7
7
7
7
7
7
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
sites
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
7
6
6
6
6
5
5
5
5
5
5
4
4
4
3
5
5
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
Page | 44
Table 3.8 (continued). Characteristic coral species and other taxa in 4 coral community types,
Anambas. Taxa used as indicators for the relevant community types are in bold.
C (5 stations)
Zooxanthellate scleractinia
Porites massive
Astreopora gracilis
Pocillopora verrucosa
Porites rus
Astreopora myriophthalma
Barabattoia amicorum
Cyphastrea serailia
Favia truncatus
Platygyra verweyi
Acropora loripes
Acropora millepora
Acropora samoensis
Acropora speciosa
Diploastrea heliopora
Favia favus
Favia matthaii
Favia pallida
Favites russelli
Fungia concinna
Fungia danai
Others
Millepora exesa
Sinularia spp.
Sarcophyton
Heliopora coerulea
Nephthea
Junceella
Tridacna crocea
Dendronephthya
Isis
Linckia
Tridacna maxima
Palythoa
Lobophytum
Sponge massive
Stereonepthya
Tridacna squamosa
Antipathes
Briareum
Carterospongia
Cirrhipathes
abn
16
14
12
12
11
11
11
11
11
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
11
10
9
7
7
10
9
8
8
8
6
5
6
6
6
6
5
5
5
5
sites
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
D (7 stations)
Zooxanthellate scleractinia
Porites rus
Acropora muricata
Montipora aequituberculata
Montipora foliosa
Porites massive
Pocillopora verrucosa
Acropora papillare
Ctenactis echinata
Favia favus
Pachyseris speciosa
Acropora aculeus
Acropora florida
Acropora valida
Favites abdita
Fungia concinna
Fungia danai
Galaxea fascicularis
Platygyra verweyi
Psammocora contigua
Acropora hyacinthus
Others
Briareum
Heliopora coerulea
Millepora exesa
Acanthaster planci
Isis
Sinularia spp.
Sponge encrusting
Antipathes
Nephthea
Tridacna crocea
Anemon
Sarcophyton
Tridacna squamosa
Clavularia
Junceella
Paralemnalia
Cirrhipathes
Diademnum
Lemnalia
Linckia
abn
24
19
18
18
18
17
16
16
16
15
14
14
14
14
14
14
14
14
14
13
sites
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
14
13
12
15
10
10
9
8
8
8
8
6
6
7
6
6
5
5
5
5
7
6
6
5
5
5
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
Page | 45
Plate 3.18 Example of coral community A, Site 15, here showing high cover of reef corals in
shallow waters, mainly Isis (foreground) and Acropora cytherea.
Plate 3.19 Example of coral community A, Site 15, withbeds of Isopora brueggemanni.
Page | 46
Plate 3.20 Example of coral community B, site 10, composed predominantly of branching Porites.
Plate 3.21 Example of coral community B, site 12, with foliose Echinopora lamellosa and branching
Porites.
Page | 47
Plate 3.22 Example of coral community C, site 8, with Astreopora and faviid spp. predominant.
Plate 3.23 Example of coral community C, site 14, with Junceella predominant.
Page | 48
Plate 3.24 Example of coral community D, site 1, composed predominantly of Foliose Montipora.
Plate 3.25 Example of coral community D, site 7, showing a common coral Acropora papillare.
VII. Comparisons between Anambas Islands and adjacent regions
Anambas Islands shares almost all coral species with other areas of Indonesia, the South China
Sea (Annex III) and the broader Coral Triangle, with the possible exception of undescribed species
Page | 49
of Montipora and Anacropora found during the present study (Plates 3.8 and 3.9). Comparisons of
levels of similarity in coral composition and community structure were conducted with those of
other regions of the South China Sea and Indonesia, including Brunei Darusallam, South-central
Vietnam, El Nido, Palawan (Philippines), Phuket region (Thailand), Wakatobi, Derewan, SangiheTalaud Islands, Bunaken, N Halmahera and three areas of the Bird’s Head Seascape (Raja Ampat,
Teluk Cenderwasih and Fak-Fak/Kaimana)
For these regional comparisons, two sets of analyses were undertaken:
1. Using the presence of species in each location, for 12 locations
2. Using the species-abundance at the individual station level for Anambas Islands,
comparing with stations from South-central Vietnam, El Nido (Palawan, Philippines) and
Brunei Darusallam
1. Species presence: Coral species composition at Anambas Islands was most similar to that of
Bunaken NP (Sulawesi), well to the East and Phuket area (Andaman Sea, Thailand), well to the
west (Fig. 3.12). This reflects the high underlying similarity in coral species composition across the
broader region. These three locations formed a second cluster with Brunei Darusallam and Southcentral Vietnam. This larger cluster of locations included three of four survey locations in the
South China Sea, with the exception of El Nido (Palawan, Philippines), which has substantially
higher species richness (Fig. 3.12).
350
Linkage Distance
300
250
200
150
100
50
Figure 3.12 Dendrogram illustrating degree of similarity of different locations in terms of reef
coral species presence.
El Nido clustered with Fak-Fak/Kaimana (W Papua) and then with a further major group of
locations that included Halmahera and Teluk Cenderwasih, Raja Ampat and Derewan and
Sangihe-Talaud, reflecting their higher overall species richness (and habitat diversity).
2. Species – abundance: All stations from Anambas Islands formed one coherent sub-cluster (Fig.
3.13, illustrated in red). Hence, coral communities of Anambas Islands were most similar to each
other than with any of the other locations. Anambas coral communities then clustered with those
from El Nido and Brunei. These collectively formed one of the two main clusters of stations (right
Page | 50
of Fig. 3.13). The second main community group cluster was composed predominantly by stations
from South-central Vietnam, with some stations from Brunei.
Anambas El Nido Brunei Vietnam
156 Stations
8000
7000
6000
Linkage Distance
5000
4000
3000
2000
0
CD18
CD15
CD13
CD8
CD6
CD5
CD17
CD11
CD10
CD2
CD19s
CD14s
CD12s
CD4
CD3s
CD16s
CD7s
CD9s
CD1s
Br21.2
Br23.2
Br20.2
Br34.1
Br33.1
Br 29.1
Br26.1
Br22.1
Br15.1
NT18s
NT15s
NT12s
NT11s
NT9s
NT8s
NT3
NT1
NT14
NT13
NT6
NT5
HM20
HM12
NT10
NT17d
NT16d
NT7s
NT4
NT2
HM17
Br17.2
HM14
HM15
HM13
HM11
HM10
HM5
HM4
HM16
HM8
HM6
HM22
HM21
HM19
HM2
HM1
HM9
HM7
HM18
HM3
EN21.2
EN39
EN32
EN35
EN34
EN25
EN22
EN38
EN20
EN31
EN18
EN12
EN7
EN6
EN5
EN4
EN23
EN17
EN16
EN15
EN13
EN37
EN36.2
EN33.2
EN27
EN26
EN3
EN2
Br16
Br8.1
Br13
Br11.1
Br7
Br6
Br5
Br1
Br27
Br28a
Br25
Br9
Br3
Br14
Br4
Br2
Br28b.1
Br35.1
Br30
Br19.1
Br12.1
Br32
Br31
Br18.1
Br10.1
Br24.1
EN10.1
EN24
EN30
EN29
EN28
EN19
EN8.2
EN41
EN14
EN9
EN40
EN11
EN1
AN16
AN18
AN19
AN17
AN15
AN12
AN11
AN10
AN14
AN13
AN20
AN8
AN3
AN7
AN5
AN6
AN9
AN4
AN2
AN1
1000
Vietnam
Brunei
Vietnam
El Nido
Brunei
El Nido
Anambas
Figure 3.13 Dendrogram illustrating results of cluster analysis of coral communities of 156
stations across four locations in the South China Sea – Anambas Islands (red), South-central
Vietnam (black), Brunei Darusallam (orange) and El Nido, Philippines (green).
These various results indicate that in terms of coral species abundance (community structure, Fig.
3.13), Anambas Islands coral communities have a high degree of self-similarity, and dissimilarity
from other nearby regions of South China Sea and Andaman Sea. In terms of species composition
(presence, Fig. 3.12) Anambas Islands are again relatively dissimilar from other locations, being
closest in composition with Bunaken NP, well to the east in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, and then
with Phuket area, Andaman Sea, Thailand.
Page | 51
Discussion
Anambas Islands’ regional richness of 339 confirmed reef coral species is similar to Komodo (342
spp.) in the Lesser Sunda Islands, and higher than Banda Islands (301 spp.). It is however
substantially less than South-central Vietnam, El Nido (Palawan, Philippines) and Brunei
Darusallam (all also bordering South China Sea) and also less than Derewan (E Kalimantan),
Bunaken NP, Wakatobi or Sangihe-Talaud (all in or adjacent to Sulawesi), Bali, Halmahera, Raja
Ampat, Teluk Cenderwasih or Fak-Fak/Kaimana (Table 4). Its total richness, as recorded during
this brief survey, is thus at the lower-mid range of the scale for locations inside and bordering the
Coral Triangle. It should be emphasized however that the present survey was incomplete, and it
is possible that further survey of additional stations, particularly if they constitute different
habitat types than those already assessed, could raise the Anambas richness tally towards 400
species of reef-building coral. Discovery of likely undescribed species of Montipora and Anacropora
(Plates 3.8 and 3.9), suggests that this location may have a degree of faunal uniqueness, although
further field and taxonomic work are required to properly assess this possibility.
Conservation Priority
Assessment of conservation value of individual stations, in terms of various criteria for reefbuilding corals (Table 9), indicated that high value reefs occur widely across the Anambas Islands
(Fig. 3.14). These have strong potential for inclusion as core zones in the Anambas MTP.
Table 3.9 Conservation values of survey stations, with scores for Replenishment Index (CI) and
Rarity Index (RI), and values for hard coral cover and species richness - reef-building Scleractinia.
Station numbers and community types correspond with those in Figures. High scores under one
or more of the above criteria are bolded.
Station name
Pulau Tokongmalangbiru
Pulau Repong
Pulau Renge
Pulau Piantai
Pulau Tokongberlayar
Pulau Pahat
Pulau Durai
Pulau Tokongnenas
Pulau Telaga
Terempa Harbor
Pulau Keramut
NW Jemaja
NE Jemaja (Tg. Pinanang)
SE Jemaja (Kuala Maras)
SW Pulau Bawah
NW Pulau Bawah
Pulau Ayerabu (Gemili)
NW Temiang
Pulau Selai
Pulau Mandariau Laut
Station
No
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
CI
3.85
4.31
3.35
7.72
8.16
2.86
3.61
3.26
4.535
3.515
3.02
6.78
4.67
4.215
5.205
2.96
5.17
5.37
4.965
3.38
RI
6.40
4.75
5.17
5.82
5.66
3.58
5.01
4.12
4.48
3.84
3.99
5.56
5.80
6.98
5.48
4.52
6.60
6.33
6.08
4.46
HC
cover
35
42.5
27.5
57.5
62.5
17.5
17.5
25
27.5
37.5
30
57.5
35
25
32.5
35
42.5
37.5
32.5
20
Species
richness
145
143
165
170
176
126
161
140
168
134
149
156
173
188
176
163
184
193
172
170
Community
type
D
D
C
D
D
D
D
C
D
B
B
B
C
C
A
A
A
A
A
C
Page | 52
Figure 3.14 Reefs of high conservation priority, indicated by red, yellow or blue stars.
Resilience to climate change
There was considerable evidence, in the form of characteristic scarring patterns on the tops of
large, long-lived massive corals, of past and recent bleaching-induced coral mortality at some
shallow sites, particularly Durai (Site 7.2) which also had Crown-of-thorns seastar predation. The
bleaching was likely caused by periods of elevated sea temperatures and associated high
irradiance in 1998 and 2010.
Conversely, there was no evidence of cool water upwelling in any shallow site (< 20m), which
were typically between 30-31 C at time of survey. A cool water thermocline was often present at ~
35m depth, with temperatures being 0.5 to 1 C cooler than surface waters. If the thermocline is a
consistent, reliable feature, it may provide a deeper water buffer / refuge against increasing sea
temperatures predicted from climate change over coming decades.
Zoning recommendations
In respect of zoning of the MPA, the following recommendations are made:
1. A multiple use MPA model, with different areas zoned for different levels of protection
and use, is likely to be the most appropriate. However, this model should include
adequate core areas excluding extractive activities, to ensure conservation of key habitat
and community types and foster replenishment.
2. As far as practicable, the MPA network should include representative and
complementary areas encompassing the main coral community types (Figs. 3.9 and 3.10),
and reefs of high conservation value (diversity, replenishment, rarity, Table 3.9, Fig. 3.14).
3. There are many competing uses for coastal and marine resources, and it will be
challenging to achieve the right balance among different levels of protection and use.
Given the intention for expansion of ocean-based tourism (diving and swimming),
particular focus should be paid to maintaining healthy and attractive reef-scapes for these
activities, and hence a focus on non-destructive, non-extractive activities in core zones.
Page | 53
4.
5.
Once the MTP is zoned, enforcement of regulations will be crucial.
Consideration should be given to a ‘User-pays’ system (eg. Bunaken National Park)
whereby visitors pay a nominal fee for access. This can provide significant funds for MPA
management and benefits to local communities.
Marine Tourism Potential
Anambas Islands have great potential for the development of ecologically sensitive marine
tourism. Most islands are uninhabited or have only small human populations, are visually very
attractive and have most if not all of their native vegetation intact. Fringing reefs are easily
accessible, with typically clear, warm, sheltered waters, providing ideal snorkel and SCUBA
diving options, among other water sports. In these respects, particularly spectacular locations
include Pulau Bawah, Tokongberlayar and Pulau Durai.
Development of marine tourism should take proper account of the carrying capacity of both the
islands and the marine environment in terms of minimizing human impacts, in respect of access,
accommodation and supply of essential items - foodstuffs and other requirements, the 'footprint'
of the development and disposal of wastes.
Good regional examples that could provide useful models include the Lagen and Miniloc resorts
developed on islands off El Nido, Palawan, Philippines (Turak and DeVantier 2012).
Acknowledgements
We thank the Anambas Government, KKJI, Dr. Mark Erdmann and staff of Conservation
International Indonesia and CI International for hosting and organizing the survey. We also thank
Dr. Suharsono and our colleagues from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, the Indonesian
Department of Nature Conservation, the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, and
our other Indonesian and international colleagues for facilitating and supporting the field
surveys. We also gratefully acknowledge Dr. Charlie Veron (Coral Reef Research) and Dr. Carden
Wallace (MTQ) for much valued taxonomic advice.
Page | 54
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cover by means of the manta tow technique. Marine and Freshwater Research 47: 19-26.
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nearby reefs, North Sulawesi, Indonesia: Rapid ecological assessment of biodiversity and status.
Final Report to the International Ocean Institute Regional centre for Australia and western
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in El Nido, Palawan, Philippines.Final Report to El Nido Foundation.
Turak, E. and DeVantier, L.M. 2011. Field Guide to Reef-building Corals of Brunei Darussalam.
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Page | 57
Annexes
Annex I. Characteristics of survey sites. Anambas, May 2012. EXP – Exposure rank; RD – Reef
Development rank; VIS – Underwater Visibility (water clarity, in meters); WT – Water Temperature
(degrees centigrade); LIT – Litter (see Methods).
Site name
Pulau Tokongmalangbiru
Pulau Tokongmalangbiru
Pulau Repong
Pulau Repong
Pulau Renge
Pulau Renge
Pulau Piantai
Pulau Piantai
Pulau Tokongberlayar
Pulau Tokongberlayar
Pulau Pahat
Pulau Pahat
Pulau Durai
Pulau Durai
Pulau Tokongnenas
Pulau Tokongnenas
Pulau Telaga
Pulau Telaga
Terempa Harbor
Terempa Harbor
Pulau Keramut
Pulau Keramut
NW Jemaja
NW Jemaja
NE Jemaja (Tg. Pinanang)
NE Jemaja (Tg. Pinanang)
SE Jemaja (Kuala Maras)
SE Jemaja (Kuala Maras)
SW Pulau Bawah
SW Pulau Bawah
NW Pulau Bawah
NW Pulau Bawah
NW Pulau Bawah, Lagoon
Pulau Ayerabu (Gemili)
Pulau Ayerabu (Gemili)
NW Temiang
NW Temiang
Pulau Selai
Pulau Selai
Pulau Mandariau Laut
Pulau Mandariau Laut
Site
1.1
1.2
2.1
2.2
3.1
3.2
4.1
4.2
5.1
5.2
6.1
6.2
7.1
7.2
8.1
8.2
9.1
9.2
10.1
10.2
11.1
11.2
12.1
12.2
13.1
13.2
14.1
14.2
15.1
15.2
16.1
16.2
16.3
17.1
17.2
18.1
18.2
19.1
19.2
20.1
20.2
DATE
20/05/2012
20/05/2012
20/05/2012
20/05/2012
21/05/2012
21/05/2012
21/05/2012
21/05/2012
22/05/2012
22/05/2012
22/05/2012
22/05/2012
23/05/2012
23/05/2012
23/05/2012
23/05/2012
24/05/2012
24/05/2012
24/05/2012
24/05/2012
25/05/2012
25/05/2012
25/05/2012
25/05/2012
26/05/2012
26/05/2012
26/05/2012
26/05/2012
27/05/2012
27/05/2012
27/05/2012
27/05/2012
27/05/2012
28/05/2012
28/05/2012
28/05/2012
28/05/2012
29/05/2012
29/05/2012
29/05/2012
29/05/2012
Latitude, N
2° 18.086
2° 18.086
2° 21.596
2° 21.596
3° 18.256
3° 18.256
3° 21.399
3° 21.399
3° 26.987
3° 26.987
3° 24.32
3° 24.32
3° 19.935
3° 19.935
3° 19.834
3° 19.834
3° 5.697
3° 5.697
3° 13.486
3° 13.486
3° 5.361
3° 5.361
3° 2.534
3° 2.534
2° 59.617
2° 59.617
2° 50.473
2° 50.473
2° 29.806
2° 29.806
2° 31.379
2° 31.379
2° 31.379
2° 45.705
2° 45.705
2° 55.787
2° 55.787
3° 11.219
3° 11.219
3° 17.087
3° 17.087
Longitude, E
105° 35.802
105° 35.802
105° 52.555
105° 52.555
106° 10.613
106° 10.613
106° 10.525
106° 10.525
106° 16.022
106° 16.022
106° 9.089
106° 9.089
106° 3.175
106° 3.175
105° 57.284
105° 57.284
105° 58.561
105° 58.561
106° 14.581
106° 14.581
105° 39.469
105° 39.469
105° 43.007
105° 43.007
105° 50.072
105° 50.072
105° 46.605
105° 46.605
106° 2.818
106° 2.818
106° 2.67
106° 2.67
106° 2.67
106° 10.292
106° 10.292
106° 6.745
106° 6.745
106° 29.647
106° 29.647
106° 25.105
106° 25.105
EXP
2
2
1
3
2
2
2
3
2
2
1
3
2
2
1
3
3
2
1
2
2
3
1
2
2
2
1
3
2
3
1
3
1
2
1
1
3
2
2
1
2
RD
2
3
3
3
2
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
4
2
2
4
4
4
4
3
3
4
2
2
2
2
2
4
4
4
3
3
3
4
4
3
3
4
2
2
VIS
25
25
20
20
25
30
25
20
30
35
30
30
30
30
25
25
20
25
10
6
12
20
15
20
15
15
12
12
30
30
30
20
4
30
30
30
20
25
25
25
15
WT
31
31
31
31
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
29
29
29
29
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
Page | 58
LIT
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
Annex II. Visual estimates of percent cover of sessile benthic attributes and substratum types, and depth
and site tallies for hermatypic coral species richness, Anambas May 2012. max - maximum depth (m);
min – minimum depth (m). Sessile Benthos: HS – Hard Substrate; HC – Hard Coral; SC – Soft Coral;
MA – Macro-Algae; TA – Turf Algae; CA – Coralline Algae; DC – recently Dead Coral; AD – All Dead
coral. Substratum types: CP – Continuous Pavement; LB – Large Blocks (> 2m diam.); SB – Small
Blocks (< 2m diam.); RBL – Rubble; SN – Sand.
Site name
Pulau Tokongmalangbiru
Pulau Tokongmalangbiru
Pulau Repong
Pulau Repong
Pulau Renge
Pulau Renge
Pulau Piantai
Pulau Piantai
Pulau Tokongberlayar
Pulau Tokongberlayar
Pulau Pahat
Pulau Pahat
Pulau Durai
Pulau Durai
Pulau Tokongnenas
Pulau Tokongnenas
Pulau Telaga
Pulau Telaga
Terempa Harbor
Terempa Harbor
Pulau Keramut
Pulau Keramut
NW Jemaja
NW Jemaja
NE Jemaja (Tg. Pinanang)
NE Jemaja (Tg. Pinanang)
SE Jemaja (Kuala Maras)
SE Jemaja (Kuala Maras)
SW Pulau Bawah
SW Pulau Bawah
NW Pulau Bawah
NW Pulau Bawah
NW Pulau Bawah, Lagoon
Pulau Ayerabu (Gemili)
Pulau Ayerabu (Gemili)
NW Temiang
NW Temiang
Pulau Selai
Pulau Selai
Pulau Mandariau Laut
Pulau Mandariau Laut
No. of Station
site max min Slope HS HC SC MA TA CA DC AD CP LB SB RBL SN Species
total
1.1 39 10 30 60 20 10 0 5 0 1 2 30 10 20 40 0
80
1.2 10 2 10 90 50 10 0 10 5 2 15 60 20 10 10 0
106
145
2.1 40 10 30 80 15 10 0 20 10 3 15 50 10 20 20 0
91
2.2 10 1 10 70 70 1 1 5 10 2 10 50 10 10 30 0
91
143
3.1 28 10 10 50 30 2 0 10 0 1 2 30 20 10 10 40
97
3.2 10 1 10 80 25 5 1 15 10 3 10 40 20 20 15 5
125
165
4.1 36 11 20 80 55 5 0 5 10 1 10 50 20 10 15 5
124
5 70 60 1 1 10 5 1 20 40 20 10 30 0
4.2 10 1
12
170
5.1 40 10 30 60 60 1 0 10 5 3 10 40 15 5 40 0
128
5.2 10 1 10 90 65 5 0 10 10 5 15 60 20 10 10 0
121
176
5 5
6.1 35 10 25 95 15 5 0 25 10 5 25 70 10 10
94
5 80 20 0 0 30 0 5 40 65 15 5 20 0
6.2 10 1
73
126
7.1 38 10 20 60 20 0 0 20 0 5 10 30 20 10 35 5
101
7.2 10 1 10 80 15 1 2 25 10 3 25 60 10 10 15 5
119
161
8.1 37 10 25 90 20 1 0 25 20 1 10 60 20 10 10 0
113
2 100 30 0 0 20 5 1 10 80 10 10
0 0
8.2 10 6
89
140
5 5
9.1 35 10 30 90 20 2 5 20 5 1 10 70 10 10
102
9.2 10 1 10 90 35 2 3 25 10 3 25 40 30 20 10 0
119
168
5 15
10.1 19 9 30 80 25 1 0 20 10 3 15 20 40 20
92
0 10
10.2 8 1 30 90 50 0 5 10 5 2 5 40 30 20
94
134
5 15
11.1 32 10 20 80 30 2 10 10 0 2 10 50 10 20
99
11.2 10 1 25 90 30 2 2 30 10 2 20 40 30 20 10 0
91
149
5 5
12.1 21 10 30 90 55 2 2 20 20 1 15 50 30 10
102
5 5
12.2 10 1 20 90 60 10 10 10 5 1 5 50 20 20
99
156
5 80 10 5 5 20 0 1 2 65 5 10
5 15
13.1 26 10
115
8 2
13.2 10 1 10 90 60 2 2 15 5 3 5 70 10 10
112
173
14.1 22 10 10 60 10 10 1 20 20 2 5 10 30 20 10 30
120
5 70 40 1 0 10 10 1 10 50 10 10
0 30
14.2 10 1
133
188
15.1 30 10 30 80 30 10 10 5 5 1 3 50 10 10 10 20
118
15.2 10 1 10 80 35 35 1 10 10 1 5 50 20 10 20 0
141
176
16.1 35 10 25 70 15 5 2 25 25 2 5 50 10 10 25 5
116
5 60 30 10 0 10 5 2 5 50 10 10 30 0
16.2 10 1
82
16.3 10 1 30 30 60 0 0 10 0 1 1 10 10 10 65 5
40
163
0 30
17.1 38 10 20 70 30 5 5 10 0 1 3 60 0 10
125
5 5
17.2 10 1 25 90 55 5 3 20 10 3 15 70 10 10
127
184
18.1 25 10 15 70 25 2 3 10 10 2 5 40 20 10 10 20
153
18.2 10 1 20 90 50 2 5 10 0 2 10 60 20 10 10 0
116
193
10
19.1 30 10 20 90 40 1 10 10 5 2 5 70 10 10
111
19.2 10 1 10 80 25 2 2 25 15 3 15 50 20 10 10 10
124
172
5 15
20.1 25 10 20 80 20 2 1 20 10 2 5 50 20 10
134
5 100 20 1 5 10 0 2 10 70 10 20
0 0
20.2 10 1
95
170
Page | 59
Annex III. Coral species check-list for Anambas and adjacent regions, including Brunei Darusallam, El
Nido (Palawan, Philippines) and South-central Vietnam. Species' records for each location have
been updated with continuing taxonomic study. 1- confirmed species; U - unconfirmed, based on
observational and/or photographic evidence, and requiring confirmation. Species' records for each
location have been updated with continuing taxonomic study.
