Ecological assessment of Iuaiu Conservation Area in Angaur State

Palau has a strong conservation history. Traditional conservation knowledge is being applied in modern times, in the form of the marine protected areas (MPA). In 2003, the national government of the Republic of Palau established the Protected Areas Network (PAN). The PAN is a nationwide conservation effort, geared towards effective conservation and management of natural resources in Palau‟s marine and terrestrial environments. In 2015, PICRC researchers conducted baseline surveys in fourteen PAN MPAs. Beginning in 2017, PICRC researchers continued the study of MPA effectiveness by conducting follow-up surveys in order to assess their effectiveness, in terms of management and protection. This study was conducted in Iuaiu Conservation Area, located in Angaur State and has been protected since 2005 through state legislation. Surveys were conducted on the reef flat habitat, consisting of a seagrass bed and coral reefs. In order to assess effectiveness, surveys were conducted in nearby reference sites to compare results. Data collection consisted of recording the status of fish, macro-invertebrates, juvenile corals, seagrass cover, and benthic cover. Results show that the MPA is not very effective and contrasted between the coral reef area and seagrass beds. In the coral reef area, live coral cover, fish abundance and biomass were found to be significantly higher in the reference site than within the protected area while macro-invertebrates was found to be the same between MPA and reference site. Within the seagrass beds, the fish biomass and seagrass coverage were higher in the protected area, but the fish abundance was not significantly different. Overall, the small size of the Iuiau MPA, encompassing only one habitat (the reef flat), does not seem to effectively protect marine resources, especially in the coral reef area. 2018 Grant no. NA16NOS4820069 NOS (National Ocean Service) CoRIS (Coral Reef Information System) Submitted Public Domain 1936