Coral reefs are extremely biodiverse and productive marine ecosystems, but they are vulnerable to anthropogenic pressures, and shifts in their structure and community compositions have been observed. The subtropical Ryukyu Archipelago of southern Japan hosts the largest coral reefs of the country, and they are characterized by high biodiversity; however, some reefs, especially around Okinawajima Island, are degraded. Monitoring and impact assessments in this region are scattered, and most studies have focused on a single disturbance and/or a single taxon. A benthic multi-taxa survey protocol was tested at four locations exposed to different levels of anthropogenic pressures along Okinawajima and Akajima islands. Data from Line Intercept Transects (relative benthic cover, and algae and hard coral cover by functional groups) were integrated with echinoderm and mollusk abundance by class. Only the remote island of Akajima seemed not to be highly degraded with hard corals dominant. The results suggested that Echinoidea and Bivalvia abundances could be good indicators to discriminate among sites. The monitoring protocol was rapid, cheap, and effective in highlighting differences in benthic composition between pristine and impacted sites; thus, this method can be deployed at a large scale, contributing to urgently needed reef conservation and management.
promotor/supervisor feedback
nothing yet