Zooxanthellate Scleractinia
Family Astrocoeniidae Koby, 1890
Genus Stylocoeniella Yabe and Sugiyama, 1935
Stylocoeniella armata (Ehrenberg, 1834)
Stylocoeniella guentheri Bassett-Smith, 1890
Genus Palauastrea Yabe and Sugiyama, 1941
Palauastrea ramosa Yabe and Sugiyama, 1941
Genus Madracis Milne Edwards and Haime, 1849
Madracis kirbyi Veron and Pichon, 1976
Family Pocilloporidae Gray, 1842
Genus Pocillopora Lamarck, 1816
Pocillopora ankeli Scheer and Pillai, 1974
Pocillopora damicornis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Pocillopora danae Verrill, 1864
Pocillopora elegans Dana, 1846
Pocillopora eydouxi Milne Edwards and Haime, 1860
Pocillopora fungiformis Veron, 2000
Pocillopora kelleheri Veron, 2000
Pocillopora ligulata Dana, 1846
Pocillopora meandrina Dana, 1846
Pocillopora verrucosa (Ellis and Solander, 1786)
Pocillopora woodjonesi Vaughan, 1918
Genus Seriatopora Lamarck, 1816
Seriatopora aculeata Quelch, 1886
Seriatopora caliendrum Ehrenberg, 1834
Seriatopora dendritica Veron, 2000
Seriatopora guttatus Veron, 2000
Seriatopora hystrix Dana, 1846
Seriatopora stellata Quelch, 1886
Genus Stylophora Schweigger, 1819
Stylophora pistillata Esper, 1797
Stylophora subseriata (Ehrenberg, 1834)
Family Acroporidae Verrill, 1902
Genus Montipora Blainville, 1830
Montipora aequituberculata Bernard, 1897
Montipora altasepta Nemenzo, 1967
Montipora angulata (Lamarck, 1816)
Montipora australiensis Bernard, 1897
Montipora cactus Bernard, 1897
Montipora calcarea Bernard, 1897
Montipora caliculata (Dana, 1846)
Montipora capitata Dana, 1846
Montipora cebuensis Nemenzo, 1976
Anamabas
Brunei
El Nido
Vietnam
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
U
1
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1
1
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1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
U
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
U
1
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1
1
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Page | 60
1
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Zooxanthellate Scleractinia
Montipora confusa Nemenzo, 1967
Montipora corbettensis Veron and Wallace, 1984
Montipora crassituberculata Bernard, 1897
Montipora danae (Milne Edwards and Haime, 1851)
Montipora delicatula Veron, 2000
Montipora digitata (Dana, 1846)
Montipora efflorescens Bernard, 1897
Montipora effusa Dana, 1846
Montipora florida Nemenzo, 1967
Montipora floweri Wells, 1954
Montipora foliosa (Pallas, 1766)
Montipora foveolata (Dana, 1846)
Montipora friabilis Bernard, 1897
Montipora gaimardi Bernard, 1897
Montipora grisea Bernard, 1897
Montipora hirsuta Nemenzo, 1967
Montipora hispida (Dana, 1846)
Montipora hodgsoni Veron, 2000
Montipora hoffmeisteri Wells, 1954
Montipora incrassata (Dana, 1846)
Montipora informis Bernard, 1897
Montipora mactanensis Nemenzo, 1979
Montipora malampaya Nemenzo, 1967
Montipora millepora Crossland, 1952
Montipora mollis Bernard, 1897
Montipora monasteriata (Forskål, 1775)
Montipora niugini Veron, 2000
Montipora nodosa (Dana, 1846)
Montipora palawanensis Veron, 2000
Montipora peltiformis Bernard, 1897
Montipora porites Veron, 2000
Montipora samarensis Nemenzo, 1967
Montipora spongodes Bernard, 1897
Montipora spumosa (Lamarck, 1816)
Montipora stellata Bernard, 1897
Montipora taiwanensis Veron, 2000
Montipora tuberculosa (Lamarck, 1816)
Montipora turgescens Bernard, 1897
Montipora turtlensis Veron and Wallace, 1984
Montipora undata Bernard, 1897
Montipora venosa (Ehrenberg, 1834)
Montipora verrucosa (Lamarck, 1816)
Montipora verruculosus Veron, 2000
Montipora vietnamensis Veron, 2000
Genus Anacropora Ridley, 1884
Anacropora forbesi Ridley, 1884
Anamabas
Brunei
El Nido
Vietnam
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
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1
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1
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Zooxanthellate Scleractinia
Anacropora matthai Pillai, 1973
Anacropora puertogalerae Nemenzo, 1964
Anacropora reticulata Veron and Wallace, 1984
Anacropora spinosa Rehberg, 1892
Genus Acropora Oken, 1815
Acropora abrolhosensis Veron, 1985
Acropora abrotanoides (Lamarck, 1816)
Acropora aculeus (Dana, 1846)
Acropora acuminata (Verrill, 1864)
Acropora anthocercis (Brook, 1893)
Acropora aspera (Dana, 1846)
Acropora austera (Dana, 1846)
Acropora azurea Veron and Wallace, 1984
Acropora bifurcata Nemenzo, 1971
Acropora carduus (Dana, 1846)
Acropora caroliniana Nemenzo, 1976
Acropora cerealis (Dana, 1846)
Acropora clathrata (Brook, 1891)
Acropora convexa (Dana, 1846)
Acropora cophodactyla (Brook, 1892)
Acropora copiosa Nemenzo, 1967
Acropora cytherea (Dana, 1846)
Acropora dendrum (Bassett-Smith, 1890)
Acropora derawanensis Wallace 1997
Acropora desalwii Wallace, 1994
Acropora digitifera (Dana, 1846)
Acropora divaricata (Dana, 1846)
Acropora donei Veron and Wallace, 1984
Acropora echinata (Dana, 1846)
Acropora elegans Milne Edwards and Haime, 1860
Acropora elseyi (Brook, 1892)
Acropora exquisita Nemenzo, 1971
Acropora fastigata Nemenzo, 1967
Acropora florida (Dana, 1846)
Acropora formosa (Dana, 1846)
Acropora gemmifera (Brook, 1892)
Acropora glauca (Brook, 1893)
Acropora globiceps (Dana, 1846)
Acropora gomezi Veron, 2000
Acropora grandis (Brook, 1892)
Acropora granulosa (Milne Edwards and Haime, 1860)
Acropora hoeksemai Wallace, 1997
Acropora horrida (Dana, 1846)
Acropora humilis (Dana, 1846)
Acropora hyacinthus (Dana, 1846)
Acropora indonesia Wallace, 1997
Acropora insignis Nemenzo, 1967
Anamabas
Brunei
El Nido
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Vietnam
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Zooxanthellate Scleractinia
Acropora irregularis (Brook, 1892)
Acropora kimbeensis Wallace, 1999
Acropora kirstyae Veron and Wallace, 1984
Acropora kosurini Wallace, 1994
Acropora latistella (Brook, 1891)
Acropora lianae Nemenzo, 1967
Acropora listeri (Brook, 1893)
Acropora longicyathus (Milne Edwards and Haime, 1860)
Acropora loripes (Brook, 1892)
Acropora lutkeni Crossland, 1952
Acropora microclados (Ehrenberg, 1834)
Acropora microphthalma (Verrill, 1859)
Acropora millepora (Ehrenberg, 1834)
Acropora monticulosa (Brüggemann, 1879)
Acropora multiacuta Nemenzo, 1967
Acropora nana (Studer, 1878)
Acropora nasuta (Dana, 1846)
Acropora nobilis (Dana, 1846)
Acropora palmerae Wells, 1954
Acropora paniculata Verrill, 1902
Acropora papillare Latypov, 1992
Acropora parilis (Quelch, 1886)
Acropora pectinatus Veron, 2000
Acropora pichoni Wallace, 1999
Acropora plana Nemenzo, 1967
Acropora plumosa Wallace and Wolstenholme, 1998
Acropora polystoma (Brook, 1891)
Acropora prostrata (Dana, 1846)
Acropora proximalis Veron, 2000
Acropora pulchra (Brook, 1891)
Acropora rambleri (Bassett-Smith, 1890)
Acropora retusa (Dana, 1846)
Acropora robusta (Dana, 1846)
Acropora rosaria (Dana, 1846)
Acropora samoensis (Brook, 1891)
Acropora sarmentosa (Brook, 1892)
Acropora secale (Studer, 1878)
Acropora sekiseiensis Veron, 1990
Acropora selago (Studer, 1878)
Acropora simplex Wallace and Wolstenholme, 1998
Acropora solitaryensis Veron and Wallace, 1984
Acropora speciosa (Quelch, 1886)
Acropora spicifera (Dana, 1846)
Acropora striata (Verrill, 1866)
Acropora subglabra (Brook, 1891)
Acropora subulata (Dana, 1846)
Acropora sukarnoi Wallace, 1997
Anamabas
Brunei
El Nido
Vietnam
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Zooxanthellate Scleractinia
Acropora tenuis (Dana, 1846)
Acropora teres (Verrill, 1866)
Acropora tizardi (Brook, 1892)
Acropora tortuosa (Dana, 1846)
Acropora turaki Wallace, 1994
Acropora tutuilensis Hoffmeister, 1925
Acropora valenciennesi (Milne Edwards and Haime, 1860)
Acropora valida (Dana, 1846)
Acropora vaughani Wells, 1954
Acropora vermiculata Nemenzo, 1967
Acropora verweyi Veron and Wallace, 1984
Acropora wallaceae Veron, 1990
Acropora willisae Veron and Wallace, 1984
Acropora yongei Veron and Wallace, 1984
Genus Isopora Studer, 1878
Isopora brueggemanni (Brook, 1893)
Isopora crateriformis (Gardiner, 1898)
Isopora cuneata (Dana, 1846)
Isopora palifera (Lamarck, 1816)
Genus Astreopora Blainville, 1830
Astreopora cucullata Lamberts, 1980
Astreopora expansa Brüggemann, 1877
Astreopora gracilis Bernard, 1896
Astreopora incrustans Bernard, 1896
Astreopora listeri Bernard, 1896
Astreopora macrostoma Veron and Wallace, 1984
Astreopora myriophthalma (Lamarck, 1816)
Astreopora ocellata Bernard, 1896
Astreopora randalli Lamberts, 1980
Astreopora suggesta Wells, 1954
Family Euphylliidae Milne Edwards, 1857
Genus Euphyllia Dana, 1846
Euphyllia ancora Veron and Pichon, 1979
Euphyllia cristata Chevalier, 1971
Euphyllia divisa Veron and Pichon, 1980
Euphyllia glabrescens (Chamisso and Eysenhardt, 1821)
Euphyllia paraancora Veron, 1990
Euphyllia paradivisa Veron, 1990
Euphyllia yaeyamaensis (Shirai, 1980)
Genus Catalaphyllia Wells, 1971
Catalaphyllia jardinei (Saville-Kent, 1893)
Genus Nemenzophyllia Hodgson and Ross, 1981
Nemenzophyllia turbida Hodgson and Ross, 1981
Genus Plerogyra Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848
Plerogyra simplex Rehberg, 1892
Plerogyra sinuosa (Dana, 1846)
Anamabas
Brunei
El Nido
Vietnam
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Zooxanthellate Scleractinia
Genus Physogyra Quelch, 1884
Physogyra lichtensteini (Milne Edwards and Haime, 1851)
Family Oculinidae Gray, 1847
Genus Oculina Gray, 1847
Genus Simplastrea Umbgrove, 1939
Genus Galaxea Oken, 1815
Galaxea acrhelia Veron, 2000
Galaxea astreata (Lamarck, 1816)
Galaxea cryptoramosa Fenner and Veron, 2000
Galaxea fascicularis (Linnaeus, 1767)
Galaxea horrescens (Dana, 1846)
Galaxea longisepta Fenner & Veron, 2000
Galaxea paucisepta Claereboudt, 1990
Family Meandrinidae Gray, 1847
Genus Ctenella Matthai, 1928
Genus Gyrosmilia Milne Edwards and Haime, 1851
Genus Montigyra Matthai, 1928
Family Siderastreidae Vaughan and Wells, 1943
Genus Pseudosiderastrea Yabe and Sugiyama, 1935
Pseudosiderastrea tayamai Yabe and Sugiyama, 1935
Genus Horastrea Pichon, 1971
Genus Anomastraea Marenzeller, 1901
Genus Siderastrea Blainville, 1830
Genus Psammocora Dana, 1846
Psammocora contigua (Esper, 1797)
Psammocora digitata Milne Edwards and Haime, 1851
Psammocora explanulata Horst, 1922
Psammocora haimiana Milne Edwards and Haime, 1851
Psammocora nierstraszi Horst, 1921
Psammocora obtusangula (Lamarck, 1816)
Psammocora profundacella Gardiner, 1898
Psammocora stellata Verrill, 1868
Psammocora superficialis Gardiner, 1898
Genus Coscinaraea Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848
Coscinaraea columna (Dana, 1846)
Coscinaraea crassa Veron and Pichon, 1980
Coscinaraea exesa (Dana, 1846)
Coscinaraea monile (Foskål, 1775)
Coscinaraea wellsi Veron and Pichon, 1980
Genus Craterastrea Head 1981
Family Agariciidae Gray, 1847
Genus Pavona Lamarck, 1801
Pavona bipartita Nemenzo, 1980
Pavona cactus (Forskål, 1775)
Pavona clavus (Dana, 1846)
Pavona danai Milne Edwards and Haime, 1860
Anamabas
Brunei
El Nido
Vietnam
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Zooxanthellate Scleractinia
Pavona decussata (Dana, 1846)
Pavona duerdeni Vaughan, 1907
Pavona explanulata (Lamarck, 1816)
Pavona frondifera (Lamarck, 1816)
Pavona maldivensis (Gardiner, 1905)
Pavona minuta Wells, 1954
Pavona varians Verrill, 1864
Pavona venosa (Ehrenberg, 1834)
Genus Leptoseris Milne Edwards and Haime, 1849
Leptoseris explanata Yabe and Sugiyama, 1941
Leptoseris foliosa Dinesen, 1980
Leptoseris gardineri Horst, 1921
Leptoseris hawaiiensis Vaughan, 1907
Leptoseris incrustans (Quelch, 1886)
Leptoseris kalayaanensis Licuanan and Aliño, 2009
Leptoseris mycetoseroides Wells, 1954
Leptoseris papyracea (Dana, 1846)
Leptoseris scabra Vaughan, 1907
Leptoseris solida (Quelch, 1886)
Leptoseris striata Fenner & Veron 2000
Leptoseris tubulifera Vaughan, 1907
Leptoseris yabei (Pillai and Scheer, 1976)
Genus Coeloseris Vaughan, 1918
Coeloseris mayeri Vaughan, 1918
Genus Gardineroseris Scheer and Pillai, 1974
Gardineroseris planulata Dana, 1846
Genus Pachyseris Milne Edwards and Haime, 1849
Pachyseris foliosa Veron, 1990
Pachyseris gemmae Nemenzo, 1955
Pachyseris rugosa (Lamarck, 1801)
Pachyseris speciosa (Dana, 1846)
Family Fungiidae Dana, 1846
Genus Cycloseris Milne Edwards and Haime, 1849
Cycloseris costulata (Ortmann, 1889)
Cycloseris cyclolites Lamarck, 1801
Cycloseris erosa (Döderlein, 1901)
Cycloseris hexagonalis (Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848)
Cycloseris patelliformis (Boschma, 1923)
Cycloseris sinensis (Milne Edwards and Haime, 1851)
Cycloseris somervillei (Gardiner, 1909)
Cycloseris tenuis (Dana, 1846)
Cycloseris vaughani (Boschma, 1923)
Genus Diaseris
Diaseris distorta Alcock, 1893
Diaseris fragilis Alcock, 1893
Genus Cantharellus Hoeksema and Best, 1984
Cantharellus jebbi Hoeksema, 1993
Anamabas
Brunei
El Nido
Vietnam
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Page | 66
Zooxanthellate Scleractinia
Cantharellus noumeae Hoeksema & Best, 1984
Genus Heliofungia Wells, 1966
Heliofungia actiniformis Quoy and Gaimard, 1833
Genus Fungia Lamarck, 1801
Fungia concinna Verrill, 1864
Fungia corona Döderlein, 1901
Fungia danai Milne Edwards and Haime, 1851
Fungia fralinae Nemenzo, 1955
Fungia fungites (Linneaus, 1758)
Fungia granulosa Klunzinger, 1879
Fungia gravis Nemenzo, 1955
Fungia horrida Dana, 1846
Fungia klunzingeri Döderlein, 1901
Fungia moluccensis Horst, 1919
Fungia paumotensis Stutchbury, 1833
Fungia repanda Dana, 1846
Fungia scabra Döderlein, 1901
Fungia scruposa Klunzinger, 1879
Fungia scutaria Lamarck, 1801
Fungia spinifer Claereboudt and Hoeksema, 1987
Fungia taiwanensis Hoeksema and Dai, 1991
Genus Ctenactis Verrill, 1864
Ctenactis albitentaculata Hoeksema, 1989
Ctenactis crassa (Dana, 1846)
Ctenactis echinata (Pallas, 1766)
Genus Herpolitha Eschscholtz, 1825
Herpolitha limax (Houttuyn, 1772)
Herpolitha weberi Horst, 1921
Genus Polyphyllia Quoy and Gaimard, 1833
Polyphyllia novaehiberniae (Lesson, 1831)
Polyphyllia talpina (Lamarck, 1801)
Genus Sandalolitha Quelch, 1884
Sandalolitha dentata (Quelch, 1886)
Sandalolitha robusta Quelch, 1886
Genus Halomitra Dana, 1846
Halomitra pileus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Genus Zoopilus Dana, 1864
Zoopilus echinatus Dana, 1846
Genus Lithophyllon Rehberg, 1892
Lithophyllon lobata Horst, 1921
Lithophyllon mokai Hoeksema, 1989
Lithophyllon undulatum Rehberg, 1892
Genus Podabacia Milne Edwards and Haime, 1849
Podabacia crustacea (Pallas, 1766)
Podabacia motuporensis Veron, 1990
Family Pectiniidae Vaughan and Wells, 1943
Genus Echinophyllia Klunzinger, 1879
Anamabas
Brunei
El Nido
Vietnam
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Zooxanthellate Scleractinia
Echinophyllia aspera (Ellis and Solander, 1788)
Echinophyllia costata Fenner and Veron, 2000
Echinophyllia echinata (Saville-Kent, 1871)
Echinophyllia echinoporoides Veron and Pichon, 1979
Echinophyllia orpheensis Veron and Pichon, 1980
Echinophyllia patula (Hodgson and Ross, 1982)
Genus Echinomorpha Veron, 2000
Echinomorpha nishihirai (Veron, 1990)
Genus Oxypora Saville-Kent, 1871
Oxypora crassispinosa Nemenzo, 1979
Oxypora glabra Nemenzo, 1959
Oxypora lacera Verrill, 1864
Genus Mycedium Oken, 1815
Mycedium elephantotus (Pallas, 1766)
Mycedium mancaoi Nemenzo, 1979
Mycedium robokaki Moll and Best, 1984
Genus Pectinia Oken, 1815
Pectinia alcicornis (Saville-Kent, 1871)
Pectinia ayleni (Wells, 1935)
Pectinia lactuca (Pallas, 1766)
Pectinia maxima (Moll and Borel Best, 1984)
Pectinia paeonia (Dana, 1846)
Pectinia teres Nemenzo and Montecillo, 1981
Family Merulinidae Verrill, 1866
Genus Hydnophora Fischer de Waldheim, 1807
Hydnophora bonsai Veron, 1990
Hydnophora exesa (Pallas, 1766)
Hydnophora grandis Gardiner, 1904
Hydnophora microconos (Lamarck, 1816)
Hydnophora pilosa Veron, 1985
Hydnophora rigida (Dana, 1846)
Genus Paraclavarina Veron, 1985
Genus Merulina Ehrenberg, 1834
Merulina ampliata (Ellis and Solander, 1786)
Merulina scabricula Dana, 1846
Genus Boninastrea Yabe and Sugiyama, 1935
Genus Scapophyllia Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848
Scapophyllia cylindrica Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848
Family Dendrophylliidae Gray, 1847
Genus Turbinaria Oken, 1815
Turbinaria frondens (Dana, 1846)
Turbinaria irregularis Bernard, 1896
Turbinaria mesenterina (Lamarck, 1816)
Turbinaria patula (Dana, 1846)
Turbinaria peltata (Esper, 1794)
Turbinaria radicalis Bernard, 1896
Anamabas
Brunei
El Nido
Vietnam
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Zooxanthellate Scleractinia
Turbinaria reniformis Bernard, 1896
Turbinaria stellulata (Lamarck, 1816)
Genus Duncanopsammia Wells, 1936
Genus Heteropsammia Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848
Anamabas
Brunei
El Nido
Vietnam
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Heteropsammia cochlea (Spengler, 1781)
Family Caryophylliidae Gray, 1847
Genus Heterocyathus Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848
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Heterocyathus aequicostatus Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848
Family Mussidae Ortmann, 1890
Genus Blastomussa Wells, 1961
Blastomussa merleti Wells, 1961
Blastomussa wellsi Wijsmann-Best, 1973
Genus Micromussa Veron, 2000
Micromussa amakusensis (Veron, 1990)
Genus Acanthastrea Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848
Acanthastrea brevis Milne Edwards and Haime, 1849
Acanthastrea echinata (Dana, 1846)
Acanthastrea faviaformis Veron, 2000
Acanthastrea hemprichii (Ehrenberg, 1834)
Acanthastrea hillae Wells, 1955
Acanthastrea ishigakiensis Veron, 1990
Acanthastrea lordhowensis Veron & Pichon, 1982
Acanthastrea regularis Veron, 2000
Acanthastrea rotundoflora Chevalier, 1975
Acanthastrea subechinata Veron, 2000
Genus Lobophyllia Blainville, 1830
Lobophyllia corymbosa (Forskål, 1775)
Lobophyllia dentatus Veron, 2000
Lobophyllia diminuta Veron, 1985
Lobophyllia flabelliformis Veron, 2000
Lobophyllia hataii Yabe and Sugiyama, 1936
Lobophyllia hemprichii (Ehrenberg, 1834)
Lobophyllia robusta Yabe and Sugiyama, 1936
Lobophyllia serratus Veron, 2000
Genus Symphyllia Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848
Symphyllia agaricia Milne Edwards and Haime, 1849
Symphyllia hassi Pillai and Scheer, 1976
Symphyllia radians Milne Edwards and Haime, 1849
Symphyllia recta (Dana, 1846)
Symphyllia valenciennesii Milne Edwards and Haime, 1849
Genus Scolymia Haime, 1852
Scolymia australis (Milne Edwards and Haime, 1849)
Scolymia vitiensis Brüggemann, 1878
Genus Australomussa Veron, 1985
Australomussa rowleyensis Veron, 1985
Genus Indophyllia Gerth, 1921
Genus Cynarina Brüggemann, 1877
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Zooxanthellate Scleractinia
Cynarina lacrymalis (Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848)
Family Faviidae Gregory, 1900
Genus Caulastrea Dana, 1846
Caulastrea curvata Wijsmann-Best, 1972
Caulastrea echinulata (Milne Edwards and Haime, 1849)
Caulastrea furcata Dana, 1846
Caulastrea tumida Matthai, 1928
Genus Erythastrea Scheer and Pillai, 1983
Genus Favia Oken, 1815
Favia danae Verrill, 1872
Favia favus (Forskål, 1775)
Favia helianthoides Wells, 1954
Favia laxa (Klunzinger, 1879)
Favia lizardensis Veron, Pichon & Wijsman-Best, 1977
Favia maritima (Nemenzo, 1971)
Favia marshae Veron, 2000
Favia matthaii Vaughan, 1918
Favia maxima Veron, Pichon & Wijsman-Best, 1977
Favia pallida (Dana, 1846)
Favia rosaria Veron, 2000
Favia rotumana (Gardiner, 1899)
Favia rotundata Veron, Pichon & Wijsman-Best, 1977
Favia speciosa Dana, 1846
Favia stelligera (Dana, 1846)
Favia truncatus Veron, 2000
Favia veroni Moll and Borel-Best, 1984
Favia vietnamensis Veron, 2000
Genus Barabattoia Yabe and Sugiyama, 1941
Barabattoia amicorum (Milne Edwards and Haime, 1850)
Barabattoia laddi (Wells, 1954)
Genus Favites Link, 1807
Favites abdita (Ellis and Solander, 1786)
Favites acuticollis (Ortmann, 1889)
Favites bestae Veron, 2000
Favites chinensis (Verrill, 1866)
Favites complanata (Ehrenberg, 1834)
Favites flexuosa (Dana, 1846)
Favites halicora (Ehrenberg, 1834)
Favites micropentagona Veron, 2000
Favites paraflexuosa Veron, 2000
Favites pentagona (Esper, 1794)
Favites russelli (Wells, 1954)
Favites spinosa (Klunzinger, 1879)
Favites stylifera (Yabe and Sugiyama, 1937)
Favites vasta (Klunzinger, 1879)
Genus Goniastrea Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848
Goniastrea aspera Verrill, 1905
Anamabas
Brunei
El Nido
Vietnam
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Zooxanthellate Scleractinia
