Reefs and islands of the Chagos Archipelago, Indian Ocean: why it is the world’s largest no-take marine protected area

C. R. C Sheppard; M Ateweberhan; B. W Bowen; P Carr; C. A Chen; C Clubbe; M. T Craig; R Ebinghaus; J Eble; N Fitzsimmons; M. R Gaither; C-H Gan; M Gollock; N Guzman; N. A. J Graham; A Harris; R Jones; S Keshavmurthy; H Koldewey; C. G Lundin; J. A Mortimer; D Obura; M Pfeiffer; A. R. G Price; S Purkis; P Raines; J. W Readman; B Riegl; A Rogers; M Schleyer; M. R. D Seaward; A. L. S Sheppard; J Tamelander; J. R Turner; S Visram; C Vogler; S Vogt; H Wolschke; J. M-C Yang; S-Y Yang; C Yesson

doi:10.1002/aqc.1248

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Reefs and islands of the Chagos Archipelago, Indian Ocean: why it is the world’s largest no-take marine protected area

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Reefs and islands of the Chagos Archipelago, Indian Ocean: why it is the world’s largest no-take marine protected area

C. R. C Sheppard, M Ateweberhan, B. W Bowen, P Carr, C. A Chen, C Clubbe, M. T Craig, R Ebinghaus, J Eble, N Fitzsimmons, …

Aquatic conservation, Vol.22(2), pp.232-261

2012-03

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.1248

PMCID: PMC4260629

PMID: 25505830

Abstract

British Indian Ocean Territory

Chagos

coral recovery

fisheries

island conservation

marine invasives

marine protected area

reef disease

reef fishes

seamounts

The Chagos Archipelago was designated a no-take marine protected area (MPA) in 2010; it covers 550 000 km 2 , with more than 60 000 km 2 shallow limestone platform and reefs. This has doubled the global cover of such MPAs. It contains 25–50% of the Indian Ocean reef area remaining in excellent condition, as well as the world’s largest contiguous undamaged reef area. It has suffered from warming episodes, but after the most severe mortality event of 1998, coral cover was restored after 10 years. Coral reef fishes are orders of magnitude more abundant than in other Indian Ocean locations, regardless of whether the latter are fished or protected. Coral diseases are extremely low, and no invasive marine species are known. Genetically, Chagos marine species are part of the Western Indian Ocean, and Chagos serves as a ‘stepping-stone’ in the ocean. The no-take MPA extends to the 200 nm boundary, and. includes 86 unfished seamounts and 243 deep knolls as well as encompassing important pelagic species. On the larger islands, native plants, coconut crabs, bird and turtle colonies were largely destroyed in plantation times, but several smaller islands are in relatively undamaged state. There are now 10 ‘important bird areas’, coconut crab density is high and numbers of green and hawksbill turtles are recovering. Diego Garcia atoll contains a military facility; this atoll contains one Ramsar site and several ‘strict nature reserves’. Pollutant monitoring shows it to be the least polluted inhabited atoll in the world. Today, strict environmental regulations are enforced. Shoreline erosion is significant in many places. Its economic cost in the inhabited part of Diego Garcia is very high, but all islands are vulnerable. Chagos is ideally situated for several monitoring programmes, and use is increasingly being made of the archipelago for this purpose.

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Citation topics: 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology; 3.2 Marine Biology; 3.2.570 Coral Reefs
Web Of Science research areas: Environmental Sciences; Marine & Freshwater Biology; Water Resources
ESI research areas: Environment/Ecology

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Title: Reefs and islands of the Chagos Archipelago, Indian Ocean: why it is the world’s largest no-take marine protected area
Creators: C. R. C Sheppard - School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, CV4 7AL, UK
M Ateweberhan - School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, CV4 7AL, UK
B. W Bowen - Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology, P.O. Box 1346, Kane’ohe, Hawai’i. 96744, USA
P Carr - BF BIOT, Diego Garcia, BIOT, BFPO 485, UK
C. A Chen - Biodiversity Research Centre, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Road, Nankang, Taipei, 115, Taiwan
C Clubbe - Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AB, UK
M. T Craig - Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, P.O. Box 9000, Mayaguez, PR 00681
R Ebinghaus - Department for Environmental Chemistry, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Zentrum für Material- und Küstenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1 I 21502, Geesthacht I, Germany
J Eble - Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology, P.O. Box 1346, Kane’ohe, Hawai’i. 96744, USA
N Fitzsimmons - Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
M. R Gaither - Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology, P.O. Box 1346, Kane’ohe, Hawai’i. 96744, USA
C-H Gan - Biodiversity Research Centre, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Road, Nankang, Taipei, 115, Taiwan
M Gollock - Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK
N Guzman - Nestor Guzman: NAVFACFE PWD DG Environmental, PSC 466 Box 5, FPO AP, 96595-0005
N. A. J Graham - ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
A Harris - School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, CV4 7AL, UK
R Jones - Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK
S Keshavmurthy - Biodiversity Research Centre, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Road, Nankang, Taipei, 115, Taiwan
H Koldewey - Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK
C. G Lundin - IUCN Marine Programme, Rue Mauverney 28, Gland, 1196, Switzerland
J. A Mortimer - Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
D Obura - CORDIO East Africa, #9 Kibaki Flats, Kenyatta Beach, Bamburi Beach, P.O.BOX 10135, Mombasa 80101, Kenya
M Pfeiffer - RWTH Aachen University, Templergraben 55, 52056 Aachen, Germany
A. R. G Price - School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, CV4 7AL, UK
S Purkis - National Coral Reef Institute, Nova Southeastern University, Oceanographic Center, 8000 North Ocean Drive, Dania Beach, FL 33004, USA
P Raines - Coral Cay Conservation, Elizabeth House, 39 York Road, London SE1 7NQ, UK
J. W Readman - Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, The Hoe, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
B Riegl - National Coral Reef Institute, Nova Southeastern University, Oceanographic Center, 8000 North Ocean Drive, Dania Beach, FL 33004, USA
A Rogers - Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Tinbergen Building, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK
M Schleyer - Oceanographic Research Institute, PO Box 10712, Marine Parade, Durban, 4056, South Africa
M. R. D Seaward - Division of Archaeological, Geographical and Environmental Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD7 1DP, UK
A. L. S Sheppard - School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, CV4 7AL, UK
J Tamelander - UNEP Division of Environmental Policy Implementation, UN, Rajdamnern Nok Av., Bangkok, 10200, Thailand
J. R Turner - School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, Anglesey, LL59 5AB, UK
S Visram - Biodiversity Research Centre, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Road, Nankang, Taipei, 115, Taiwan
C Vogler - Department für Geo- und Umweltwissenschaften Paläontologie & Geobiologie, Ludwig- Maximilians-Universität, Richard-Wagner-Str.10, 80333, München, Germany
S Vogt - Naval Facilities Engineering Command Far East, PSC 473, Box 1, FPO AP 96349, USA
H Wolschke - Department for Environmental Chemistry, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Zentrum für Material- und Küstenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1 I 21502, Geesthacht I, Germany
J. M-C Yang - Biodiversity Research Centre, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Road, Nankang, Taipei, 115, Taiwan
S-Y Yang - Biodiversity Research Centre, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Road, Nankang, Taipei, 115, Taiwan
C Yesson - Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK
Publication Details: Aquatic conservation, Vol.22(2), pp.232-261
Academic Unit: Rosenstiel School; Rosenstiel - Marine Geosciences
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article
PMID: 25505830
PMCID: PMC4260629
Record Identifier: 991031615005902976