What is Reef Check?
Reef Check is the largest volunteer-driven international coral reef monitoring program involving recreational scuba divers and marine scientists. Reef Check started in 1997, the "International Year of the Reef". The aims are to collect scientifically data on coral reef health and to create an international network of Teams. In addition Reef Check raises the public awareness about the value of coral reefs and promote active reef conservation.
Reef Check in Egypt
During the summer 1997, over 40 sites were surveyed throughout the Egyptian Red Sea, involving more than 200 tourist volunteers from Egypt and foreign countries. This impressive start was achieved through coordinated efforts between dive centres and scientists. Since then, the program has achieved its goal and more and more sites have been surveyed.
2003 continued to be a great success for Reef Check Egypt. Beside a Reef Check in Sharm el Sheikh and Dahab, two Reef Check programs were conducted at Tondoba Bay, a new dive destination south of Marsa Alam. Today Reef Check surveys have been carried out at over 1000 reefs in 50 countries, more than 1000 divers and more than 160 scientists were involved in the program.
Reef Check Egypt 2003 were organized and sponsored by Blue Heaven Holidays. More than 40 volunteers who came from Europe, USA and Egypt took part in the activities. 15 reefs in the Tondoba Bay region were evaluated; most of them new sites that had not been surveyed before.
Results 2004
Long term monitoring is essential to determine the fate of coral reefs subject to occasional, but severe stresses such as coral bleaching and crown-of-thorns starfish attack. The monitoring data now provides us with sufficient information to determine the direction of conservation efforts for these coral reefs as well as informing about the impact of upcoming diving business.
Grouper - Indicator Fish
Grouper of any species with a length greater than 30 cm were chosen as health indicator, because they are highly popular and high priced food fish. They are selected as indicator of fishing pressure and they serve as an indicator for over fishing. Some species can grow to a large size and thus are subject to all major forms of fishing. Groupers are also some of the easiest fish for spear fishing.
In the 5-Years Reef Check Report was mentioned that grouper have been fished out from most shallow reefs throughout the world. Reefs surveyed in Marsa Alam and Tondoba Bay region in 2004 showed an average of 0,93 grouper per transect (5m x 5m x 20m), whereas the average of the whole indo-pacific region was 0,54 per transect (2001 results).
Parrotfish - Indicator Fish
Parrotfish were selected as indicator, because they play an important role in the ecological balance of coral reefs. They are the largest herbivorous (plant eating) reef fish and they scrape large quantities of turf algae from the reef, ingesting live and dead corals and creating sand in the process. Furthermore they are indicator of over fishing of various kinds. Without parrotfish, algae would have an advantage in the competition for space with corals.
All surveyed reefs had a high abundance of parrotfish. The healthiest reef was once more the house reef of Tondoba Bay, with a total of 27 parrotfish. The average of all 2004 surveyed reefs were 14,36 parrotfish, whereas the average at all indo pacific reefs is 1,84 (2001). This shows the good conditions of the Red Sea reefs, especially in the southern Red Sea area.
Giant Clam Shell - Indicator Invertebrate
Giant clams were selected as Reef Check indicator for several reasons. They have been long time highly prized food item, the shell is desirable as a curio and more recently as an ornamental shellfish for aquarium keepers. There are several species of giant clam and all are included in the Reef Check protocol, because all are the target of human predation. The largest clams can reach a maximum shell length of approx. 1,5m. Other species reaches only 15cm in shell length.
Of 869 reefs monitored by Reef Check between 1997 and 2001, the mean number of giant clams found per transect was 3,9. On the surveyed reefs 2004 at Tondoba Bay the average number of giant clam shells per transect was 18,5. This is more than 4 times higher than the world wide average. A fantastic result and an indicator, that no giant clam shells are collect in the Red Sea region.
Crown-Of-Thorns starfish - Indicator Invertebrate
The Crown-Of-Thorns Starfish (COTS) is a Reef Check regional indicator for the indo-pacific, because it can have a major damaging effect on reef corals through predation during high-population years. The second reason that COTS was included is the cause of population explosions (outbreaks). A number of scientists believe these outbreaks are linked to human activities, e.g. eutrification that facilitate higher survival of COTS larvae or over harvesting of the triton shell, a predator of COTS. Outbreaks occurred sporadically in many areas since the 1970s. A COTS outbreak occurred in the Red Sea in 1998, starting in Hurghada and moving north- and southward. Reef Checks conducted in Marsa Alam region since 2001 show a surprising result. As seen in the graphic, neither in 2001 Reef Check in Marsa Alam, nor in the 2003 Reef Check at Tondoba Bay, a single COTS was found on the surveyed reefs.
Hard Coral Coverage - Substrat
The results of the monitoring show the percentage of the seabed covered by live coral at the best reef (House reef Tondoba Bay) is 54%, the average of all surveyed reefs 40%. This number is important because previous characterization of reef health based on coral cover used very high percentages for good or excellent reefs. Many of the healthiest reefs in the world have a hard coral coverage not higher than 30%. Coral cover is greatly affected by the distribution of hard substratum on a reef as well as by the health of the corals living there. It is a very good indicator of reef health.
Summary
In general, Reef Check surveys have found the reefs in Egypt to be in much better condition than expected, considering the high diving pressure and construction activities. It gave a good overview of the health of coral reefs of the Egyptian Red Sea and approved the results of the years before whereas the reefs in the Red Sea are the healthiest in the world (best ratio living hard corals). Especially in the region of Tondoba Bay the reefs are in excellent condition.
Since 1997, Reef Check has become a permanent and supported part of the European diving community, as well as the local Egyptian tourism industry. This merging of science and the tourism industry proved to be the perfect way to increase public awareness.
The management efforts of NGOs, such as HEPCA, appear to be actively helping to preserve and protect the reefs and marine environment. For example the installation of mooring buoys has resulted in less broken corals at anchoring was damaging the reefs. The protection of a spinner dolphin population at Samadai Reef (Dolphin House) by limiting the numbers of visitors and zoning was the latest success.
How can you help?
Surveys on the so far untouched reefs of Tondoba Bay will continue in 2004 to follow up the impact of an upcoming new diving destination with your help, as Reef Check volunteer.
Reef Check is a simple, rapid monitoring program and relies on volunteers trained and led by marine scientists. We all need to work together we need YOU to continue successful coral reef conservation. Support Reef Check by joining coming Reef Check activities and participating in Reef Check surveys.