Goniastrea australensis (Milne Edwards and Haime, 1857)
Goniastrea columella Crossland, 1948
Goniastrea deformis Veron, 1990
Goniastrea edwardsi Chevalier, 1971
Goniastrea favulus (Dana, 1846)
Goniastrea minuta Veron, 2000
Goniastrea palauensis (Yabe and Sugiyama, 1936)
Goniastrea pectinata (Ehrenberg, 1834)
Goniastrea retiformis (Lamarck, 1816)
Genus Platygyra Ehrenberg, 1834
Platygyra acuta Veron, 2000
Platygyra carnosus Veron, 2000
Platygyra contorta Veron, 1990
Platygyra daedalea (Ellis and Solander, 1786)
Platygyra lamellina (Ehrenberg, 1834)
Platygyra pini Chevalier, 1975
Platygyra ryukyuensis Yabe and Sugiyama, 1936
Platygyra sinensis (Milne Edwards and Haime, 1849)
Platygyra verweyi Wijsman-Best, 1976
Platygyra yaeyamaensis Eguchi and Shirai, 1977
Genus Australogyra Veron & Pichon, 1982
Genus Oulophyllia Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848
Oulophyllia bennettae (Veron, Pichon & Wijsman-Best, 1977)
Oulophyllia crispa (Lamarck, 1816)
Oulophyllia levis (Nemenzo, 1959)
Genus Leptoria Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848
Leptoria irregularis Veron, 1990
Leptoria phrygia (Ellis and Solander, 1786)
Genus Montastrea Blainville, 1830
Montastraea annuligera (Milne Edwards and Haime, 1849)
Montastraea colemani Veron, 2000
Montastraea curta (Dana, 1846)
Montastraea magnistellata Chevalier, 1971
Montastraea multipunctata Hodgson, 1985
Montastrea salebrosa (Nemenzo, 1959)
Montastrea valenciennesi (Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848)
Genus Plesiastrea Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848
Plesiastrea versipora (Lamarck, 1816)
Genus Oulastrea Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848
Oulastrea crispata (Lamarck, 1816)
Genus Diploastrea Matthai, 1914
Diploastrea heliopora (Lamarck, 1816)
Genus Leptastrea Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848
Leptastrea aequalis Veron, 2000
Leptastrea bewickensis Veron & Pichon, 1977
Leptastrea bottae (Milne Edwards and Haime, 1849)
Leptastrea inaequalis Klunzinger, 1879
Anamabas
Brunei
El Nido
Vietnam
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Zooxanthellate Scleractinia
Leptastrea pruinosa Crossland, 1952
Leptastrea purpurea (Dana, 1846)
Leptastrea transversa Klunzinger, 1879
Genus Parasimplastrea Sheppard, 1985
Genus Cyphastrea Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848
Cyphastrea agassizi (Vaughan, 1907)
Cyphastrea chalcidicum (Forskål, 1775)
Cyphastrea decadia Moll and Best, 1984
Cyphastrea japonica Yabe and Sugiyama, 1932
Cyphastrea microphthalma (Lamarck, 1816)
Cyphastrea ocellina (Dana, 1864)
Cyphastrea serailia (Forskål, 1775)
Genus Echinopora Lamarck, 1816
Echinopora ashmorensis Veron, 1990
Echinopora gemmacea Lamarck, 1816
Echinopora hirsutissima Milne Edwards and Haime, 1849
Echinopora horrida Dana, 1846
Echinopora lamellosa (Esper, 1795)
Echinopora mammiformis (Nemenzo, 1959)
Echinopora pacificus Veron, 1990
Echinopora taylorae (Veron, 2000)
Genus Moseleya Quelch, 1884
Family Trachyphylliidae Verrill, 1901
Genus Trachyphyllia Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848
Trachyphyllia geoffroyi (Audouin, 1826)
Family Poritidae Gray, 1842
Genus Porites Link, 1807
Porites annae Crossland, 1952
Porites aranetai Nemenzo, 1955
Porites attenuata Nemenzo 1955
Porites australiensis Vaughan, 1918
Porites cumulatus Nemenzo, 1955
Porites cylindrica Dana, 1846
Porites deformis Nemenzo, 1955
Porites densa Vaughan, 1918
Porites evermanni Vaughan, 1907
Porites horizontalata Hoffmeister, 1925
Porites latistella Quelch, 1886
Porites lichen Dana, 1846
Porites lobata Dana, 1846
Porites lutea Milne Edwards & Haime, 1851
Porites mayeri Vaughan, 1918
Porites monticulosa Dana, 1846
Porites napopora Veron, 2000
Porites negrosensis Veron, 1990
Porites nigrescens Dana, 1846
Porites ornata Nemenzo, 1971
Anamabas
Brunei
El Nido
Vietnam
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Zooxanthellate Scleractinia
Porites rugosa Fenner & Veron, 2000
Porites rus (Forskål, 1775)
Porites sillimaniana Nemenzo, 1976
Porites solida (Forskål, 1775)
Porites stephensoni Crossland, 1952
Porites tuberculosa Veron, 2000
Porites vaughani Crossland, 1952
Genus Stylaraea Milne Edwards and Haime, 1851
Genus Poritipora Veron, 2000
Genus Goniopora Blainville, 1830
Goniopora albiconus Veron, 2000
Goniopora burgosi Nemenzo, 1955
Goniopora columna Dana, 1846
Goniopora djiboutiensis Vaughan, 1907
Goniopora eclipsensis Veron and Pichon, 1982
Goniopora fruticosa Saville-Kent, 1893
Goniopora lobata Milne Edwards and Haime, 1860
Goniopora minor Crossland, 1952
Goniopora pendulus Veron, 1985
Goniopora planulata (Ehrenberg, 1834)
Goniopora somaliensis Vaughan, 1907
Goniopora stokesi Milne Edwards and Haime, 1851
Goniopora stutchburyi Wells, 1955
Goniopora tenuidens (Quelch, 1886)
Genus Alveopora Blainville, 1830
Alveopora allingi Hoffmeister, 1925
Alveopora catalai Wells, 1968
Alveopora daedalea (Forskål, 1775)
Alveopora excelsa Verrill, 1863
Alveopora fenestrata (Lamarck, 1816)
Alveopora gigas Veron, 1985
Alveopora marionensis Veron & Pichon, 1982
Alveopora minuta Veron, 2000
Alveopora spongiosa Dana, 1846
Alveopora tizardi Bassett-Smith, 1890
Alveopora verrilliana Dana, 1872
Total confirmed species
Unconfirmed species
Anamabas
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El Nido
Vietnam
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Chapter 4 The status of coral reefs in Anambas Islands, Indonesia
Suharsono, Meity Mongdong, Yusuf Arif Afandi, Leri Nuriadi, Supriyadi, Yuwanda Ilham,
Andriyatno Hanif, Syamsuh Herman, Nur Alam
Summary
Coral reef condition was assessed at 19 of the Anambas MRAP survey sites using a point-intercept
transect methodology. Two 50m replicate transects each were conducted at shallow (3-6m) and
intermediate (10-12m) depths, and benthic cover was classified into 12 different categories.
Observations on hard coral species composition were also made opportunistically by the team.
Live hard coral cover was overall very high in the Anambas Islands, averaging 50.5% and ranging
from a low of 16% at NE Pulau Bawah to a high of 74.5% at Jemaja Island. By comparison, soft coral
cover was very low, averaging only 4.2%. Four sites had no soft coral recorded, while only three sites
had more than 5% soft coral cover: Tokongmalangbiru (21%), NE Pulau Bawah (18.5%), and SE Pulau
Bawah (15%). In the first two of these sites, the high soft coral coverage was from Xenia spp. growing
over extensive blast-damaged rubble fields.
Many sites also displayed significant amounts of rubble from previous blast fishing damage; average
cover of rubble for all 19 sites was 12.7% but went as high as 50.5% in the extensively-blasted reefs of
NE Pulau Bawah. Overall, live hard coral cover was much higher in shallow depths, and decreased
strongly with increasing depth.
Using the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI's) national classification system for ranking coral reef
condition, eleven of the nineteen sites (57% of sites) were classified as being in "good" condition (5075% live hard coral cover), while an additional seven locations (36.8% of sites) were classified as being
in fair condition (25-50% live hard coral cover). Only one site (NE Pulau Bawah) was classified as
poor condition, with only 16% live hard coral cover.
The team also determined that hard coral assemblages in the Anambas Islands are generally
dominated by Acroporid, Pocilloporid and Poritid species, with exact compositions varying from site
to site. Reef structures can be divided into several coral assemblages such as Porites assemblages with
relatively small colonies, Porites assemblages with large colonies, monotypic Acropora stands and
assemblages dominated by Pocilloporid colonies.
Overall, the primary threats to Anambas' coral reefs were identified as follows: blast fishing, cyanide
fishing for the live reef food fish trade, coral bleaching, and Crown-of-thorns seastar (COTS)
predation (with active outbreaks of COTS recorded in Rempong and Pahat islands).
Introduction
The Anambas Islands consist mostly of volcanic islands emerging to the surface as rocky hills with a
fairly steep slope. Anambas is located in the south western part of the South China Sea, in the
northern part of Sunda Shelf, and the archipelago consists of 238 islands (only 26 of them inhabited).
The Anambas Regency is under the administration of Riau Province, with the capital city Tarempa
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located on Siantan Island. The population is approximately 41,341 people, most of whom live around
the coasts of the main islands of Siantan island, Matak Island, Mubur Island, Jemaja Island and Bajau
Island (Figure 4.1). The inhabitants are mostly fishermen and are solely dependent on fisheries for
their livelihoods and subsistence. With its low human density, Anambas is also known for its
growing oil and gas sector and increasing tourist development. The oil and gas industry has the
potential to pose a significant threat of pollution resulting from spills, highlighting the need for a
well-prepared contingency plan of oil spill response and clean up as well as compensation to local
communities and affected coastal private sector players.
The Anambas archipelago is generally quite shallow, with bathymetry charts showing maximum
depths between islands of approximately 60 meters. The seabed is mostly gentle reef slope, flattening
out below 30 meters, and with sandy mud mostly covering the offshore seabed. Almost all islands are
surrounding by well-developed fringing reef, and several patch reefs may be found. The Anambas
Islands are affected by reversing monsoon seasons. During the east monsoon, which the locals call the
south wind season, wind and surface current run southeasterly. During the west monsoon, wind and
surface current run northwesterly, and the locals call this the north wind season. The waves
generated by the monsoon wind are considered as the main factor influencing the geomorphology
and orientation of the reefs and patch reefs. Local fishermen attested that the north wind is always
stronger than the south wind. The strong wind is usually occurs during January-February, causing
rough seas throughout this region. Strong wind also generates fast southerly surface currents with
waves up to 3 meters high. Tides in Anambas are diurnal, ranging 1-2 meters. Species richness and
diversity of marine organism in the South China Sea are generally assumed to be lower compared to
the Indo-West Pacific or the Coral Triangle center of diversity.
Excessive extraction of marine resources to meet the increasing demand for live reef food fish is still
practiced in Anambas, with adverse impacts on these resources. Destructive fishing techniques are
still utilized, including the use of explosive, cyanide and bubu (fish traps). Fusiliers are the main target
of explosive fishing, while large groupers and coral trout are targeted by cyanide fishing. The fish are
exported by a Juragan (a financier) to wholesalers, primarily to Singapore and Taiwan (pers comm
with the Juragan).
Small-scale fishers conduct cyanide fishing for the live reef food fish trade, resulting in high revenue
with little capital investment - but also resulting in the widespread death of corals, juvenile fishes and
reef invertebrates. Blast fishing also has a direct impact on reefs by destroying branching corals and
other coral structures. These practices also give indirect impacts such as changes in species
composition and reduced average fish size and age structure due to the removal of top carnivores in
the ecosystem.
Many Anambas artisanal fishers have been practicing the capture and culture of larval and juvenile
Napoleon wrasse for over a decade. The fishers harvest juveniles in October-December when the
juveniles are aggregating in sargassum-associated reef flats. A simple technique is used to collect the
juveniles. Napoleon wrasse juveniles generally hide in the sargassum algae, and the fishers take the
sargassum in the bucket and carefully sort out the juveniles using very fine nets. The Napoleon
wrasse juveniles are generally less than 1 cm in length. These juveniles are then kept in floating pens
or cages for rearing, and are given a mixture of fish roe and chopped fish as their predominant food.
The juveniles are reared to reach an acceptable size for live fish food market.
Due to the generally high natural mortality of postlarval reef fishes, the removal of a limited number
of Napoleon wrasse juveniles by fishermen is posited to have a relatively small impact upon the
viability of the overall Napoleon wrasse population in Anambas. Moreover, the maintenance of
several pairs of healthy adult Napoleon wrasse "broodstock" in each cage complex appears to have
Page | 76
resulted in a "semi-closed" aquaculture system, whereby these adults regularly spawn in their captive
cages and "seed" the nearby reefs (with a percentage of those resultant postlarvae then captured by
fishers for grow out. Such village-level low-technology enterprises can improve employment and
provide significant economic benefits to the locals.
Methodology
The condition of coral reefs of the Anambas Islands was assessed using the Indonesian Institute of
Sciences' national methodology of point intercept transects at 19 different sites. GPS was used to
determine the position of each site. A measuring tape was placed across the reef; every half a meter
was used as a point. Two depth ranges were sampled, the upper reef slope at 3-6 meters depth and
the middle reef slope at approximately 10-12 meters depth. At each depth a set of two replicates of 50
meters tape was laid down on the reef crest, positioned parallel to the shoreline. Assessment was
done using SCUBA diving, and the data were recorded on waterproof data sheets. Sessile organisms
and substrate types beneath each point were classified into 12 categories. Coverage of benthic
components and substrate types were then estimated in percentage from 200 point counts. Reef
damage was also recorded, along with its likely cause. Cluster analysis was used based on average
percentage of sessile organisms and substrate type. A Multidimensional scaling method was applied
using PRIMER program for location clustering analysis (Warwick and Clarke 2001).
Results
1. Tokong Malang Biru
Tokong Malang Island is a volcanic island located in the southernmost part of Anambas. Rocky walls
with small underwater caves replaced beaches on this island. Corals grow nearby the stone walls at
two - three meters depth. The reef flat is narrow with gently declining reef slopes. Corals grow evenly
distributed with low rugosity, almost flat. At 3-10 meters depth, coral growth is dominated by
monotypic species consisting of 3-5 major interrelated species associations: Acropora brueggemani, A.
formosa, A. grandis, Porites rus, Montipora foliosa, and Montipora spp. Soft coral grows on dead coral
rubble. At depths greater than 15 meters corals grow in small patches. Most of the bottom substrates
are sandy flats with relatively low coral growth. This area is less attractive for diving; the underwater
scenery is flat with monotonous coral growth. Seabirds come for nesting at Tokong Malang Biru. This
island may become an attractive tourist destination for sea bird watchers.
2. Rempong Island
Rempong Island is larger than the Tokong Malang Biru. The southwestern part of the island is
overgrown by dense trees; dead coral rubble and coarse sand cover the beach. Reef flat is quite wide
with a gentle slope to the depth of 5-6 meters, which is followed by a fairly steep slope to a depth of
20 meters. The structure of coral growth can be categorized as moderate rugosity, starting from reef
flat to a depth of 10 meters. Patches of coral colonies and small coral boulders grow more prominently
among branching corals. The combination of branching Acropora, Pocillopora, Montipora and
Seriatopora gives us very beautiful scenery. This place is a potential tourist destination for snorkeling
and diving. An open space is available at the coast for future tourism facilities. Coral growth on 5-8
meters depth is monotypic, dominated by Montipora foliosa, A. brueggemani, Acropora cytherea, A.
hyacinthus, M, tuberculosa. Substrate type at 10 meters depth is dominated by dead coral colonies with
Page | 77
coral stands still visible. The coral damage was caused by Acanthaster planci, severe enough to have
some locations long been eaten by the crown of thorns. Coral colonies have blackened, covered by
turf or filamentous algae. White-looking corals in some locations demonstrated a recent consumption
by A. planci. Some A. planci were seen in clusters while eating corals. The color of A. planci is gray or
blue and almost all in the same size. No small A. planci could be found, indicating that the population
of A. planci was stable.
3. Range Island
Range Island is a relatively small volcanic island with patches of beach. Fine white sand adorns the
southwestern part of the island. Island reef flats are made of volcanic rocks where corals grow.
Pocillopora verrucos and P. eydouxi were observed to grow on the rock. Some Favia spp, Favite spp,
Goniastrea spp, and Acropora humilis also grow on the reef flat.
This location seems to be very suitable for the growth of Pocilloporidae. The Pocilloporoids grows
well in an open environment. However, these species are sensitive to disease and other
environmental variables such as temperature. Thus, they are rarely found in large sizes. Rarely found
in other sites, perfectly round Pocillopora with 30-70 meters of diameter were found at Range. Large,
perfectly round Pocillopora verrucosa in various colors of yellow, purple, orange made an impressive
sight here. Pociiloproid of different sizes attached themselves to volcanic rocks at Range reef flats.
Other types of coral colony varied in size at Range. On the reef flat at 3-5 meters depth, overgrowing
Oculinoid, Faviid and Pocilloporid were observed. Acropora valenceinesi, A. bruegemani and Montipora
folisosa were dominant at 5-10 meters depth. Its colorful corals in various sizes recommend Range as a
snorkeling destination for Anambas.
4. Pejantai Island
Pejantai Island is a small volcanic island with dense palm tree growth. The coastlines are rugged with
narrow and steep beaches consisting of large volcanic rock. Reef flats are at 20 - 30o slope. Groves and
spur/ridges perpendicular to the shoreline are overgrown by branching coral Porites nigrescen, Porites
cylindrica, breugemmani Acropora, Acropora formosa and Acropora grandis. The spur and groves are
indications of the strong waves this beach always exposed to. The stronger the energy wave, the
higher is the difference between the spur and the grove. Rugosity of coral assemblages in Pejantai is
moderate.
Boulder corals grow on some flat substrates off Pejantai. At deeper water, the groves and spurs
become hilly and flattish. Corals grow evenly here, dominated by only a single colony of branching
corals which gives a less-than-attractive impression for divers. Wave energy is weaker here at deeper
water despite the presence of spurs and groves. The absence of curves and the domination of
Acroporoids (which flourish in places with moderate wave) are indicative of moderate wave energy
in this area.
Pejantai Island is not very attractive as a diving spot due to the monotonous reef structure. In
addition, west monsoon with its strong southeasterly wind brings rough sea, further reducing the
appeal of Pejantai to potential tourists.
5. Tokong Berlayar Island
A sailing boat is the impression of Tokong Berlayar Island when one sees it from a distance. Hence, its
name sake, for ‘sailing boat’ is the meaning of Tokong Berlayar (‘Tokong’ means ‘stone’ in the local
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language). This small island is made of granites. Small white gulls flying around the island indicates
gulls nesting sites on the island.
Adorned with a lighthouse on one of its shores, Pejantai is also one of Anambas’ outer islands (the
Archipelago has a total of 92 outer islands). The survey was conducted at the western part of the
island. The island is volcanic with no sandy beach. The reefs slope down gently to 6 -7 m depth before
sharply inclining down at more than 20 m depth. The corals had high rugosity with different types of
growth form. Porites was a very dominant form, with large boulder corals reaching 3-4 m in diameter.
Porites nigrescen, P. rus, Acropora formosa, A. florida, A. valenseinesi, A. tenuis. A. hyacinthus, A. cytherea
grew next to large boulder corals. Acropora florida formed monospesific assemblages with large
colonies of Porites lute and P. lobata. A relative large colony of Pocillopora verrucosa also dominated the
scene. Starting from 8-12 m depth, the coral colonies became smaller. At more than 15 m depth, only
small patchy corals were observed.
The high level of coral species diversity in this area resulted in high, relatively large-sized, fish
abundance. Pejantai is a great diving spot due to the high coral rugosity and relatively calm and clear
water. The mixture of massive branching, leafy and creeping corals give appealing underwater
scenery. Although large A. planci were still found in this area, its patchy distribution and the absence
of large aggregation warrant some degree of normalcy. However, we still observed white band and
black band diseases at some corals.
6. Pahat Island
The island is made of granite stone and covered with coconut trees and other wild plants. Large
volcanic rocks composed the beach. The narrow reef flat goes straight down into 3-5 m depth before
becoming flat at 6-10 m. At a depth of 4-6 m coral growth was dominated by monotypic branching
corals of large blocks Acropora. Rugosity of this area was low to moderate. The bottom substrate at 912 m depth is flat with small size of patchy Porites dispersed evenly. Massive Porites colonies grew
amidst small pieces of Porites (10-20 cm). At deeper water, Porites grew at larger size of 30-50 cm in
diameter. Small colonies of Faviid were observed to grow amidst Porites colonies.
The Pahat Acropora seemed to have suffered a catastrophic mass mortality in the last two years. The
evidence is still visible from the dead yet perfectly standing branching corals, covered with
filamentous or turf algae. The cause of death is undetermined, whether A. planci or cyanobacteria.
However, some exciting colonies of Acropora humilis were still found to grow on top of knolls or
pinnacle corals; they seemed to be unaffected by the catastrophic event. Acanthaster planci as the
possible culprit remains debatable due to the presence of healthy, massive coral species of Porites and
Faviid (a large number of A planci numbers will eat any species of corals on their paths).
7. Durai Island
Durai is a volcanic island with a rocky shore, although two locations on the island have white sandy
beaches. The 1.5 km long western sandy beach and the 800 m long eastern sandy beach are nesting
grounds of hawksbill turtles (E. imbricata) and green turtles (C. midas). Reef observation was
conducted at the eastern side of the island, in front of the eastern sandy beach. Coral reefs at 1-8 m
depth were in dire condition; almost all corals died with only few remaining colonies alive. Mass
mortality of corals was observed in vast areas. Although most corals were found dead, their skeletons
stood still. Dead branching corals still stood upright, overgrown by filamentous and turf algae. The
mass coral mortality seemed to have occurred recently, approximately 6 -12 months ago. However,
several colonies of Acropora hyacinthus, Pocillopora verucossa and massive Porites seemed to have
survived the disaster, looking as if unaffected whatsoever. No new recruitments of juvenile were
Page | 79
found. At 10 m depth, corals grew in small patches of uneven distribution. Several Porites nigrescens
and Acropra humilis flourished in this depth.
Coral mortality at 1-8 m depth was likely due to the explosion of A. planci population. Blast fishing
fingerprints were also found on the destroyed reefs; local fishers seemed to regularly use this
destructive method. Prior to the mass mortality event, coral reefs in this area used to be in an
excellent condition. Large Acropora used to dominate the once-healthy coral communities. In normal
conditions, A. planci generally like eating tabulate Acropora. However, in the event of population
explosion, Acanthaster planci will eat anything they found, particuarly large polyp corals. The coral
species Pocillopora verucossa seemed to have survived the A. planci predation, most likely due to the
protection of symbionic crabs (Trapezia sp.) inside the Pocillopora. Massive Porites heads have also
survived A. planci due to their small polyps and round colonies (which made it difficult for A. planci
to grip).
A bleaching event in 2010 impacted some coral reef locations in Indonesia. Bleaching was reported in
Natuna. However, fortunately the warming event was short-lived in Natuna, allowing the local coral
reefs to recover. The Anambas coral reefs seemed to suffer insignificant impacts as well.
8. Tokong Nanas Island
Tokong Nanas Island is an outermost volcanic island with a lighthouse on its shore. This island has
no beach; the bottom substrate at 2-3 m depth consists of sand and coral rubble. This vast reef bottom
is extremely flat, declined slowly to reach a distance of about 1 -1.5 km from the island.
Scarcely distributed, small coral colonies grew at this depth. They grow mostly on top of dead coral
substrates. Several colonies of Pocillopora verucossa can be found in small patches; they also grow on
dead corals. Coral growth became more abundant at 9-12 m depth. Small colonies of Porites (15 -20
cm) dominated reefs in this area. This growth form was evenly distributed throughout the reef slope.
Relatively small colonies of faviid and pociloporoid grew amidst the Porites. This area is less attractive
as a diving spot.
9. Telaga Islands
Telaga Islands is a group of small islands situated close to each other. During low tide, people can
walk from one island to the other. Observations were made on the outside of the village nearby a
cluster of volcanic rocks and in front of a strait. At 2-3 m depth, wide reef flats grew on top of dead
branching Porites. Coral community in this area used to be dominated by Porites cylindrica and Porites
nigrescens with almost 100% live coral cover. The domination was still visible despite the corals being
dead. New recruits of Porites rus with 5-15 cm diameter were observed on top of the dead corals. A
significant amount of coral coralline algae was also observed in the area. At 10-30 m depth, the
majority of coral growth is made up of Porites lutea, P. lobata, P. Solida and some branching Porites
such as P. nigrescens, P. rus, P. cylidrica. More than 80% corals were dominated by boulder corals.
The combination of large massive corals and branching corals made for the high rugosity of corals in
Telaga. Many Acropora sukarnoi and A. specifera flourished among Porites colonies. Coral communities
in this area were dominated by branching Porites (the reef flat) and massive corals in deeper depths,
indicating that this area is relatively protected from strong waves.
Porites cylindrica and Porites nigrescens formed hundreds of square meters of monospecific meadows
and thus contributed to the reef development in this area. For branching Porites, colony fragmentation
is an important asexual strategy for dominance (De Vantier and Endean 1989). Coral populations on
Page | 80
reef flats to a depth of 3-4 m seemed to have recovered from mass mortality that occurred perhaps 1-2
years ago, indicated by the presence of small corals with an average of 10-15 centimeters in diameter.
Discussions: Coral Reefs Condition
In general coral reefs on the reef flats are limited by wave and tidal range. Live hard coral cover
reached its maximum at 4 -12 m depth, just above the gently declining reef slope. Below 15 meters,
reduced light and the muddy sea floor contributed to the sharp decline in coral cover.
Live hard coral cover was overall very high in the Anambas Islands, averaging 50.5% and ranging
from a low of 16% at NE Pulau Bawah to a high of 74.5% at Jemaja Island. By comparison, soft coral
cover was very low, averaging only 4.2%. Four sites had no soft coral recorded, while only three sites
had more than 5% soft coral cover: Tokongmalangbiru (21%), NE Pulau Bawah (18.5%), and SE Pulau
Bawah (15%). In the first two of these sites, the high soft coral coverage was from Xenia spp. growing
over extensive blast-damaged rubble fields. By comparison, on the southern side of Pulau Bawah,
filamentous algae covering the rubble fields reached over 50% cover. Soft coral and algae are
important components of a coral reef ecosystem: they build up the structure and give refuge to
several invertebrate and fish. Their abundance increases as a synergetic response to reduced presence
of herbivores and nutrients input, particularly during coral bleaching events (Figure 4.2).
Many sites also displayed significant amounts of rubble from previous blast fishing damage; average
cover of rubble for all 19 sites was 12.7% but went as high as 50.5% in the extensively-blasted reefs of
NE Pulau Bawah, which also featured many small bomb craters. .Unfortunately, fringing reefs like
this one with a flat bottom at a depth of 10 m are ideal sites for bomb fishers to operate (Figure 4.3).
The substrate there was dominated by dead coral rubbles (‘rubble’) overgrown by filamentous algae
(Halimeda) and soft coral of the genus Xenia and Lobophytum.
Using the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI's) national classification system for ranking coral reef
condition (Table 4.1), eleven of the nineteen sites (57% of sites) were classified as being in "good"
condition (50-75% live hard coral cover), while an additional seven locations (36.8% of sites) were
classified as being in fair condition (25-50% live hard coral cover). Only one site (NE Pulau Bawah)
was classified as poor condition, with only 16% live hard coral cover.
In general, the hard coral assemblages in the Anambas Islands are usually dominated by Acroporid,
Pocilloporid and Poritid species, with exact compositions varying from site to site. Reef structures
can be divided into several coral assemblages such as Porites assemblages with relatively small
colonies, Porites assemblages with large colonies, monotypic Acropora stands and assemblages
dominated by Pocilloporid colonies. The difference in coral assemblages from site to site might be
related with the pattern and direction of currents, different wave energy and whether the area was
open or enclosed. At most sites, the reef slope is gently sloping with live coral well developed at less
than 20 m depth.
We conducted a cluster analysis of the locations based on the average percentage of sessile organisms
and substrate type by measuring the stress value generated by the multidimensional scaling method.
Goodness of fit was used to choose the best model to fit the analysis.
The most appropriate stress value was 0.16, which resulted in seven clusters with the main cluster
consisting of six locations (Figure 4.4). Pejantai Island, Tokong berlayar Island, Pahat Island, Durai
Island, Temiyang Island and Selei Island were in the main cluster while Repong, Keramut Island, and
Bandar Riau Laut were separated from other clusters.
Page | 81
Community structure and coral reefs distribution may be the result of the coral’s responses to abiotic
and biotic factors (Birkeland 1997). The different spatial patterns of coral reef distribution and
structure in the Anambas Islands may also be the specific response to abiotic factors such as substrate
type, current pattern, and local hydrodynamics as well as biotic factors such as recruitment,
settlement, competition, predation and mortality. In general, the observed coral reefs in Anambas
were mostly dominated by Poritoid and Acroproid assemblages (Figure 4.5). The unique coral reef
features found in these islands might be the result of a particular relationship between biological and
physical processes which may be different from those community structures found in Seribu Islands
or Karimunjawa Islands, despite being located on the same Sunda Shelf and influenced by similar
hydrodynamic and geological factors as Anambas.
Community structure of coral reefs in Anambas Islands is interesting as it represents examples of
several succession stages of coral communities. For instance, the Porites was at the early succession
stage where massive Porites averaging 15 – 20 cm in diameter dominated one area while boulder
Porites averaging 1 – 3 m in diameter dominate the other area (Figure 4.6). Widely distributed, the
Porites genus tends to dominate the back reef environment. Massive colonies of P. lutea and P. lobata
are among the most important reef-builders of the Indonesian Archipelago (Tomasick et al 1997).
Tokong Nanas and Pahat Islands islands have previously suffered mass coral mortality with
undetermined cause. Massive Porites spp was the only species unaffected by the event. With similar
size (30-40 cm) among its units, this population was found standing among the dead coral colonies.
Acroporid and Pocilloporid also dominated the recovery or recruitment process. Porites is likely to
survive another mass mortality event. When repeated mass mortality events occur, Porites may be the
only coral to survive. Large Porites would then dominate the area; the assemblage would then be
regarded as a Poritid assemblage. Examples of these coral communities can be seen on Tokong
Berlayar Island and Telaga Island, where 3-4 m diameter Porites dominated the reef systems. The
succession of Porites coral populations in both locations may have approached the climax state. Large
Porites mostly dominated coral communities in Telaga Island. In more open areas such as Tokong
Malang Biru, Acropora species may dominate the coral assemblages owing to this species’ good
colonizing ability, fast growth and juveniles sourced from healthy adjacent reefs. Acropora species are
known for their high resilience as long as the impacts are not anthropogenic. The growth of Acropora
spp is 10 - 15 cm per annum in Pari Island ( Sadarun 1999, Herdiana 2001). Tokong Malang Biru Island
is located at the southernmost part of Anambas islands, characterized by stronger wave swell and
more open ocean system, allowing Acroporid domination.
References
Birkeland, C. 1997. Life and Death of Coral reefs. Chapman and Hall, New York : 536 pp.
Devantier LM and Endean R. 1989. Observation of colony fission following ledge formation in
massive reef corals of the genus Porites. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 58. 191 – 195.
Herdiana Y. 2001. Respon pertumbuhan serta keberhasilan transplantasi koral terhadap ukuran
fragmen dan posisi penanaman pada dua species Acropora microphthalma dan A. intermedia.
Thesis. IPB.
Tomasick T. AJ Mah. A. Nontji and MK Moosa. 1997. The Ecology of the Indonesian Seas. Periplus.
Pub. (HK) Ltd. 1388 pp.
Sadarun, 1999. Transplantasi karang batu (stony coral) di Kepulauan Seribu, Teluk Jakarta. Thesis.
IPB. 67. pp
Warwick RM and KP Clark. 2001. Change in Marine Communities: an approach to statistical analysis
and interpretation. PRIMER-E, Ltd, 91pp.
Page | 82
Appendix I
Table 4.1 Primary categories recorded during transect and the percentage cover of benthic group, life forms and abiotic components. Abbreviations include:
HC=Live Hard Coral, SC=Soft Coral, SP=Sponge, OT=other; DC=dead coral, DCA=dead coral w/ algae, RB=rubble, RC=rock, SD=sand, SI=Silt,
HA=Halimeda algae, A=algae
Site No:
Benthic
Cover:
HC
SC
SP
OT
DC
DCA
RB
RC
SD
SI
HA
A
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
54%
21%
0.0%
0.0%
2.5%
13%
9.5%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
39.5%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
17%
0.0%
40%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
3.5%
32%
1.5%
0.0%
1.5%
30.5%
3.5%
13.5%
0.0%
15%
0.0%
0.0%
1%
55%
0.0%
0.0%
0.5%
25.5%
0.5%
17.5%
0.0%
0.5%
0.0%
0.0%
0.5%
58.5%
3%
0.0%
0.5%
16%
0.0%
16.5%
0.0%
5.5%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
57%
0.5%
0.0%
0.5%
32%
0.5%
6%
0.0%
3.5%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
50%
1%
0.0%
0.0%
24%
5%
19%
0.0%
1%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
40.5%
0.0%
1.5%
0.5%
37.5%
10.5%
2%
0.0%
7.5%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
61%
2%
0.0%
0.0%
9.5%
17%
7.5%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
3%
32%
0.0%
1%
0.0%
3%
21.5%
16%
0.0%
14%
0.0%
0.5%
12%
74.5%
4%
0.0%
0.0%
9%
9%
2%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
1.5%
59.5%
5.5%
0.0%
1.5%
8.5%
14.5%
2%
0.0%
3%
0.0%
0.0%
5%
41.5%
2%
0.0%
0.0%
19%
5.5%
5.5%
0.0%
26%
0.0%
0.0%
0.5%
37%
15%
1.5%
0.0%
9.5%
14%
16.5%
0.0%
4%
0.0%
0.0%
2.5%
16%
18.5%
0.0%
0.5%
9%
2.5%
50.5%
0.0%
1.5%
0.0%
0.0%
1.5%
71%
0.5%
0.0%
0.5%
18.5%
7%
1%
0.0%
0.5%
0.0%
1%
0.0%
65%
2%
0.0%
1.5%
21.5%
0.5%
8%
0.0%
1%
0.0%
0.0%
0.5%
66%
2%
0.0%
0.0%
17%
5%
8.5%
0.0%
1%
0.0%
0.0%
0.5%
49.5%
1.5%
0.0%
0.5%
9.5%
13.5%
0.0%
24%
1%
0.0%
0.5%
0.0%
Page | 83
Appendix II
Figure 4.1 Map of the Anambas Islands
Page | 84
Figure 4.2 Open rubble fields and degraded coral reefs (primarily from blast fishing) were frequently
overgrown by soft corals such as Xenia spp.
Page | 85
Figure 4.3 Typical examples of coral degradation in the Anambas Islands. (a) Damage from
destructive fishing technique using explosives, (b) Coral degradation due to COTS predation
Page | 86
Figure 4.4 The dendrogram based on the average percentage of sessile organisms and MDS similarity
matrix (stress value 0.16).
Page | 87
Figure 4.5 Healthy coral communities in Anambas Islands are mostly dominated by Porites and
Acropora assemblages
Page | 88
Figure 4.6 Different states of Porites successions in the Anambas Islands.
Porites colonies ranged from 20-300 cm in diameter.
Page | 89
Appendix III
Pie diagrams showing the average percentage cover categories for each of the 19 sites surveyed in the
Anambas Islands (combining data from 3-6 m and 10-12 m transects):
Page | 90
Page | 91
Page | 92
Chapter 5 Reef Fishes of the Anambas Archipelago
Gerald R. Allen & Mark V. Erdmann
Flasher wrasse (Paracheilinus species), 7 cm total length, an undescribed species collected and
photographed at the Anambas Islands.
Summary of Reef Fish Survey Results
 A list of coral reef fish species was compiled for 20 survey sites in the Anambas Archipelago. The
survey involved approximately 120 hours of scuba diving by G. Allen and M. Erdmann to a
maximum depth of 50 m.
 A total of 578 coral reef fish species was recorded for the survey.
 Combined with previous (2002) survey efforts by Adrim et al., the current total for the Anambas
Islands is 667 species of reef fishes representing 260 genera and 71 families.
 A formula for predicting the total reef fish fauna based on the number of species in six key families
(Chaetodontidae, Pomacanthidae, Pomacentridae, Labridae, Scaridae, and Acanthuridae) indicates
that as many as 801 species can be expected to occur in the Anambas region.
Page | 93

Gobies (Gobiidae), wrasses (Labridae), damselfishes (Pomacentridae), groupers (Serranidae),
cardinalfishes (Apogonidae), blennies (Blenniidae), butterflyfishes (Chaetodontidae), and
parrotfishes (Scaridae) are the most speciose families on Anambas reefs with 90, 73, 66, 33, 32, 30,
24, and 24 species respectively.

Species numbers at visually sampled sites during the survey ranged from 118 to 240, with an
average of 179 species/site.
 Sites with the most fish diversity included southeastern Pulau Bawah (site 15 – 240 species), Pulau
Selai (site 19 – 215 species), Pulau Piantai (site 4 - 199 species), Pulau Pahat (site 6 – 198 species),
southeastern Pulau Jemaja (site 14 – 196 species), and Pulau Mandariau Laut (Site 20 – 194 species).
 The majority of Anambas fishes have broad distributions in either the Indo-Pacific (67%) or
western Pacific (22%). Other categories include species that are mainly distributed in the East
Indian region (8%), circumtropically (1%), or have undetermined distributions (2%).
 Seven potential new species were collected during the survey including Heteroconger sp.
(Congridae), Stalix sp. (Opistognathidae), Paracheilinus sp. (Labridae), Myersina sp. (Gobiidae),
Helcogramma sp. (Trypterygiidae) and 2 species of Ecsenius (Blenniidae). An additional 4 species of
coral gobies in the genus Gobiodon were collected that are not readily assignable to any currently
recognized taxa, and may eventually be determined to be new species as well.
 Large fishes, including Napoleon wrasses, groupers, and sharks, were generally scarce at the
Anambas Islands and the designation of strictly-enforced "no-take zones" or fisheries
replenishment zones within the MPA are strongly recommended to help rectify this situation.
Introduction
The Indonesian Archipelago is the world’s richest region for coral reef fishes (Allen, 2008; Allen &
Erdmann, 2012). Allen and Adrim (2003) provided a comprehensive checklist that included 2057
species of reef fish. Recent additions (Allen, unpublished data) have since raised the overall total to
about 2,250 species. Despite our increasing knowledge of the Indonesian reef fish fauna, there is still
considerable need for accurate local documentation, particularly for conservation purposes. The
current survey of the Anambas Archipelago is especially critical in this regard as the island group has
great potential for future tourism involving a variety of marine activities including snorkelling and
scuba diving. Proper documentation of the coral reef community is therefore a vital first step in
properly developing this valuable, but as yet untapped resource.
The principle aim of the fish survey was to provide a comprehensive inventory of the reef fish
assemblage of the Anambas Islands, with a focus on the newly-gazetted Anambas Islands Marine
Tourism Park. This segment of the fauna includes fishes living on or near coral reefs to depths of
approximately 50 m. Survey activities therefore excluded estuarine species, deepwater fishes and
offshore pelagic species such as flyingfishes, tunas, and billfishes.
The results of this survey facilitate a comparison of the reef fish fauna of the Anambas Archipelago
with other parts of Indonesia as well as other locations in the tropical Indo-Pacific. However, it is
Page | 94
important to note that the list of reef fishes from the survey area is still incomplete, due to the time
restriction and the cryptic nature of many small reef species.
Previous ichthyological surveys
There has been very little previous ichthyological work on reefs of the southern portion of the South
China Sea. Other than a two-page paper by Bleeker (1854) that reported several species from the
Natuna Islands, there was virtually no knowledge of the Anambas region until 2002. An expedition to
the Anambas and Natuna islands was organized in that year by the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity
Research of the National University of Singapore in cooperation with the Indonesian Institute of
Sciences (LIPI). Collections and underwater observations resulting from this 10-day expedition (11-22
March 2001) were reported by Adrim et al. (2004). These authors listed 430 species of mainly reefassociated fishes, but also included a number of soft-bottom trawl fishes, as well as fishes purchased
at markets, and several brackish water species.
Methods
The current survey involved a combined total of approximately 120 hours of scuba diving by G. Allen
and M. Erdmann to a maximum depth of 50 m. A comprehensive list of fishes was compiled for 20
sites (Table 5.1) from 20-29 May 2012. The basic method consisted of underwater observations made
during two dives at each site with average single dive duration of about 80 minutes. The name of
each observed species was recorded in pencil on waterproof paper attached to a clipboard. The
technique usually involved rapid descent to 25-50 m, then a slow, meandering ascent back to the
shallows. The majority of time was spent in the 2-15 m depth zone, which consistently contains the
highest number of species. Each dive included all major bottom types and habitat situations in the
immediate vicinity.
Table 5.1 List of Anambas Islands survey sites and their GPS coordinates and dates surveyed.
Site
No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Date
Surveyed
20 May 12
20 May 12
21 May 12
21 May 12
22 May 12
22 May 12
23 May 12
23 May 12
24 May 12
24 May 12
25 May 12
25 May 12
26 May 12
26 May 12
27 May 12
27 May 12
Location Name
Pulau Tokongmalangbiru
Pulau Repong
Pulau Renge
Pulau Piantai
Pulau Tokongberlayar
Pulau Pahat
Pulau Durai
Pulau Tokongnenas
Pulau Telaga
Terempa Harbor
Pulau Keramut
NW Jemaja
NE Jemaja (Tg. Pinanang)
SE Jemaja (Kuala Maras)
SE Pulau Bawah
NE Pulau Bawah
Coordinates
02° 18.090’ N, 105° 35.802’ E
02° 21.590’ N, 105° 52.556’ E
03° 18.258’ N, 106° 10.611’ E
03° 21.401’ N, 106° 10.531’ E
03° 26.944’ N, 106° 16.018’ E
03° 24.305’ N, 106° 08.261’ E
03° 19.936’ N, 106° 03.170’ E
03° 19.826’ N, 105° 57.289’ E
03° 05.680’ N, 105° 58.531’ E
03° 13.486’ N, 106° 14.581’ E
03° 05.364’ N, 105° 39.408’ E
03° 02.543’ N, 105° 42.981’ E
02° 59.617’ N, 105° 50.072’ E
02° 50.475’ N, 105° 46.609’ E
02° 29.967’ N, 106° 02.710’ E
02° 31.389’ N, 106° 02.650’ E
Page | 95
17
18
19
20
28 May 12
28 May 12
29 May 12
29 May 12
Pulau Ayerabu (Gemili)
NW Temiang
Pulau Selai
Pulau Mandariau Laut
02° 45.710’ N, 106° 10.297’ E
02° 55.788’ N, 106° 06.744’ E
03° 10.865’ N, 106° 29.615’ E
03° 17.079’ N, 106° 25.119’ E
Fishes were photographed underwater while scuba diving with a Nikon digital SLR camera and 105
mm lens in an aluminium housing. Photographs were obtained of approximately 240 species.
Visual surveys were supplemented by collections of mainly cryptic species with the use of clove oil,
rotenone, and spear. Both chemical substances were used in small amounts. Cryptic gobies and other
secretive fishes were individually targeted with a clove oil-alcohol mixture by squirting this chemical
into caves and crevices. Rotenone was employed primarily in caves or under overhangs, or in some
cases along rocky shores of the intertidal zone.
We have also incorporated the results of the previous 2002 survey as reported by Adrim et al. (2004).
However, we closely scrutinized their published list and have omitted certain species from the overall
combined total, including species that were only recorded from the Natuna Islands. Moreover, we did
not include species that are non-reef inhabitants such as soft-bottom trawl ground fishes and brackish
estuarine species. We also do not include several reef fish species which we suspect these authors
have misidentified. The latter category includes the following species (with likely common species for
which it was confused indicated in parentheses): Pentapodus caninus (P. aureofasciatus), Scolopsis
taeniopterus (S. affinis), Pomacentrus amboinensis (P. simsiang), Halichoeres melanurus (H. chrysotaenia),
and Chlorurus bleekeri (C. capsitratoides). We have also excluded the pomacentrid Pomachromis
richardsoni, which we did not encounter during the present survey and is not expected in the available
habitats typical of the Anambas region. More likely, the report of this species is a misidentification.
Survey results
A total of 578 species were recorded during the present survey. An additional 89 species resulting
from the previous 2002 survey were also incorporated in our results for a combined total of 667
species in 260 genera and 71 families. Illustrations and diagnoses for every species were provided by
Allen and Erdmann (2012) with the exception of eleven potentially new taxa (see below).
Analysis of site data
The number of species found at each site is indicated in Table 5.2. The number of species at each site
ranged from 118 to 240, with an average of 179 species per site.
Table 5.2. Number of species observed at each site during Anambas survey.
Site
1
2
3
4
5
Species
162
171
190
199
190
Site
6
7
8
9
10
Species
198
192
159
154
118
Site
11
12
13
14
15
Species
176
127
178
196
240
Site
16
17
18
19
20
Species
191
147
183
215
194
Page | 96
Coral and rock reefs were by far the richest habitat in terms of fish biodiversity. The best sites for
fishes (Table 5.3) were invariably locations containing a mixture of substrates including scleractinian
corals, soft corals, and rock with algae, seawhips, gorgonians, and sponges. Protected lagoon/harbour
sites with significant sedimentation and reduced visibility were comparatively poor for fishes,
although they were inhabited by a unique faunal assemblage.
Table 5.3 Richest sites for fishes during 2012 Anambas survey.
Site No.
15
19
4
6
14
20
7
16
3
5
Location
SE Pulau Bawah
Pulau Selai
Pulau Piantai
Pulau Pahat
SE Jemaja (Kuala Maras)
Pulau Mandariau Laut
Pulau Durai
NE Pulau Bawah
Pulau Renge
Pulau Tokongberlayar
Total fish
spp.
240
215
199
198
196
194
192
191
190
190
Coral Fish Diversity Index (CFDI)
In response to the need for a convenient method of assessing and comparing overall coral reef fish
diversity between areas in the Indo-Pacific region the first author (see Allen and Werner, 2002) has
devised a rating system based on the number of species present belonging to the following six
families: Chaetodontidae, Pomacanthidae, Pomacentridae, Labridae, Scaridae, and Acanthuridae.
These families are particularly good indicators of overall fish diversity for the following reasons:





They are taxonomically well documented.
They are conspicuous diurnal fishes that are relatively easy to identify underwater.
They include the “core” reef species, which more than any other fishes characterize the fauna of a
particular locality. Collectively, they usually comprise more than 50 percent of the observable
fishes.
The families, with the exception of Pomacanthidae, are consistently among the 10 most speciose
groups of reef fishes inhabiting a particular locality in the tropical Indo-west Pacific region.
Labridae and Pomacentridae in particular are very speciose and utilize a wide range of associated
habitats in addition to coral-rich areas.
The method of assessment consists simply of counting the total number of species present in each of
the six families. It is applicable at several levels:



single dive sites
relatively restricted localities (e.g. Anambas Islands)
countries, major island groups, or large regions (e.g. Indonesia)
CFDI values can be used to make a reasonably accurate estimate of the total coral reef fish fauna of a
particular locality by means of regression formulas. The latter were obtained after analysis of 35
Indo-Pacific locations for which reliable, comprehensive species lists exist. The data were first
divided into two groups: those from relatively restricted localities (reefs and adjacent seas
Page | 97
encompassing less than 2,000 km2) and those from larger areas (reefs and adjacent seas encompassing
more than 2,000 km2). Simple regression analysis revealed a highly significant difference (P = 0.0001)
between these two groups. Therefore, the data were separated and subjected to additional analysis.
The Macintosh program Statview was used to perform simple linear regression analyses on each data
set in order to determine a predictor formula, using CFDI as the predictor variable (x) for estimating
the independent variable (y) or total coral reef fish fauna. The resultant formulae were obtained:
1. total reef fish fauna of areas with surrounding seas encompassing more than 2,000 km 2 =
4.234(CFDI) - 114.446 (d.f = 15; R2 = 0.964; P = 0.0001);
2. total reef fish fauna of areas with surrounding seas encompassing less than 2,000 km 2 = 3.39 (CFDI)
- 20.595 (d.f = 18; R2 = 0.96; P = 0.0001).
CFDI is useful for short-term surveys such as the present one because it is capable of accurately
predicting the overall faunal total. The main underlying assumption of the CFDI method is that shortterm surveys of only 15-20 days duration are sufficient to record most members of the six indicator
families due to their conspicuous nature. The CFDI for the Anambas region is 216, composed of the
following elements: Chaetodontidae (24), Pomacanthidae (12), Pomacentridae (66), Labridae (73),
Scaridae (24), and Acanthuridae (17). The resultant predicted faunal total is 801 species. Comparison
of this total with the actual number of species (667) currently recorded from the region indicates that
at least 134 additional species of shallow reef fishes can be expected. This total includes many species
that are not readily recorded by visual methods and small collections. Moray eels (Muraenidae), for
example, are notoriously difficult to survey without the use of large quantities of rotenone (a chemical
ichthyocide). Only three species were seen during the present survey, but on the basis of expected
distributions (Allen and Erdmann, 2012) at least 40-50 species potentially occur in the Anambas
region.
The CFDI method is especially useful when time is limited and there is heavy reliance on visual
observations, as was the case for the present survey. The CFDI total indicates that about 83 percent of
the predicted fauna was actually recorded during the combined 2002 and 2012 surveys.
Table 5.4 presents a comparison of the Anambas Islands with other Indonesian sites and various
Indo-west and central Pacific locations that were surveyed by the authors or various colleagues. The
Anambas Archipelago lies in the middle of the range of reef fish diversity in comparison with other
locations.
Page | 98
Table 5.4 Coral fish diversity index (CFDI) values for selected localities in the Indo-west Pacific
region. The total number of fishes thus far recorded from each region and estimated total based on
the CFDI regression formula (see text for details) are also indicated.
Locality
Raja Ampat Islands, West Papua, Indonesia
Bali and Nusa Penida, Indonesia
Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea
Maumere Bay, Flores, Indonesia
Halmahera, Indonesia
Fakfak-Kaimana, West Papua, Indonesia
North Sulawesi, Indonesia
Berau, East Kalimantan, Indonesia
Cenderawasih Bay, West Papua, Indonesia
Togean and Banggai Islands, Indonesia
Solomon Islands
Timor Leste
Calamianes Islands-N.Palawan, Philippines
Komodo Islands, Indonesia
Yap State, Micronesia
Verde Passage, Luzon, Philippines
Sabah, Malaysia
Madang, Papua New Guinea
Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea
Capricorn Group, Great Barrier Reef
Brunei Darussalam
Chuuk State, Micronesia
Western Thailand (Andaman Sea)
Ashmore/Cartier Reefs, Timor Sea
Kashiwa-Jima Island, Japan
Anambas Islands, Indonesia
Samoa Islands
Pohnpei and nearby atolls, Micronesia
Layang Layang Atoll, Malaysia
Andaman Islands
Pulau Weh, Sumatra, Indonesia
Rowley Shoals, Western Australia
Cocos-Keeling Atoll, Indian Ocean
North-West Cape, Western Australia
Lord Howe Island, Australia
Monte Bello Islands, Western Australia
Bintan Island, Indonesia
Kimberley Coast, Western Australia
Johnston Island, Central Pacific
Midway Atoll
CFDI
378
340
333
333
327
322
318
316
311
308
301
294
292
280
280
278
275
257
254
232
230
230
226
225
224
216
211
202
202
200
196
176
167
164
139
119
97
89
78
77
No. reef
fishes
recorded
1520
1038
1109
1111
974
1029
1072
875
1027
819
1019
777
1003
722
787
750
865
787
687
803
673
615
775
669
768
667
852
470
458
535
533
505
528
527
395
447
304
367
227
250
Estimated
number
reef fishes
1486
1325
1313
1108
1271
1249
1057
1051
1202
1190
1160
976
1122
929
929
922
1050
850
840
765
759
759
843
742
738
801
694
664
664
732
644
576
545
535
450
382
308
281
243
240
Page | 99
Analysis of the Anambas reef fish fauna
The most abundant families in terms of number of species are gobies (Gobiidae), wrasses (Labridae),
damselfishes (Pomacentridae), groupers (Serranidae), cardinalfishes (Apogonidae), blennies
(Blenniidae), butterflyfishes (Chaetodontidae), parrotfishes (Scaridae), snappers (Lutjanidae), and
surgeonfishes (Acanthuridae). These 10 families collectively account for 61 percent of the total reef
fauna (Table 5.5).
Table 5.5 Most speciose fish families found in the Anambas Islands.
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Family
Species
% of total species
90
73
66
33
32
30
24
24
18
17
13.5
10.9
10.0
4.9
4.8
4.5
3.7
3.6
2.7
2.5
Gobiidae
Labridae
Pomacentridae
Serranidae
Apogonidae
Blenniidae
Chaetodontidae
Scaridae
Lutjanidae
Acanthuridae
The relative abundance of Anambas fish families is very similar to that found at other Indo-Pacific
locations. Labridae, Pomacentridae, and Gobiidae are typically the most speciose families, although
the order of these groups is variable according to location. Gobiidae is frequently the most abundant,
which is not surprising given that approximately 600 species inhabit Indo-Pacific coral reefs.
The Anambas Islands reef fish community
As mentioned in the previous section, the Anambas fish assemblage is dominated by relatively few
families, which is a typical situation on reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific region. However, the fish
fauna of the Anambas Islands represents a unique blend of species that exhibit a number of
peculiarities, especially when compared to most locations in the greater East Indian region. One
obvious feature is the great abundance of several species (Table 5.6), which although always present
at other Indonesian locations, are never found in such great numbers. In fact, each of these species
was so numerous, we had no hesitation in classifying them as superabundant”. In addition, members
of the parrotfish family Scaridae and rabbitfish family Siganidae were generally more abundant
compared to most locations we have previously surveyed.
Table 5.6 Superabundant (relative to most locations) species of the Anambas Islands.
Species
Chaetodon octofasciatus
Amblyglyphidodon curacao
Epibulus brevis
Paracheilinus sp.
Scarus quoyi
Siganus vulpinus
Family
Chaetodontidae
Pomacentridae
Labridae
Labridae
Scaridae
Siganidae
Page | 100
Dramatically contrasting with the situation described above, there were many species that were
conspicuous by their absence (Table 5.7). These included species that typically are common
throughout the East Indian region, particularly Indonesian locations lying to the east of the Anambas
Archipelago. One of the most vivid examples was the very poor representation of anthiine fishes or
fairy basslets, especially Pseudanthias squamipinnis and P. huchtii, which form huge midwater-feeding
shoals at most locations. Their absence may be explained by the apparently low nutrient levels in the
waters of Anambas, which were generally exceedingly clear and seemingly oligotrophic. As fairy
basslets are planktivores, oligotrophic conditions are not optimal due to the corresponding low
abundance of planktonic animals and plants. Likewise, there was a conspicuous absence of Chromis
damselfishes and Naso surgeonfishes, groups that also feed on planktonic organisms.
There was also a general lack of large commercial species, including sharks and Napoleon Wrasse
(Cheilinus undulatus). Aside from occasional sightings of certain carangids and a few Reef Blacktip
(Carcharhinus melanopterus) and Reef Whitetip (Triaenodon obesus) sharks, large fishes were
conspicuously absent at most sites that were surveyed. Although this trend, which is a direct
indication of over fishing, is typical of the entire southeast Asian region, it was particularly evident at
the Anambas Islands.
Table 5.7 Common reef fish species (and their corresponding families) either conspicuously absent or
found in very low numbers at the Anambas Islands.
Species
Plotosus lineatus
Syngnathid species
Family
Plotosidae
Species
Chaetodon vagabundus
Chromis species
Family
Chaetodontidae
Pomacentridae
Epinephelus merra
Pseudanthias species
Cirrhitid species
Ostorhinchus nigrofasciatus
Syngnathidae
Serrandiae
Serranidae
Cirrhitidae
Apogonidae
Dascyllus aruanus
Pomacentrus amboinensis
Pomacentrus brachialis
Pholidichthys leucotaenia
Pomacentridae
Pomacentridae
Pomacentridae
Pristicon kallopterus
Lutjanus species
Pterocaesio pisang
Pterocaesio tile
Apogonidae
Lutjanidae
Caesionidae
Caesionidae
Plagiotremus rhinorhynchos
Acanthurus species
Naso species
Chaetodon vagabundus
Pholidichthyidae
Blenniidae
Acanthuridae
Acanthuridae
Chaetodontidae
Another aspect of the Anambas reef fish community is the presence of several species, which appear
to be vagrants or waifs, due to their extreme low numbers (Table 5.8). In most cases their presence is
based on the observation of just a single individual. Because of their rarity it is unlikely they have
sufficient numbers for a local breeding population, but occasional larvae are recruited from
extralimital populations.
Table 5.8 Possible vagrant species (and their corresponding families) found in extremely low
numbers at the Anambas Islands.
Species
Cromileptes altivelis
Caesio teres
Plectorhinchus gibbosus
Monotaxis heterodon
Parupeneus macronema
Family
Serranidae
Caesionidae
Haemulidae
Lethrinidae
Mullidae
Species
Chromis amboinensis
Cirrhilabrus exquisitus
Cirrhilabrus rubrimarginatus
Hologymnosus annulatus
Platax batavianus
Family
Pomacentridae
Labridae
Labridae
Labridae
Ephippidae
Page | 101
Forcipiger longirostris
Hemitaurichthys polylepis
Heniochus diphreutes
Chromis analis
Chaetodontidae
Chaetodontidae
Chaetodontidae
Pomacentridae
Acanthurus xanthopterus
Naso brevirostris
Naso unicornis
Cantherhines dumerilii
Acanthuridae
Acanthuridae
Acanthuridae
Monacanthidae
A striking characteristic of the Anambas reef fish fauna is the very high degree of homogeneity in
species composition from site to site, which no doubt reflects a general lack of habitat diversity. For
example, 82 species (14 %) were present at 75 % of sites and 46 of these (Table 5.9) occurred at 90 % of
sites.
Table 5.9 Most commonly observed reef species at the Anambas Islands (seen at 90 % or more of total
dive sites).
Species
Chrysiptera rollandi
Pomacentrus alexanderae
Pomacentrus moluccensis
Pomacentrus philippinus
Epibulus brevis
Labroides dimidiatus
Thalassoma lunare
Scarus quoyi
Siganus virgatus
Siganus vulpinus
Cephalopholis cyanostigma
Cephalopholis microprion
Lutjanus decussatus
Caesio cuning
Lethrinus erythropterus
Pentapodus aureofasciatus
Scolopsis bilineatus
Heniochus varius
Centropyge vroliki
Pygoplites diacanthus
Amblyglyphidodon leucogaster
Dascyllus reticulatus
Plectroglyphidodon lacrymatus
Oxycheilinus digramma
% Sites
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
95.0
95.0
94.4
95.0
95.0
95.0
95.0
95.0
94.4
95.0
95.0
95.0
95.0
95.0
Species
Chlorurus sordidus
Siganus corallinus
Parupeneus barberinus
Chaetodon baronessa
Chaetodon octofasciatus
Amblyglyphidodon curacao
Dascyllus trimaculatus
Neoglyphidodon nigroris
Pomacentrus bankanensis
Pomacentrus lepidogenys
Bodianus mesothorax
Cheilinus fasciatus
Cirrhilabrus cyanopleura
Halichoeres hortulanus
Hemigymnus fasciatus
Hemigymnus melapterus
Paracheilinus filamentosus
Thalassoma hardwicke
Chlorurus microrhinos
Scarus forsteni
Scarus niger
Eviota guttata
Siganus puellus
%
Sites
95.0
95.0
90.0
90.0
90.0
90.0
90.0
90.0
90.0
90.0
90.0
90.0
90.0
90.0
90.0
90.0
90.0
90.0
90.0
90.0
90.0
90.0
90.0
Zoogeographic affinities
The Anambas Islands belong to the Western Pacific faunal community, which forms an integral part
of the greater Indo-West and central Pacific biotic province. Its reef fishes are very similar to those
inhabiting other areas within this vast region, stretching from East Africa and the Red Sea to the
islands of Micronesia and Polynesia. Although most families and many genera and species are
consistently present across the region, the species composition varies greatly according to locality.
Page | 102
Dispersal capabilities and the larval lifespan of a given species are usually reflected in its geographic
distribution. Most reef fishes have a relatively long pelagic stage, hence a disproportionate number of
wide-ranging species inhabit tropical seas. This is demonstrated in the Anambas assemblage, with
approximately 56 % of the species exhibiting distribution patterns that encompass much of the Indowest and central Pacific region. Many species range from East Africa to either the western edge of the
Pacific or well eastward to Micronesia and Polynesia.
Table 5.10 presents the major zoogeographic categories of Anambas reef fishes. In addition to wide
ranging Indo-Pacific species, other major categories include species that are widely distributed in the
western Pacific (about 25 %) and species that are largely restricted to the Indo-Australian Archipelago
or East Indian region stretching from the Andaman Sea eastward to the Melanesian Archipelago
(about 9%).
Table 5.10 Zoogeographic analysis of Anambas reef fishes. Each category is mutually exclusive.
Distribution category
Indo-West Pacific
Western Pacific
Indo-Australian Archipelago
Undetermined
Circumtropical
No. Spp.
451
144
54
12
8
% of fauna
56.33
25.62
9.02
1.97
0.06
Considering the broad dispersal capabilities via the pelagic larval stage of most reef fishes, it is
unlikely that any species are truly endemic to the Anambas Islands, especially considering the
relative proximity of the Natuna Archipelago, peninsular Malaysia, and Borneo. Although the current
survey yielded at least four new species (Heteroconger, Stalix, Helcogramma and Myersina), that were
recorded for the first time, it is highly unlikely they are restricted to the Anambas Archipelago and
further investigations will probably document their occurrence in adjacent regions. Indeed, there is
very little evidence of even restricted regional endemism, with only two pseudochromids
(Pictichromis diadema and Pseudochromis ransonnetti) and possibly the new blenniids (Ecsenius sp. 1 and
2) and new flasher wrasse (Paracheilinus sp. 1) being mainly restricted to the South China Sea.
Potential new taxa
Eleven potentially new species were recorded during the current RAP survey. These are discussed in
more detail in the following paragraphs.
Heteroconger species (Congridae) – Garden eels were generally scarce at the Anambas, but a colony of
Heteroconger was sighted in 40 m depth at Pulau Durai (site 7). Typical of members of the subfamily
Heterocongrinae, this eel lives in colonies, with each individual occupying a sandy burrow. The
species is characterized by its distinctive colouration, consisting of a pale grey to whitish ground
colour, numerous small brown spots, and a large pearly spot on the posterior head.
Page | 103
Figure 5.1 Heteroconger sp., about 50 cm total length.
Stalix species (Opistognathidae) – This is another inhabitant of sandy substrates that lives in burrows.
Three specimens were collected in 30-40 m depth at Pulau Keramut (site 11) and northeastern Pulau
Bawah (site 16). The species is similar to S. eremia, known on the basis of a single specimen from
Madang, Papua New Guinea. The Anambas fish appears to differ in having a bluish sheen on the
body (golden brown in S. eremius) and vivid orange marking anteriorly on the dorsal fin. Specimens
have been sent to opistognathid expert William Smith-Vaniz for confirmation of their status.
Figure 5.2 Stalix sp., about 5 cm total length.
Paracheilinus species (Labridae) – Juveniles of this spectacular flasher wrasse were abundant
throughout the Anambas Archipelago, but relatively few adults were encountered with the exception
of Pulau Tokongmalangbiru (site 1), where both juveniles and adults were common. It inhabits rubble
bottoms at depths between about 10-40 m. The species is very closely related to or possibly a
geographic colour variation of P. filamentosus from eastern Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the
Solomon Islands. Genetic analysis is ongoing to determine its status. It also occurs at Brunei and
Sabah in the South China Sea.
Page | 104
Figure 5.3 Paracheilinus sp., 7 cm total length.
Ecsenius species 1 (Blenniidae) – This small blenny is a relatively common inhabitant of shallow coral
reefs throughout the Archipelago, often seen perched on coral and rock surfaces. It has previously
been confused with a similar species, E. trilineatus from eastern Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and
the Solomon Islands. Although both species exhibit similar colour patterns, E. trilineatus has a pattern
of dark longitudinal lines and short dashes in contrast to thicker stripes and rectangular blotches. It
also has two rows of relatively large white spots on the upper half of the body compared to a few
widely scattered small white spots in the new species. The new species has also been recorded from
Brunei and Sabah reefs. It will eventually be described by Springer and Allen.
Figure 5.4 Ecsenius sp. 1, 3.5 cm total length.
Ecsenius species 2 (Blenniidae) – Like the abovementioned species, this small blenny is also a common
inhabitant of shallow coral reefs throughout the Archipelago. Also like the preceding species, it has
previously been confused with a similar species, E. yaeyamensis from Japan to Australia and east to
Vanuatu. Although both species have broadly similar colour patterns, including a black lower margin
to the cheek and a y-shaped mark on the pectoral fin base, E. yaeyamensis has a pattern of white spots
and blotches on the side not present in the South China sea species. The likely new species has also
been recorded from Brunei and Sabah reefs, and will eventually be described by Springer and Allen.
Page | 105
Figure 5.5 Ecsenius sp. 2, 3.5 cm total length.
Myersina species (Gobiidae) – This very small shrimp goby was collected in 45 m depth at Pulau
Ayerabu (site 17). It appears to be an undescribed member of either Myersina or possibly
Vanderhorstia, but additional specimens are required to determine its exact status. Two specimens, 1114 mm SL, were collected and several others were sighted. It occurs on sandy bottoms and shares a
burrow with an undetermined shrimp (probably an alpheid). It differs from most shrimp gobies in
lacking scales and has a tall, filamentous first dorsal fin. Assuming that the collected and observed
individuals are adults, it also differs from other shrimp gobies by its diminutive size.
Figure 5.6 Myersina sp., 2 cm total length.
Gobiodon sp. 6 (Gobiidae) – This beautiful coral goby was collected in Acropora tabel corals on the
shallow reef top (1-2m depth) at sites 11, 12, 13 and 20. It appears to be an undescribed species of
Gobiodon. Ongoing genetic analysis of this group will hopefully confirm if this is a new species in the
near future.
Page | 106
Figure 5.7 Gobiodon sp. 6, 2.5 cm total length.
Gobiodon sp. 7 (Gobiidae) – This beautiful coral goby with 5 thin horizontal blue bands on the head
was also collected in Acropora tables the shallow reef top (1-2m depth) at sites 4 and 13. Though
similar to G. quinquestrigatus, the entire body is uniformly pinkish-green, as opposed to the bicolor
pattern typical of G. quinquestrigatus (which normally has a reddish head and dark brown body). This
putative new species is also currently being investigated with genetic analysis to confirm if it is
separate from G. quinquestrigatus.
Figure 5.8 Gobiodon sp. 7, 2.5 cm total length.
Gobiodon sp. 8 (Gobiidae) – This uniquely-patterned coral goby was collected on the shallow reef of
site 15 only (also in Acropora table corals). While overall very similar to G. rivulatus, the pattern of thin
blue vertical lines on the body is somewhat different (particularly just posterior of the eye, where the
lines are no longer vertical but rather labyrinthine. Ongoing genetic analysis should determine if this
species is distinct from G. rivulatus.
Page | 107
Figure 5.9 Gobiodon sp. 8, 2.5 cm total length.
Gobiodon sp. 9 (Gobiidae) – Like the preceding species, this homogenously rust-brown coral goby was
collected only at site 15. It appears to be an undescribed species of Gobiodon, with ongoing genetic
analysis to confirm this in the near future.
Figure 5.10 Gobiodon sp. 9, 2.5 cm total length.
Helcogramma species (Tripterygiidae) – This species was observed/collected at both sites (12 and 13) at
Pulau Jemaja and at Pulau Ayerabu (site 18), but due to its small size and cryptic habits was probably
present at most sites where rocky shores were present. It is semi-transparent with excellent
camouflage colouration and difficult to observe on algal-covered rocks exposed to moderate surge.
Salient features include a short supraorbital tentacle, single symphyseal sensory pore, and 20-24
lateral-line scales. Males are generally translucent reddish with numerous white spots. Females lack
the reddish hue and have three dark dash-like markings along the middle of the side.
Page | 108
Figure 5.11 Helcogramma sp., male, 2.6 cm total length.
Discussion
The Anambas Islands are situated in the southernmost portion of the South China Sea, an area of
relatively low reef fish diversity and a low degree of endemism within the context of the entire
Indonesian region (Allen, 2008; Allen and Erdmann, 2012). Reef fish biodiversity generally decreases
in a westward direction throughout the Indonesian Archipelago. For example, a comparison of our
present results with that from previous work in Indonesia indicates that the Bird’s Head region of
West Papua is approximately twice as rich for reef fishes as the Anambas Islands. Nevertheless, the
Anambas region supports excellent coral reefs and has good overall site diversity with excellent
potential as an international dive tourism location.
Coral reef habitats were generally homogenous for most of the sites that were surveyed, consisting of
a rocky shore (exposed to mild surge during the survey period), relatively shallow fringing reef
(about 100-200 m wide), and slope of mixed coral and rubble to about 25-35 m, terminating on a
relatively flat, sand bottom. The main exceptions to this situation were sites 10 (Terempa Harbour)
and 16 (northeastern Pulau Bawah). Site 10 consisted of a highly sheltered reef slope with significant
sedimentation. Site 16 had a more or less typical outer slope situation, but also contained an
expansive sheltered lagoon next to shore. Both of these sheltered habitats contained a number of
“lagoonal” species that were not seen at other sites. Regretfully, we did not have time to survey
additional sites in this category as we would have most likely added additional species from this
unique habitat to the overall tally.
Adrim et al. (2004) mentioned that they recorded only 12 % (430 species) of the over 3,365 species
listed from the South China Sea by Randall and Lim (2000) during their 2002 survey of the Anambas
and Natuna islands. They further mentioned that they were barely able to scratch the surface of the
immense fish diversity that can be expected from the two island groups. However, the number of
total species for the South China Sea given by Randall and Lim is deceptive and does not really reflect
the diversity of reef species that can be expected for a single locality, such as the Anambas Islands, in
this vast region that stretches from the Equator northward to the Tropic of Cancer. Furthermore, this
total includes all fishes, including freshwater, estuarine, deep-sea, and pelagic species as well as reef
Page | 109
fishes. The reef fish component of this total is actually about 1,300 species. Our present survey
indicates a total of slightly over 800 species can be expected from the Anambas Archipelago.
We strongly believe that the key to conserving reef fishes of the Anambas Islands is to establish a
network of full-protected "no-take zones" throughout the MPA. Site diversity of reef fishes was
generally very good, with an average of 179 species per site and half of the sites with 190-240 species.
A total of 200 species per site is generally considered the benchmark for an excellent site, judging
from past results throughout the Indonesian region. Due to the relatively homogenous nature of the
surveyed sites it is difficult to select specific islands or sites as targets for no-take zones, and such site
selection must of course take into account not only biodiversity values but also socioeconomic
considerations. Nonetheless, preliminary analysis of the data indicates that maximum fish diversity
would be captured with a network of no-take zones within the larger Anambas Islands Marine
Tourism Park that included at least 3 main regions: 1) the southern uninhabited islands from
Tokongmalangbiru to Pulau Bawah (including the unique lagoonal area of Pulau Bawah); 2) the
northwestern islands just west of Matak (including Tokongnenas, Durai and Pahat); and 3) the islands
to the northeast of Matak and Siantan, including Selai, Mandariau Laut and Pejalin islands.
The insatiable market for shark fins and live reef fishes has seriously depleted stocks of groupers
(Serrandiae) and other large fishes throughout Southeast Asia and the devastation continues over an
increasingly growing area involving many countries in the western Pacific. One of the prime targets
of the Asian-based live restaurant fish trade is the Napoleon Wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus), one of the
largest species of reef fish, growing to well in excess of 100 cm. Young fish (under about 50 cm) are
generally targeted because they are easier to ship and market. The authors have noticed an
appreciable decline in this species, particularly in the “Coral Triangle” region over the past three
decades. Indeed, data gathered on recent biological surveys indicate that it is rare or absent at many
locations (Table 5.11). This species is now listed in Appendix II of CITES, but illegal trade will no
doubt continue as long as the huge demand remains on the Asian market. Only a single juvenile
Napoleon Wrasse was observed by one of our team members during the current survey.
At the same time, the grow-out of Napoleon wrasse fingerlings is an important livelihood earner in
Anambas and represents a significant portion of the economy. Our follow-up investigations of this
industry suggest that an interesting situation has likely developed in the grow-out cages in the region
between Tarempa and Matak (particularly Ayersena), wherein most cage owners are keeping at least
a few full-grown Napoleon Wrasse in their floating cages as "pets". Given the almost complete
absence of wild adult Napoleon Wrasse on the reefs of Anambas, it is our hypothesis that the caged
adults (almost all of which were reared since they were juveniles in the cages) are actively spawning
in the cages, with the resulting postlarvae settling in the sargassum and seagrass beds surrounding
Ayersena. It is these postlarvae that are the targets of collection by local fishers, who then sell them
back to the cage owners for grow-out and eventual export to China. Thus, what has evolved is in
essence a semi-closed aquaculture cycle wherein the fishers are only harvesting the postlarvae
spawned from caged adults (as there is no wild spawning stock left in Anambas from what we
observed).
This theory is now being tested using genetic parentage analysis by colleagues at Udayana University
in Bali, and if it does turn out to be correct, it has important management implications. Our
recommendation would therefore be that this cage culture grow-out system be allowed to continue,
with important requirements/tradeoffs, including:
a) Cage owners and fishing communities must lend their full support to a system of no-take
zones on the periphery of the MPA which can serve as "Napoleon Wrasse sanctuaries" to recover the
wild populations.
Page | 110
b) Fishers only be allowed to capture postlarval Napoleon Wrasse in the waters immediately
surrounding Ayersena. This can be a special zone in the MPA management plan.
c) DKP Anambas might consider requiring cage owners to release a certain number of
juvenile individuals into the no-take zones to "restock" them, though it is important to prevent
possible disease from previously caged animals being spread in the wild population if possible.
Table 5.11 Frequency of Napoleon Wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) for various locations in the IndoPacific previously surveyed by G. Allen.
Location
Phoenix Islands, central Pacific 2002
Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea – 2000
Milne Bay, PNG – 1997
Pohnpei, Micronesia - 2005
Yap, Micronesia - 2007
Halmahera, Indonesia - 2008
Raja Ampat Islands, Indonesia – 2001
Togean/Banggai Islands, Indonesia – 1998
Bali/Nusa Penida, Indonesia - 2011
Brunei – 2008 & 2009
Calamianes Is., Philippines – 1998
Anambas Islands, 2012
No. sites
where seen
47
28
28
28
23
8
7
6
3
1
3
1
% of total
sites
83.92
49.12
52.83
68.29
50.00
33.33
15.55
12.76
10.34
2.72
7.89
0.05
Approx. no.
seen
412
90
85
63
47
11
7
8
3
1
5
1
Reef sharks are also increasingly threatened throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific, a direct result of the
unceasing demands of the Southeast Asian-based shark fin fishery. Indeed, we observed only three
Reef Blacktip and one Reef Whitetip sharks during the survey. It is especially important to protect
reef-dwelling sharks if dive tourism is to be promoted within this region, as sharks are increasingly
considered a top marine tourism attraction.
The huge amount of damage inflicted on global shark populations over the past few decades
underlines their fragility. Intense fishing over a relatively short period can severely reduce local
shark populations due to their territoriality, slow growth rate, and low fecundity. For these reasons
we would recommend a total ban on fishing for sharks within the Anambas MPA. Although sharks
are often caught on hooks when fishing for other species, they can easily be released after capture and
are able to survive rough handling including several minutes out of water. An education program
would be required to inform the community of the global plight of sharks and their importance in
ensuring healthy fish stocks and marine ecosystems.
References
Adrim, M., Chen, I-S., Chen, Z-P., Lim, K.K.P., Tan, H.H., Yusof, Y., and Jaafar, Z.
2004. Marine fishes recorded from the Anambas and Natuna Islands, South China Sea. The
Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, Supplement 11: 117-130.
Allen, G.R. 2008. Conservation hotspots of biodiversity and endemism
for Indo-Pacific coral reef fishes. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 18: 541556.
Page | 111
Allen, G.R. and Adrim, M. 2003. Coral reef fishes of Indonesia. Zoological Studies, 42(1): 1-72.
Allen, G.R. and Erdmann, 2012. Reef Fishes of the East Indies. Volumes I-III. Tropical Reef Research,
Perth Australia, 1292 pp.
Allen, G.R. and Werner, T.B. 2002. Coral reef fish assessment in the ‘coral triangle’ of southeastern
Asia. Environmental Biology of Fishes 65: 209-214.
Bleeker, P. 1854. Visschen van de Natoena-eilanden. Natuurkundig Tijdschrift voor Nederlandsch
Indie 7: 163-164.
Randall J. E. and Lim, K.K.P. 2000. A checklist of the fishes of the South China Sea. The Raffles
Bulletin of Zoology, Supplement 8: 569-667.
Page | 112
Appendix Table I. List of the reef fishes of the Anambas Archipelago.
This list includes all species of shallow (to 50 m depth) coral reef fishes recorded during the following surveys: 1. 2012 KK JI/DKP/LokaKKPN Anambas/LIPI/CI Marine RAP; 2. 2002 Anambas Expedition
(multi-country expedition arranged by Centre for Southeast Asian Studies and led by NUS and LIPI; NOTE: only those fishes record ed from coral reef habitats in the Anambas Islands included in this
list; soft bottom species and those recorded only from Natuna Archipelago NOT included). The phylogenetic sequence of the fam ilies appearing in this list follows Eschmeyer (Catalog of Fishes,
California Academy of Sciences, 1998) with slight modification. Genera and species are arranged alphabetically within each f amily.
Terms relating to relative abundance during the current survey that appear in the first column to the right of the species na me are as follows: Abundant (A) - Common at most sites with many individuals
being routinely observed on each dive. Common (C) – many individuals seen at majority of sites if habitat conditions suitable; Moderately common (MC) – a few individuals seen at majority of sites if
habitat conditions suitable; Occasional (O) – seen on relatively few dives in low numbers or locally abundant at 1-3 sites; Rare (rare) – less than 5 individuals seen on all dives; Cryptic (CR) – small
inconspicuous or cryptic species that are not readily observed during visual surveys, hence infrequently noticed.
Species
(grouped into Family)
Hemiscylliidae (1 spp.)
Chiloscyllium punctatum
Scyliorhinidae (1 spp.)
Atelomycterus marmoratus
Carcharhinidae (2 spp.)
Carcharhinus melanopterus
Triaenodon obesus
Dasyatidae (4 spp.)
Himantura granulata
Neotrygon kuhlii
Taeniura lymma
Taeniura meyeni
Myliobatidae (1 spp.)
Aetobatus ocellatus
Muraenidae (5 spp.)
Echidna nebulosa
Gymnomuraena zebra
Gymnothorax flavimarginatus
Gymnothorax javanicus
Gymnothorax sp - juv coll.
Ophichthidae (1 spp.)
Callechelys marmoratus
Congridae (1 spp.)
Heteroconger sp.
Clupeidae (1 spp.)
Spratelloides delicatulus
Chanidae (1 spp.)
Chanos chanos
Synodontidae (5 spp.)
Saurida gracilis
Abundance
Previous
record
2002
1
2002
1
R
R
R
O
O
2002
Site
1
Site
2
Site
3
1
Site
4
Site
5
Site
7
Site
8
Site
9
Site
12
Site
13
Site
14
Site
15
Site
16
Site
17
Site
18
Site
19
Site
20
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
O
1
1
O
2002
Site
11
1
CR
O
Site
10
1
R
CR
2002
2002
O
CR
Site
6
1
1
1
1
1
1
Page 113
1
1
1
1
1
1
PRESENT
SURVEY
TOTAL:
PREVIOUS
RECORDS
PLUS
PRESENT
SURVEY
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
0
1
0
1
0
0
1
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
0
1
0
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
Synodus binotatus
Synodus dermatogenys
Synodus variegatus
Trachinocephalus myops
Bythitidae (1 spp.)
Diancistrus sp.
Gobiesocidae (1 spp.)
Diademichthys lineatus
Mugilidae (2 spp.)
Ellochelon vaigiensis
Oedalechilus labiosus
Atherinidae (2 spp.)
Atherinomorus lacunosus
Hypoatherina temminckii
Isonidae (1 spp.)
Iso rhothophilus
Belonidae (2 spp.)
Tylosurus acus
Tylosurus crocodilus
Hemiramphidae (1 spp.)
Hyporhamphus dussumieri
Holocentridae (15 spp.)
Myripristis berndti
Myripristis hexagona
Myripristis kuntee
Myripristis murdjan
Myripristis violaceum
Neoniphon argentea
Neoniphon opercularis
Neoniphon sammara
Sargocentron caudimaculaltum
R
O
O
2002
Sargocentron cornutum
Sargocentron melanospilos
Sargocentron punctatissimum
Sargocentron rubrum
Sargocentron spiniferum
Sargocentron violaceum
Aulostomidae (1 spp.)
Aulostomus chinensis
Fistulariidae (1 spp.)
Fistularia commersonii
Centriscidae (1 spp.)
Aeoliscus strigatus
Syngnathidae (2 spp.)
Doryrhamphus janssi
C
O
2002
O
O
R
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
CR
1
1
1
1
1
1
O
O
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
O
O
1
1
1
O
1
1
O
O
1
1
1
1
O
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
O
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
R
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
R
CR
1
1
O
R
C
2002
O
O
R
O
R
C
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Page 114
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
1
0
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
1
0
1
1
0
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
1
0
1
1
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
Hippocampus spinosissimus
Scorpaenidae (9 spp.)
Brachypterois serrulatus
Dendrochirus zebra
Parascorpaena picta
Pterois antennata
Pterois russellii
Pterois volitans
Scorpaenopis macrochir
Scorpaenopsis possi
Scorpaenopsis venosa
Synanceiidae (3 spp.)
Inimicus didactylus
Minous trachycephalus
Synanceia verrucosa
Tetrarogidae (1 spp.)
Richardsonichthys leucogaster
Apistidae (1 spp.)
Apistus carinatus
Serranidae (33 spp.)
Aethaloperca rogaa
Anyperodon leucogrammicus
Cephalopholis argus
Cephalopholis boenak
Cephalopholis cyanostigma
Cephalopholis formosa
Cephalopholis microprion
Cephalopholis miniata
Cephalopholis sexmaculata
Cephalopholis sonnerati
Cephalopholis urodeta
Cromileptes altivelis
Diploprion bifasciatum
Epinephelus areolatus
Epinephelus coioides
Epinephelus corallicola
Epinephelus fasciatus
Epinephelus fuscoguttatus
Epinephelus lanceolatus
Epinephelus merra
Epinephelus ongus
Epinephelus polyphekadion
Epinephelus quoyanus
Grammistes sexlineatus
Plectropomus areolatus
Plectropomus laevis
2002
1
2002
R
2002
R
2002
R
CR
CR
CR
1
1
1
2002
2002
2002
1
1
1
2002
1
2002
1
MC
MC
MC
MC
C
R
C
O
R
2002
2002
R
MC
O
R
2002
2002
R
2002
2002
O
2002
R
R
R
R
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Page 115
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
0
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Plectropomus leopardus
Plectropomus maculatus
Plectropomus oligocanthus
Pseudanthias hutomoi
Pseudanthias rubrizonatus
Variola albimarginata
Variola louti
Cirrhitidae (1 spp.)
Cirrhitus pinnulatus
Pseudochromidae (6 spp.)
Labracinus cyclophthalmus
Pictichromis diadema
Pseudochromis cyanotaenia
Pseudochromis fuscus
Pseudochromis ransonneti
Pseudochromis sp 1 (Brunei )
Plesiopidae (3 spp.)
Calloplesiops altivelis
Plesiops coeruleolineatus
Plesiops oxycephalus
Terapontidae (1 spp.)
Terapon theraps
Opistognathidae (2 spp.)
Stalix dicra
Stalix sp. 1 (yellow dorsal spot )
Apogonidae (32 spp.)
Apogon crassiceps
Apogonichthyoides sialis
Apogonichthys ocellatus
Archamia fucata
Archamia macroptera
Archamia zosterophora
Cheilodipterus artus
Cheilodipterus macrodon
Cheilodipterus quinquelineatus
MC
O
R
R
R
R
O
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2002
1
1
1
1
1
O
O
CR
CR
CR
CR
2002
2002
2002
O
O
1
1
R
2002
CR
CR
R
2002
O
R
O
O
MC
C
1
1
R
MC
C
MC
O
O
R
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Fowleria isostigma
Nectamia bandanensis
Nectamia luxuria
Nectamia similis
Ostorhinchus angustatus
Ostorhinchus aureus
Ostorhinchus chrysotaenia
Ostorhinchus compressus
Ostorhinchus cookii
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Page 116
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
0
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Ostorhinchus jenkinsi
Ostorhinchus kiensis
Ostorhinchus lateralis
Ostorhinchus ocellicaudus
Ostorhinchus parvulus
Ostorhinchus wassinki
Pristiapogon fraenatus
Pristicon rhodopterus
Pristicon trimaculatus
Rhabdamia gracilis
Siphamia tubifer
Sphaeramia nematoptera
Sphaeramia orbicularis
Zoramia leptacantha
Sillaginidae (1 spp.)
Sillago sihama
Echeneidae (1 spp.)
Echeneis naucrates
Carangidae (24 spp.)
Alepes vari
Atule mate
Carangoides bajad
Carangoides dinema
Carangoides caeruleopinnatus
R
2002
2002
R
O
MC
O
R
O
O
O
O
2002
O
2002
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Carangoides ferdau
Carangoides fulvoguttatus
Carangoides hedlandensis
Carangoides orthogrammus
Carangoides plagiotaenia
Caranx ignobilis
Caranx melampygus
Caranx sexfasciatus
Decapterus russelli
Elagatis bipinnulata
Gnathanodon speciosus
Megalaspis cordyla
Scomberoides commersonnianus
O
2002
2002
O
O
O
O
O
2002
O
R
2002
O
Scomberoides lysan
Selar boops
Selaroides leptolepis
Seriola rivoliana
Trachinotus baillonii
Ulua mentalis
O
2002
2002
O
O
R
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
R
O
R
MC
R
2002
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
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1
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
0
1
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Lutjanidae (18 spp.)
Lutjanus argentimaculatus
Lutjanus biguttatus
Lutjanus bohar
Lutjanus carponotatus
Lutjanus decussatus
Lutjaunus ehrenbergii
Lutjanus fulviflamma
Lutjanus fulvus
Lutjanus lutjanus
Lutjanus monostigma
Lutjanus quinquelineatus
Lutjanus russelli
Lutjanus sebae
Lutjanus vitta
Macolor macularis
Macolor niger
Pinjalo pinjalo
Symphorichthys spilurus
Caesionidae (8 spp.)
Caesio caerulaurea
Caesio cuning
Caesio lunaris
Caesio teres
Pterocaesio chrysozona
Pterocaesio diagramma
Pterocaesio tesselata
Pterocaesio trilineata
Gerreidae (1 spp.)
Gerres oyena
Haemulidae (6 spp.)
Diagramma pictum
Plectorhinchus chaetodontoides
Plectorhinchus chrysotaenia
Plectorhinchus gibbosus
Plectorhinchus lessonii
Plectorhinchus vittatus
Lethrinidae (16 spp.)
Gymnocranius elongatus
Gymnocranius grandoculis
Gymnocranius griseus
Lethrinus atkinsoni
Lethrinus erythracanthus
Lethrinus erythropterus
Lethrinus harak
R
O
O
O
C
O
O
2002
O
O
MC
2002
R
2002
O
O
2002
O
1
A
A
MC
R
A
A
1
1
1
1
1
1
2002
1
2002
1
O
MC
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2002
R
O
R
2002
R
O
R
O
MC
O
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
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1
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1
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1
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1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
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1
1
0
1
0
1
1
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Lethrinus lentjan
Lethrinus microdon
Lethrinus obsoletus
Lethrinus olivaceus
Lethrinus ornatus
Lethrinus semicinctus
Lethrinus xanthocheilus
Monotaxis heterodon
Monotaxis grandoculus
Nemipteridae (10 spp.)
Pentapodus aureofasciatus
Pentapodus setosus
Pentapodus trivittatus
Scolopsis affinis
Scolopsis bilineatus
Scolopsis ciliatus
Scolopsis lineatus
Scolopsis margaritifer
Scolopsis monogramma
Scolopsis xenochrous
Mullidae (12 spp.)
Mulloidichthys flavolineatus
Mulloidichthys vanicolensis
Parupeneus barberinoides
Parupeneus barberinus
Parupeneus crassilabris
Parupeneus cyclostomus
Parupeneus heptacanthus
Parupeneus indicus
Parupeneus macronema
Parupeneus multifasciatus
Upeneus sulphureus
Upeneus tragula
Pempheridae (3 spp.)
Parapriacanthus ransonneti
Pempheris oualensis
Pempheris vanicolensis
Kyphosidae (2 spp.)
Kyphosus cinerascens
Kyphosus vaigensis
Chaetodontidae (24 spp.)
Chaetodon adiergastos
Chaetodon auriga
Chaetodon baronessa
Chaetodon bennetti
Chaetodon ephippium
R
O
R
O
O
R
R
R
O
C
R
O
MC
C
MC
C
MC
MC
MC
MC
O
O
C
2002
2002
O
R
R
MC
2002
O
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
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1
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1
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1
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O
O
O
1
1
1
C
C
1
1
1
1
1
1
MC
O
MC
R
R
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
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1
1
1
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1
1
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1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
Chaetodon lineolatus
Chaetodon lunula
Chaetodon lunulatus
Chaetodon melannotus
Chaetodon octofasciatus
Chaetodon ornatissimus
Chaetodon rafflesi
Chaetodon speculum
Chaetodon trifascialis
Chaetodon ulietensis
Chelmon rostratus
Coradion chrysozonus
Forcipiger longirostris
Hemitaurichthys polylepis
Heniochus acuminatus
Heniochus diphreutes
Heniochus chrysostomus
Heniochus singularius
Heniochus varius
Pomacanthidae (12 spp.)
Apolemichthys trimaculatus
Centropyge bispinosa
Centropyge nox
Centropyge tibicen
Centropyge vroliki
Chaetodontoplus mesoleucus
Pomacanthus imperator
Pomacanthus navarchus
Pomacanthus semicirculatus
Pomacanthus sexstriatus
Pomacanthus xanthometopon
Pygoplites diacanthus
Pomacentridae (66 spp.)
Abudefduf notatus
Abudefduf septemfasciatus
Abudefduf sexfasciatus
Abudefduf sordidus
Abudefduf vaigiensis
Amblyglyphidodon aureus
Amblyglyphidodon curacao
Amblyglyphidodon leucogaster
MC
O
MC
O
C
R
O
O
O
R
O
O
R
R
R
R
R
O
MC
O
2002
R
MC
C
MC
O
R
O
O
MC
C
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
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1
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1
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1
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1
1
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1
1
1
1
1
0
1
0
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0
1
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1
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1
1
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1
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1
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1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
O
O
C
C
C
MC
A
MC
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Amblyglyphidodon ternatensis
2002
1
Amblypomacentrus breviceps
Amphiprion clarkii
Amphiprion frenatus
O
MC
O
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
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1
1
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1
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1
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1
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1
1
1
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1
1
1
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1
1
1
1
1
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1
1
1
1
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1
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1
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1
1
1
1
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1
1
1
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1
1
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1
Amphiprion ocellaris
Amphiprion perideraion
Amphiprion sandaracinos
Cheiloprion labiatus
Chromis amboinensis
Chromis analis
Chromis atripectoralis
Chromis atripes
Chromis cinerascens
Chromis lepidolepis
Chromis margaritifer
Chromis ovatiformis
Chromis retrofasciata
Chromis ternatensis
Chromis viridis
Chromis weberi
Chromis xanthura
Chrysiptera brownriggii
Chrysiptera cyanea
Chrysiptera rollandi
Chrysiptera unimaculata
Dascyllus melanurus
Dascyllus reticulatus
Dascyllus trimaculatus
Dischistodus chrysopoecilus
Dischistodus fasciatus
Dischistodus melanotus
Dischistodus perspicillatus
Dischistodus prosopotaenia
Hemiglyphidodon plagiometopon
C
MC
O
C
C
O
2002
MC
O
O
O
Neoglyphidodon melas
Neoglyphidodon nigroris
Neopomacentrus anabatoides
Neopomacentrus cyanomos
Neopomacentrus filamentosus
Plectroglyphidodon dickii
Plectroglyphidodon lacrymatus
MC
C
O
MC
O
O
C
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Pomacentrus alexanderae
Pomacentrus bankanensis
Pomacentrus chrysurus
Pomacentrus coelestis
Pomacentrus grammorhynchus
A
C
MC
C
O
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
C
1
1
Pomacentrus lepidogenys
MC
O
R
O
R
R
C
R
O
O
O
O
O
C
O
MC
O
R
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
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1
1
1
1
1
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1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
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1
1
1
1
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1
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1
1
1
1
1
1
1
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1
1
1
0
1
1
1
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1
0
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1
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1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
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1
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1
Pomacentrus moluccensis
Pomacentrus nagasakiensis
Pomacentrus nigromarginatus
Pomacentrus pavo
Pomacentrus philippinus
Pomacentrus simsiang
Pomacentrus tripunctatus
Pomacentrus vaiuli
Pristotis obtrusirostris
Stegastes obreptus
Stegastes punctatus
Labridae (73 spp.)
Anampses caeruleopunctatus
C
MC
O
2002
C
O
O
1
Bodianus axillaris
Bodianus dictynna
Bodianus mesothorax
Cheilinus chorourus
Cheilinus fasciatus
Cheilinus oxycephalus
Cheilinus trilobatus
Cheilinus undulatus
Choerodon anchorago
Choerodon robustus
Choerodon schoenleinii
Choerodon zosterophorus
Cirrhilabrus cyanopleura
Cirrhilabrus exquisitus
Cirrhilabrus rubrimarginatus
O
O
C
MC
C
O
O
R
O
R
R
MC
C
R
R
1
1
1
1
1
Coris batuensis
Coris gaimard
Coris pictoides
Diproctacanthus xanthurus
Epibulus brevis
Epibulus insidiator
Gomphosus varius
Halichoeres argus
Halichoeres biocellatus
Halichoeres chloropterus
Halichoeres chrysotaenia
Halichoeres hartzfeldi
Halichoeres hortulanus
Halichoeres leucurus
Halichoeres margaritaceous
Halichoeres marginatus
Halichoeres melanochir
O
O
O
MC
A
O
C
O
2002
O
MC
R
C
MC
O
MC
MC
1
1
C
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
MC
O
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
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1
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1
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1
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1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
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1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
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1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Halichoeres nebulosus
Halichoeres prosopeion
Halichoeres richmondi
Halichoeres scapularis
Hemigymnus fasciatus
Hemigymnus melapterus
Hologymnosus annulatus
Hologymnosus doliatus
Iniistius aneitensis
Iniistius evides
Labrichthys unilineatus
Labroides bicolor
Labroides dimidatus
Labropsis manabei
Leptojulis cyanopleura
Macropharyngodon negrosensis
O
MC
O
MC
MC
MC
R
R
O
R
MC
O
MC
R
O
O
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
O
O
O
2002
MC
2002
O
2002
A
Xiphocheilus typus
Scaridae (24 spp.)
Bolbometopon muricatum
Calotomus carolinus
Cetoscarus ocellaris
2002
1
MC
O
O
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Macropharyngodon ornatus
Novaculichthys taeniourus
Oxycheilinus bimaculatus
Oxycheilinus celebicus
Oxycheilinus digramma
Oxycheilinus orientalis
Oxycheilinus unifasciatus
Paracheilinus carpenteri
Paracheilinus sp. 1 (cf.
filamentosus )
Pseudocheilinus evanidus
Pseudocheilinus hexataenia
Pseudodax moluccanus
Pseudojuloides ceracinus
Pteragogus cryptus
Stethojulis bandanensis
Stethojulis interrupta
Stethojulis trilineata
Thalassoma amblycephalus
Thalassoma hardwicke
Thalassoma jansenii
Thalassoma lunare
Thalassoma purpureum
Thalassoma quinquevittatum
O
MC
O
R
MC
O
O
MC
O
MC
2002
C
R
O
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
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1
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1
1
1
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1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
Chlorurus bowersi
Chlorurus capistratoides
Chlorurus michrohinos
Chlorurus sordidus
Hipposcarus longiceps
Scarus chameleon
Scarus dimidatus
Scarus festivus
Scarus forsteni
Scarus frenatus
Scarus ghobban
Scarus hypselopterus
Scarus niger
Scarus oviceps
Scarus prasiognathos
Scarus psittacus
Scarus quoyi
Scarus rivulatus
Scarus rubroviolaceus
Scarus schlegeli
Scarus spinus
Trichonotidae (2 spp.)
Trichonotus setiger
Trichonotus sp. (Brunei)
Pinguipedidae (5 spp.)
Parapercis clathrata
Parapercis hexophthalma
Parapercis lineopunctata
Parapercis millepunctata
Parapercis xanthozona
Tripterygiidae (10 spp.)
Ennapterygius flavocciptis
Enneapterygius mirabilis
Enneapterygius philippinus
C
C
C
C
O
O
MC
O
C
MC
MC
MC
C
MC
MC
O
A
O
O
O
MC
Enneapterygius rhabdotus
O
Enneapterygius rubicauda
MC
Helcogramma chica
Helcogramma sp (diagonal eye
bands)
Helcogramma springeri
Helcogramma trigloides
Helcogramma striatum
Blenniidae (30 spp.)
Alticus saliens
Andamia tetradactylus
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
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1
1
1
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1
1
1
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1
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1
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1
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1
1
1
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1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
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1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
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1
1
1
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1
1
1
1
1
1
1
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1
1
1
1
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1
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1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
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1
1
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1
1
1
1
1
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1
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1
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1
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1
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1
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1
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1
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1
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1
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1
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1
1
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1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
CR
CR
O
O
MC
O
O
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
O
O
A
1
O
C
1
1
1
1
1
1
MC
O
1
1
1
1
1
1
O
CR
O
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
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1
1
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1
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1
1
1
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1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
Aspidontus taeniatus
Atrosalarias fuscus
Blenniella bilitonensis
Blenniella chrysospilos
Blenniella cyanostigma
Cirripectes filamentosus
Crossosalarias macrospilos
Ecsenius bicolor
Ecsenius lineatus
Ecsenius midas
Ecsenius sp.1 (cf trilineatus )
Ecsenius sp. 2 (cf yaeyamaenis )
Entomacrodus decussatus
Entomacrodus epalzeocheilius
R
O
2002
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
O
C
R
O
R
2002
MC
MC
1
O
O
1
O
CR
O
O
O
O
O
2002
2002
O
CR
O
O
O
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
CR
CR
2002
2002
CR
R
O
R
R
Amblyeleotris latifasciata
Amblyeleotris periophthalma
O
O
Amblyeleotris rubrimarginata
Amblyeleotris steinitzi
Amblyeleotris wheeleri
O
MC
O
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
0
0
1
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Entomacrodus striatus
Glyptotaurus delicatulus
Istiblennius edentulus
Istiblennius lineatus
Meiacanthus atrodorsalis
Meiacanthus grammistes
Nannosalarias nativittatis
Omobranchus obliquus
Petroscirtes mitratus
Praealticus striatus
Rhabdoblennius nitidus
Salarias ceramensis
Salarias fasciatus
Salarias patzneri
Callionymidae (5 spp.)
Anaora tentaculata
Callionymus enneactis
Callionymus sagitta
Dactylopus dactylopus
Diplogrammus goramensis
Gobiidae (90 spp.)
Acentrogobius nebulosus
Amblyeleotris diagonails
Amblyeleotris fontanesii
Amblyeleotris gymnocephala
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Page 125
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Amblygobius decussatus
Amblygobius nocturnus
Amblygobius phalaena
Amblygobius stethophthalmus
Asterropteryx ovata
Asterropteryx semipunctata
Asterropteryx striata
Bathygobius cocosensis
Bathygobius cyclopterus
Bathygobius fuscus
Bryaninops amplus
Bryaninops loki
Bryaninops yongei
Callogobius hasseltii
Callogobius maculipinnis
Cryptocentrus cinctus
Cryptocentrus nigrocellatus
Cryptocentrus sericus
Cryptocentrus strigilliceps
Ctenogobiops pomastictus
Eviota ancora
Eviota atriventris
Eviota bifasciata
Eviota distigma
Eviota guttata
Eviota lachdeberei
Eviota melasma
Eviota prasina
Eviota prasites
Eviota punctulata
Eviota queenslandica
Eviota sebreei
Eviota sigillata
Eviota zebrina
Exyrias belissimus
Favonigobius reichei
Fusigobius humeralis
Fusigobius melacron
Fusigobius neophytus
Fusigobius signipinnis
Gobiodon aoyagii
Gobiodon atrangulatus
Gobiodon histrio
Gobiodon quinquestrigatus
Gobiodon prolixus
Gobiodon rivulatus
O
R
O
2002
CR
O
O
2002
CR
2002
CR
CR
CR
2002
CR
O
R
O
O
O
O
C
O
CR
C
CR
O
CR
C
CR
CR
MC
O
CR
O
CR
O
O
O
MC
CR
CR
CR
CR
CR
CR
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Page 126
1
1
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1
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1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
0
1
0
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Gobiodon sp. 6 (2 blue stripes
under eye)
Gobiodon sp. 7 - (5 eye stripes,
white dashes on body)
Gobiodon sp. 8 (cf rivulatus
with multiple wavy lines)
Gobiodon sp. 9 (rust coloured
with no striping)
Gobiodon unicolor
Hazeus otakii
Istigobius decoratus
Istigobius goldmanni
Istigobius ornatus
Koumansetta hectori
Lotila gracilis
Macrodontogobius wilburi
Myersina nigrivirgata
Myersina sp. (diminutive)
Oplopomus oplopomus
Pleurosicya micheli
Pleurosicya mossambica
Signigobius biocellatus
Stonogobiops xanthorhinica
Sueviota lachneri
Sueviota sp.
Trimma erdmanni
Trimma fangi
Trimma hayashi
Trimma marinae
Trimma naudei
Trimma okinawae
Trimma striata
Trimma tevegae
Valenciennea longipinnis
Valenciennea muralis
Valenciennea parva
Valenciennea puellaris
Valenciennea sexguttata
Valenciennea wardii
Microdesmidae (2 spp.)
Gunnelichthys monostigma
Gunnelichthys viridescens
Ptereleotridae (8 spp.)
Nemateleotris magnifica
Parioglossus formosa
Parioglossus nudus
1
CR
1
1
CR
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
CR
1
1
1
CR
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
1
CR
CR
O
O
O
O
R
O
R
CR
O
CR
CR
O
O
CR
CR
CR
CR
CR
CR
CR
CR
CR
CR
2002
O
O
MC
O
R
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
CR
CR
R
O
O
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Page 127
1
1
1
1
1
1
Parioglossus philippinus
Ptereleotris brachypterus
Ptereleotris evides
Ptereleotris heteroptera
Ptereleotris microlepis
Ephippidae (5 spp.)
Platax batavianus
Platax boersi
Platax orbicularis
Platax pinnatus
Platax teira
Siganidae (9 spp.)
Siganus argenteus
Siganus corallinus
Siganus guttatus
Siganus punctatissimus
Siganus punctatus
Siganus puellus
Siganus spinus
Siganus virgatus
Siganus vulpinus
Zanclidae (1 spp.)
Zanclus cornutus
Acanthuridae (17 spp.)
Acanthurus japonicus
Acanthurus lineatus
Acanthurus mata
Acanthurus nigricauda
Acanthurus nigrofuscus
Acanthurus olivaceus
Acanthurus triostegus
Acanthurus xanthopterus
Ctenochaetus cyanocheilus
Ctenochaetus striatus
Naso brachycentron
Naso brevirostris
Naso hexacanthus
Naso lituratus
Naso unicornis
Zebrasoma scopas
Zebrasoma veliferum
Sphyraenidae (2 spp.)
Sphyraena barracuda
Sphyraena forsteri
Scombridae (4 spp.)
Grammatorcynus bilineatus
O
O
MC
R
2002
R
O
O
MC
O
MC
MC
O
O
O
MC
O
C
A
C
O
C
O
R
R
O
O
R
O
MC
O
O
R
C
R
R
O
R
O
O
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Page 128
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
0
1
Katsuwonis pelamis
Rastrelliger kanagurta
Scomberomorus commerson
Bothidae (2 spp.)
Bothus pantherinus
Engyrprosopon grandisquama
Balistidae (9 spp.)
Abalistes stellatus
Balistapus undulatus
Balistoides viridescens
Melichthys vidua
Odonus niger
Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus
O
2002
1
1
1
CR
1
1
R
C
MC
O
O
O
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
O
MC
R
R
O
R
O
R
1
Paramonacanthus pusillus
Ostraciidae (3 spp.)
Lactoria cornuta
Ostracion cubicus
Ostracion meleagris
Tetraodontidae (6 spp.)
Arothron caeruleopunctatus
Arothron immaculatus
Arothron mappa
Arothron nigropunctatus
Arothron stellatus
Canthigaster valentini
Diodontidae (4 spp.)
Cyclichthys orbicularis
Diodon holacanthus
Diodon hystrix
Diodon liturosus
TOTALS
2002
1
2002
R
O
1
2002
2002
R
R
1
1
1
1
Pseudobalistes fuscus
Sufflamen bursa
Sufflamen chrysopterum
Monacanthidae (6 spp.)
Aluterus scriptus
Amanses scopas
Cantherines dumerilii
Cantherines pardalis
Oxymonacanthus longirostris
R
2002
R
O
O
R
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Previous Site Site Site Site Site Site Site Site Site Site Site
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
records 1
1
1
Site Site
12
13
1
Site
14
Site
15
Site
16
Site
17
Site
18
1
1
1
0
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
Site Site
TOTAL TOTAL
19
20 PRESENT PRESENT +
372 162 171 190 199 190 198 192 159 154 118 176 127 178 196 240 191 147 183 215 194
Page 129
1
0
1
0
1
0
SURVEY PREVIOUS
578
667
ition
uals
Page 130
Chapter 6 Sea Turtle Utilisation and Habitat Distribution
in Anambas islands
Made Jaya Ratha, Muhamad Khazali, Tiene Gunawan, Putu Liza Mustika, Meity Mongdong,
Asril Djunaedi, Mark V. Erdman
The survey on sea turtle habitat distribution and its utilisation is one of the components of the Anambas
RAP. The results will hopefully contribute to the marine tourism planning of the Anambas Park. The
survey was also necessary to determine the sea turtle conservation management strategies in the
Anambas Regency.
Methodology
This survey was conducted from 19 to 29 May 2012. Direct observations were conducted to identify sea
turtle sightings under water. The coasts were also surveyed to identify the likelihood of being sea turtle
nesting beaches.
Figure 6.1 Declared boundaries of the Anambas Islands National Marine Protected Area (based on the
Ministerial Decree of Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of Indonesia No. KEP. 35/MEN/2011)
Species, number per species and location of every sea turtle sighting were recorded for underwater and
on board sightings. Observations on nesting beaches were made by identifying sea turtle nesting tracks.
Page | 131
Species identification was estimated based on the shape and size of the tracks (Adnyana dan Hitipeuw,
2009). Possible threats to the nests were noted.
Interviews with the locals were conducted to understand the status and utilisation of sea turtles in
Anambas (see Diez and Ottenwalder, 1999). Market surveys were conducted to understand the sea turtle
chain of custody (PERSGA/GEF 2004.).
Results
At least two sea turtle species live in Anambas: green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill turtles
(Eretmochelys imbricata). Scuba and on board sightings suggested that hawksbill turtles were more
frequently observed than green turtles. Based on their sizes, all observed hawksbill turtles were juvenile.
All green turtles were observed at Durai and Telaga Islands; all were adults.
Table 1 describes nine identified sea turtle nesting beaches in Anambas. The nesting beaches were
detected on the following islands: Pahat, Durai (Pasir Depan & Labuh Aji), Telaga Besar, Impol, Ayam,
Bawah (southern and northern), and Penilan.
Pahat and Durai Islands are famous for their green turtle nesting beaches (although the locals also
informed us of the occasional sightings of hawksbill turtles). Sea turtles (including the eggs) are
conserved at a portion of the Durai Island nesting beach. However, sea turtle eggs are still harvested at
another part of the Durai nesting beach. The harvest is conducted by the island’s traditional owner who
eventually sells the eggs to the market. A night of observation at Durai Island (Pasir Depan on 23 May
2012) revealed 30 sea turtle tracks on the nesting beach; 13 tracks leading to real nests while 17 of them
leading to false nests.
Despite the suspected green turtle nesting sites at Telaga Besar and Ayam Islands, other nesting sites
found in Anambas were generally of hawksbill turtle’s. The hawksbill turtle nesting sites were usually of
patchy distribution at narrow beaches. Unlike green turtle tracks, the number of hawksbill turtle tracks
found on those beaches was low.
Table 6.1 Sea turtle observations at the Anambas Marine Tourism Park
Coordinates
No
Date
Location (island)
Latitude
Longitude
1
2
20 May 12
20 May 12
Tokongmalangbiru
Repong
2.3018
2.3562
105.5969
105.8838
3
4
5
6
7
8
21 May 12
21 May 12
22 May 12
22 May 12
23 May 12
23 May 12
Renge
Pjantai
Tokongbelayar
Pahat
Durai (Pasir Depan)
Durai (Labuh aji)
3.3056
3.3561
3.4497
3.4092
3.3333
3.3303
106.1767
106.1751
106.2671
106.1515
106.0430
106.0514
Traces of
nesting
activities
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
# in-water
sightings of sea
turtles
0
1 hawksbill
0
1 hawksbill
0
2 hawksbill
0
2 green
Page | 132
9
10
11
12
13
23 May 12
24 May 12
24 May 12
25 May 12
25 May 12
Tokongnanas
Telaga Besar
Talaga Kecil
Impol
Keramut
3.3304
3.0725
3.0865
3.1024
3.0894
105.9548
105.9884
105.9773
105.6965
105.6568
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
14
15
16
17
18
25 May 12
26 May 12
26 May 12
27 May 12
27 May 12
3.0424
3.0075
2.8414
2.5006
2.5195
105.7164
105.8369
105.7767
106.0513
106.0503
19
28 May 12
2.7600
106.1715
20
28 May 12
Sedanau dekat
Ayam
Tanjung Jebong
Bawah (southern)
Bawah (northern)
Kiabu, Tanjung
Demili
Temiang
2.9298
106.1124
No
0
21
22
23
29 May 12
29 May 12
29 May 12
Penilan
Western Selai
Eastern Selai
3.2171
3.1888
3.1904
106.4730
106.4955
106.4955
Yes
No
No
0
1 hawksbill
0
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
0
0
1 green
0
0
1 hawksbill
2 hawksbill
1 unidentified
1 hawksbill
1 hawksbill
1 hawksbill
Identification and analyses of threats to sea turtle populations at Anambas were also conducted during
the MRAP 2012. Habitat degradation was observed both at nesting and feeding sites. Habitat degradation
at nesting beaches was influenced by beach erosion and plastic waste pollution (particularly snack
wrappers and drinking bottles), cans, glass, old nets, ropes and wood planks. Coral reef degradation due
to blast and cyanide fishing threaten the hawksbill turtle feeding grounds. Used nets were often observed
entangled on top of coral reefs, e.g., at Durai Island.
Natural predation and extractive anthropogenic use are two additional threats to sea turtles in Anambas.
Varanus predation is of a particular concern there, as Varanus tracks were usually sighted at nesting sites.
The locals who manage the Durai nesting beach also informed us of the rat and crab predation.
Turtle egg exploitation was observed at almost all visited sites. Local fishers admitted that turtle eggs
were consumed for subsistence purposes and also for commercial purposes. At the Tarempa market,
turtle eggs were still traded for Rp 2,000 – Rp 3,000 per egg. Other than the eggs, no other turtle products
(meat or otherwise) were observed in the Tarempa market. The locals admitted that they consumed turtle
meat in the past. However, such activity no longer takes place to date.
Discussion
The Anambas Islands Regency is an important sea turtle habitat in the South China Sea. The rapid
assessment of sea turtle distribution in Anambas showed that the Park is a suitable habitat for green and
hawksbill turtle reproduction. Suwelo et al. 1987 reported up to 800 female sea turtles nesting at
Anambas annually, with annual egg production of 100,000 eggs (Suwelo et al., 1992). The coral reefs in
Anambas also provide suitable feeding ground for hawksbill turtles, corroborated by the sighting of a
near-adult hawksbill turtle (Bjorndal, 1997). Satellite-tagging survey also showed Anambas to be a
migratory route for leatherback turtles from the Bird’s Head Peninsula in West Papua (Benson, et al.,
2007).
Page | 133
However, the Anambas sea turtles are under significant threats from egg harvesting and unsustainable
fisheries practices. A collaborative sea turtle conservation management has been conducted in Durai
Island since 2009. Although it only manages a part of the Durai nesting beach to date, this conservation
effort brings new hope to sea turtle conservation in Anambas (Nichols, et al., 2012). Conservation
managers in Durai recorded 1,958 turtle nests on the island from December 2009 until June 2012 (Premier
Oil, 2012).
A live sea turtle theoretically brings more economic benefits to the local, particularly when its
surrounding habitat is managed as a tourism site within an MPA (such as what is aimed with the
Anambas MPA). A sea turtle-based ecotourism is a sustainable alternative from the more conventional
type of tourism. Such ecotourism will have to include consciously-chosen activities for lay-people, such
as observation of feeding, mating and nesting activities, as well as scientifically-infused observations such
as observation of sea turtle migration via satellite-feeds. Such tourism package can be of a high value
when properly designed. Several countries, e.g. Australia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and some Carribean
countries have tapped into such tourism (Adnyana, 2003).
To conclude, sea turtles are important from the ecological viewpoint as well as from the local economics
perspective (Dermawan dan Adnyana, 2003). A collaborative management, involving both the locals and
private sectors in Anambas, is hoped to reduce the threats to local sea turtle populations, particularly due
to egg harvesting. The declaration of Anambas Islands as a Marine Tourism Park is a great step towards
sustainable use of the area. Sustainable conservation-based use of marine resources is an internationallypromoted direction. Such approach is conducted by giving economic valuation to the wildlife, pairing it
up with a sound conservation management plan (Webb dan Vardon 1994).
Acknowledgement
The authors would like to thank the Director of the Marine and Aquatic Resources Conservation of the
Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF), the local authorities of the Anambas Islands, the
Pekanbaru National MPA Authority, the Oceanology Research Center of the Indonesian Scientific
Institute (LIPI) who have supported and facilitated the survey; the USAID-MPAG who has funded the
survey, Mr Ketut Sarjana Putra of Conservation International Indonesia who has given the opportunity
for the survey, the crew of Mata Ikan Boat who has provided us with excellent service, and all the survey
team without whom this report would not be produced: Syamsuherman,Yuanda Ilham, Supriyadi, Romi
Tampi, Leri Nuriadi and Yusuf Arif Afandi.
Page | 134
A note on cetaceans in Anambas
A cetacean (whales and dolphins) survey was conducted onboard the research vessel at the same time
with other biodiversity surveys. Very low sightings of cetaceans were found: only two groups of suspect
bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.) around Jemaja. The dolphins seem to belong to resident populations
around north and south Jemaja, Telaga, Telibang and Aerabu.
However, interviews with the locals revealed that the dolphins are likely to be nocturnal feeders, which
made them susceptible to lift nets and other artisanal fishing gears. The by-caught dolphins were usually
kept for a few days for local entertainment purposes before being released back to the sea.
Reference
Adnyana, I.B.W. 2003. Ekowisata Penyu Laut: Harmoni Ekonomi Dan Ekologi. Disampaikan dalam
Lokakarya Perumusan Rencana Aksi Nasional Penyu Laut, di Hotel Bumi Asih Renon, Denpasar –
Bali, 2003
Adnyana, I.B.W dan Hitipew, C. 2009. Panduan Melakukan Pemantauan Populasi Penyu di Pantai
Peneluran di Indonesia. WWF Indonesia
Benson, S.R., Dutton, P.H., Hitipeuw, C.,Samber, B., Bakarbessy, J. and Parker, D. 2007. Post-Nesting
Migrations of Leatherback Turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) from Jamursba-Medi, Bird’s Head
Peninsula, Indonesia. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 6 (1): 150-154.
Bjorndal, K. A. 1997. Foraging Ecology and Nutrition of Sea Turtles. In The Biology of Sea Turtles. P. L.
Lutz and J. A. Musick (Editors). CRC Press, Inc: 199-232
Diez, C.E. and Ottenwalder, J.A., 1999. Habitat Surveys. In Research and Management Techniques for the
Conservation of Sea Turtles. KL. Eckert, K. A. Bjorndal, F. A. Abreu-Grobois, M. Donnely (Editors).
IUCN/ SSC MTSG Pub. 4: 41-44
Dermawan, A. dan Adnyana, I. B. W. 2003. Pedoman Pengelolaan Konservasi Penyu dan Habitatnya.
Direktorat Konservasi dan Taman Nasional Laut, Direktorat Jenderal Pesisir dan Pulau-pulau
Kecil. Departemen Kelautan dan Perikanan Republik Indonesia
Keputusan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Republik Indonesia. Nomor KEP.35/ Men/2011 Tentang
Pencadangan Kawasan Konservasi Perairan Nasional Kepulauan Anambas dan Laut Sekitarnya di
Provinsi Kepulauan Riau
Lazuardi, M. E. 2011. Kondisi Terumbu Karang di Kawasan Konservasi Perairan Nasional Anambas:
Survey kondisi terumbu karang KKPN Anambas 2011. Laporan Internal. Belum dipublikasikan.
Conservation International Indonesia
Ng, P.K.L., Ilahude, A.G., Sivasothi, N. and Yeo, D.C.J. 2004. Expedition Anambas: an overview of the
scientific marine Exploration of the Anambas and Natuna Archipelago, 11-22 March 2002. The
Raffles Bulletin Of Zoology 11: 1-17.
Nichols, W. J., Marliana, N., Lahani, Kholison, Y., Tanjung, M., Alling, A. and Thillo, M. V. 2012. Hope for
Sea Turtles in The Anambas Islands, Indonesia. In Proceedings of the Thirty-first Annual
Symposium on The Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation. T. T. Jones and B. P. Wallace (Compilers).
NOAA Technical Memorandum NOAA NMFS-SEFSC-631: 306p
Page | 135
PERSGA/GEF 2004. Standard Survey Methods for Key Habitats and Key Species in the Red Sea and Gulf
of Aden. PERSGA Technical Series No. 10. PERSGA, Jeddah.
Premier oil. 2012. Data Konservasi Penyu Pulau Durai. Premier Oil Database
Suwelo, I. S., Ramono, W. S. dan Somantri, A. 1992. Penyu Sisik di Indonesia. Oseana, Volume XVII,
Nomor 3 : 97-109. ISSN. 0216-1877. http://www.oseanografi.lipi.go.id/
Webb, G.J.W. and Vardon, M.J., 1994, ‘Conservation Through Sustainable Use: a Discussion of Concepts
and Guidelines for Use’, in Proceedings of the First International Conference on Eastern Indonesian–
Australian Vertebrate Fauna. Manado, Indonesia, November 22–26, pp.83–87
Page | 136
Chapter 7 The Socio-Economics of the Fisheries Industry
of Coastal Communities in the Anambas Islands
Asril Djunaidi, Arisetiarso Soemodinoto, Syamsuh Herman, Mairianto, Marzuki,
Hendra, Herman, Sopian, Andriyanto Hanif, Jurianto M. Nur, Riyanto Basuki, Suraji
Translated by Ruth Mackenzie
Background
The beautiful and natural resource rich Anambas Islands have much potential. As well as oil and
gas exploration, its marine and small island resources also have enormous potential to be managed
as economic resources for the local community and the district government. Pursuant to Decree of
the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries 35/2011 concerning Reservation of the Marine
Conservation Area of Anambas Islands Marine Tourism National Park, a part of the District of the
Anambas Islands was reserved as marine protected area which would be managed as a Marine
Tourism Park.
This socio-economic fisheries survey of coastal communities in the Anambas Islands was
conducted to supplement data that had been collected by Conservation International Indonesia
and the National Marine Conservation Areas of Pekanbaru to support the Anambas Islands Marine
Conservation Area Management Plan to ensure that it is implemented effectively and makes a
positive contribution to the welfare of fishing communities.
Objectives
The marine socio-economic survey of the District of the Anambas Islands in the Riau Islands
Province is a first step towards collecting data on the socio-economic condition of coastal
communities, in particular fishing communities, understanding the farming of Napoleon wrasse,
understanding conservation and tourism, and other major concerns of the community about the
sustainability of marine resources the Anambas Islands.
Method
A semi-random method was used to collect data, using a sample of 10% of the heads of households
in each village visited. Data were gathered through direct interviews with respondents (fishers)
using questionnaires, and, at the subdistrict level, focus group discussions involving village
officials, community leaders and representatives of fisher groups.
The survey took place between 4th and 31st of May 2012, in 35 of the 45 villages in the seven
subdistricts of Anambas Islands District.
Survey Results
A. General Condition
The location of the socio-economic fisheries survey of coastal communities in Anambas Marine
Tourism Park shares typical features of communities in coastal settlements in Indonesia. Housing
is typically built following the coastline in places that are protected from waves and storms. The
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houses here are raised above the surface of the sea, on stilts of wood or concrete. In some places,
these houses are built on flat pieces of land. Observations found that houses in the survey location
are made from wooden planks (walls and floors), concrete, and a combination of the two. The
survey results indicate that of 405 respondents, 358 (88.4%) owned houses made of wooden plans
(walls and floors), 21 (5.2%) had houses with wooden walls and concrete floors, and 26 (6.4%) have
houses made of concrete (walls and floors). The provisional conclusion is that because most houses
are built over the sea, wood makes the ideal building material. Behind or to the side of these
houses are moorings for boats (jokong) and dinghies (pompong). For lighting, the local government
provides generators to light houses and other public facilities such as houses of worship and
village offices. However, the local people also have their own generators and oil lamps to light
their homes.
Almost all villages have primary schools to educate the local children. Junior secondary schools are
typically located in larger villages or in subdistrict capitals, and senior high schools in subdistrict
capitals and the capital of the Anambas Islands district. In the 35 villages visited, the majority of
population are Muslim, and only one village had Protestant residents. The photographs below
illustrate the villages in the survey location in Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park.
Figure 7.1 Airbiru Village
Figure 7.2 Letung Ward
In this survey, questionnaires were used to interview fishers randomly in homes and gathering
places. A total of 405 people, varying in age, sex, education and economic background, agreed to
be interviewed. Most of the respondents (403 or 99.5%) were men, and the remaining two (0.5%)
were women. The majority (66.9%) had a primary school education, while 9.6% had completed
junior secondary school and 2.2% senior secondary school, and 21.2% had no formal schooling. The
survey found the local people combined their main occupation as fishers with secondary
occupations including farming, doing odd jobs, boatbuilding, public service, and trade. Fishing
was the main occupation for 205 (50.6%) of respondents, while 101 respondents (22.4%) combined
fishing with doing odd jobs, and 92 respondents (20.4%) combined fishing with farming. This
indicates that fishing is an important occupation for people living in coastal areas in the Anambas
Marine National Park area. Surprisingly, when asked, “Have you ever heard the term
“conservation” and do you know what it is about?”, 404 respondents (99.8%) said they had never
heard the term “conservation”; only one respondent had heard this term. This is a good indication
that the starting point of our management of the Anambas Marine Tourism Park conservation area
should be from the social and public information perspectives. As such activities and programs to
communicate and build knowledge and awareness about the benefits of conservation areas need to
be designed and run, and it will be recommended that these be included in the management and
zoning plan for Anambas Marine Tourism Park.
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B. Marine Resource Uses
The interviews with respondents found that there are various kinds of uses of marine and fishery
resources in Anambas. In the case of fishery resources, the local people here engage in three types
of fishing activity: capture fishing, fish farming and a combination of the two. Capture fishing is
the main activity for local people in the survey area, where 306 (75.6%) of the respondents engaged
in a combination of capture fishing and fish farming, 71 (17.5%) in capture fishing, and 28 (6.9%) in
fish farming. Although relatively very few people engage in fish farming, the Anambas Islands are
renowned for farming Napoleon wrasse, which are exported to Hong Kong and China. For this
reason survey location did not include the centre of Napoleon wrasse farming, which is currently
outside the Anambas Marine Tourism Park area. Some of the information collected by the survey
team on Napoleon wrasse prices is as follows:





Size 0.5 cm
1 inch (2.5 cm)
3-4 inches (7-12 cm)
0.6-0.8 kg
1 kg
: IDR 10,000/3 fish
: IDR 100,000/each
: IDR 400,000/each
: SGD 174.00
: SGD 176.00
Catch from capture fishing are reef and pelagic fish, and various species of crustacean and others
of high economic value. These are caught using a variety of fishing gear: 310 respondents (76.5%)
use hook and line, 59 respondents (14.6%) use fish traps, 11 (2.7%) use lift nets, 3 (0.7%) use gill
nets, and the remainder buy fish from other fishers. When we visited the village of Rewak, we
found that some of the fishers there also use traditional fishing gear, including hook and line, hand
line and basket to capture squid with the help of light from a kerosene lamp. The vessels that
fishers use to get to the fishing grounds include outboard motorboats and rowing boats. The catch
are sold, consumed, or a combination of the two (some sold, some eaten). From the interviews it
was found that 242 respondents (59.8%) sold their catch, 25 respondents (6.2%) consumed their
catch, and 138 respondents (34.1%) did a combination of the two. A total of 289 (71.4%)
respondents sold their catch at the local market (Tarempa), 79 respondents (19.5%) sold their catch
to village markets, and 36 (8.9%) sold their catch to collectors in their villages. The reason that they
sell their catch at Tarempa market is despite the relatively high cost of transport, there are many
buyers at the market. Also, with the proceeds from the sale of their catch, the fishers can buy the
groceries that they need, such as rice, sugar, soap, coffee, children’s clothes, etc. The most
important aspect of selling their fish at Tarempa market is that the fishers can engage in social
interaction with fishers from neighbouring villages, sharing information about all manner of
things, including politics. The photographs below show some of the fishing gear typically used by
fishers in the Anambas Islands.
Figure 7.3 Lift nets
Figure 7.4 Fish traps
Figure 7.5 Cages for raising
Napoleon wrasse
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C. Uses of Other Marine Resources
Observations made during the survey indicate that as well as making use of fishery resources,
communities in the Anambas Marine Tourism Park area also make use of non-fishery resources,
such as quarrying coral to build houses, schools, roads and bridges; gathering mangrove timber to
make fish cages, and for firewood and other uses. The local people are very aware that overexploitation of coral and mangrove has a long-term negative impact, but most of them say that
they have no choice but to use these two natural resources. When asked about the importance of
the coral reef for protecting the coast from abrasion and waves, 248 respondents (61.2%) said it
agreed and 140 (34.6%) strongly agreed.
The photographs below show how much use is made of coral as a building material.
Figure 7.6 Corals for roads
Figure 7.7 Corals for house foundations
D. Perceptions of Natural Resource Conservation
As well as using fishery and non-fishery natural resources, almost all the respondents were aware
of the importance of protecting these resources for future generations. When asked about the
importance of protecting mangrove forest to ensure a continuous supply of easy to catch fish, 252
respondents (62.2%) agreed it was important, 33 (8.1%) strongly agreed, 26 (6.4%) were unsure, 61
(15.1%) disagreed, and 9 respondents (2.2%) strongly disagreed. When asked, for example, whether
they agreed or not that future generations were entitled to have undamaged coral reef and
mangrove forest, 290 respondents (71.6%) agreed, and 101 (24.9%) strongly agreed. From the
responses to these two questions it can be concluded that these coastal fisher communities in the
Anambas Islands are very aware of the importance of protecting their natural marine resources for
future generations. On the same subject, another finding of note from the survey was the response
to the statement “To improve fisheries, the community or the government need to create or
designate an area for fish to spawn”. A total of 277 (68.4%) of respondents agreed and 89 (22%)
strongly agreed. Again, this indicates that despite having very little knowledge about conservation
areas, when asked about they thought about protecting natural resources, almost all respondents
said that they supported the concept of conservation areas.
E. Activities that Threaten Marine Natural Resources
While the survey was underway, the team observed, and gathered information directly and
indirectly from stories from the local people about uses of marine natural resources that might be
harmful to the continuity of the resource itself or to the people using the resource. These most
common of these activities include: 1) capturing fish using explosives; 2) using potassium cyanide;
3) using compressors; 4) operating trawlers of more than 30GT in traditional fishing grounds; 5)
disposing of rubbish irresponsibly, both on land and in the sea; 6) laying fish traps using
powerboats; 7) quarrying beach sand for building material; as well as various other minor
activities that threaten these resources. Further investigation found that these activities were the
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result of: 1) an absence of village ordinances; 2) a lack of clear law enforcement; 3) people not
knowing about the regulations that govern the use of these resources; and 4) no communication of
existing regulations to the local community.
The local community is also experiencing a sustained reduction in catch size as a result of fishing
vessels using ring seine and large seine nets in waters around 2-3 miles from the closest islands,
which are traditional fishing grounds; and also because of the continued use of explosives and
potassium cyanide to capture fish.
Figure 7.8 Seagoing trawlers are a major threat to traditional fishers in Anambas
F. Summary of Issues
From these survey results, the following list has been drawn up to summarize the issues and
problems facing coastal communities in Anambas Marine Tourism Park:
a) Use of Fishery Resources
Socio-economic problems facing capture fishers:
 Foreign trawlers (from Thailand) fishing the waters around the Anambas Islands
 Trawlers and vessels using ring seine nets operating in traditional fishing grounds within
12 miles of the coast
 Fish traps being laid by fishers using powerboats
 Use of explosives and potassium cyanide
 Fishers using compressors can capture 500 kg – 1,000 kg of fish a night
 Quarrying coral for building material
 Cutting down mangrove forest
 Limited supply of fuleel to operate at sea and for lighting to assist with fish capture
 Disposal of rubbish in the sea
 Disposal of untreated sewage into the sea
Socio-economic problems facing fish farmers:
 Capturing fry the size of a grain of rice (0.5 cm)
 Very high mortality rate in fry of 0.5 cm
 Fish capture that damages sargassum habitat
 Capture of 3-inch fish using potassium cyanide
 Quarrying coral
Perceptions of Conservation and Tourism
 In general, the local people do not understand the aims of conservation
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
In general, the local people do not realise that there is a conservation are in the Anambas
Islands
 In general, the local people do not understand the aims of tourism
 In general, the local people are not familiar with the Anambas Islands Marine Tourism
Park
b) Positive Aspects
 The local people understand the benefits of protecting coral reef habitats
 The local people understand the benefits of mangrove habitats
 The local people are aware of the damage caused by the use of explosives and potassium
cyanide
 The local people have suggested introducing regulations on the use of marine resources,
including fish and other marine ecosystems
 The local people have suggested introducing regulations on the size of napoleon wrasse
and the months that they can be caught.
c)
Limitations of the Survey
 In some villages, fishers were difficult to locate because the survey coincided with the
clove harvest
 The changeable weather conditions, including high winds and rain
 Many of the new villages formed following the realignment of administrative boundaries
are remote
 The distribution of the population over many remote islands
G. Recommendations
From the results of this socio-economic fisheries survey of coastal communities in Anambas Marine
Tourism Park, the following recommendations can be made:
1. With regard to the use and management of fisheries resources in the Anambas Marine
Tourism Park area, village regulations need to be introduced to govern the procedures for
the use and operation of fishing equipment in the village administrative area, in order to
prevent large trawlers operating in traditional fishing grounds.
2. Programs to raise local people’s awareness and knowledge of fisheries laws and
regulation, so they understand what their rights and obligations are with regard to
management and use of fishery resources.
3. Anambas Marine Tourism Park has great fishery resources potential that is currently being
drastically depleted. This requires sustainable fisheries management that prioritises local
community fisheries over non-local, large-scale commercial fisheries.
4. Anambas Marine Tourism Park also has marine tourism and land-based adventure
tourism potential, which would require preparing business plans to increase regionallygenerated income and the incomes of the local community from the establishment or
development of these two tourism sectors.
5. The ambition of most people in Anambas, particularly in Palmatak, Siantan Tengah and
Siantan Timur subdistricts, is to trade Napoleon wrasse. To guarantee a stock of Napoleon
wrasse fry captured in the wild by the local people to be raised in fish cages, the
government and the community need to regulate the procedures for taking these tiny fish
from the wild. Currently, there has been agreement in place for almost a year with some of
the local people in Siantan Tengah regarding the size of the fry that can be taken from the
wild.
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Chapter 8 Epilogue
This report has encapsulated results of the biodiversity, socio-economics and marine tourism surveys at
the Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park. Prioritizing the development of a comprehensive Park
Management Plan that includes an effective zonation system that prevents overlap of non-compatible
resource uses and prohibits destructive activities while also promoting fish stock recovery and marine
tourism development is essential to ensure maximum long-term and sustainable economic benefits to
local users.
Four areas of the MPA have been identified for inclusion in No-Take Zones: 1) the remote islands to the
south of the MPA (including Tokongmalangbiru, Repong, Bawah and Ritan), 2) the southwest quadrant
of the MPA (including Pulau Damar and the southern uninhabited area of Jemaja Island), 3) the
northwest islands (including Tokongnanas and the major turtle-nesting beaches of Durai and Pahat), and
4) the northeastern islands (including Pejalin Besar and Kecil and Mandariau Laut and Darat and
surrounding islands). The No-Take Zones are envisioned as follows:
Figure 8.1 Four areas of the Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park that should be prioritized for
inclusion in No-Take Zones and for marine tourism development
Effective management of the Anambas Islands Marine Tourism Park will require comprehensive
management and zonation plans and serious enforcement efforts – all of which will require significant
governmental funding to succeed. A solid collaboration between the government and marine tourism
sector is encouraged to develop an MPA user fee system that could contribute significantly to the costs of
enforcement and MPA management.
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