Anthropogenic Environmental Impacts on Coral Reefs in the Western and South-Western Pacific Ocean

Abstract

Coral reefs are amongst the most important ecosystems globally. They provide food and construction materials for millions of people living in the tropics, but this use of the reefs by humans comes at a cost. This chapter provides an overview of the many anthropogenic impacts on the coral reef environments in the SE Asia and Pacific Island region. The issues covered include population increase, migration of people to coastal areas and issues relating to subsistence and low-income community’s response to the global economic situation through their changing use of reef resources, e.g. increased reef gleaning. Pollution from small-scale developments, e.g. tourism, and industry, as well as impacts from large industry including agriculture, tourism (resorts, diving), mining, commercial fishing including marine and coastal mariculture and issues like land use change, sedimentation and eutrophication are highlighted. Related impacts caused by coastal city expansion (e.g. building of ports, roads, industrial areas, waste management—including location of ‘landfills’ and sewage treatment facilities) are examined. The significant impacts of shipping activities, oil spills, reef collisions, waste disposal and antifouling materials are also considered. A comprehensive listing of the activities impacting on coral reefs, together with a review of the impacts from each type of anthropogenic activity, has been developed. This is complemented by commentary on the effects of climate change that are superimposed on the direct anthropogenic impacts (temperature, rainfall, acidification, sea level rise, storms). Some introductory/general remarks on hydrodynamics relating to coral reefs are included, as these will also be altered by anthropogenic activities. The driving forces based on the impact types (e.g. hydrodynamic changes, sediment fluxes, nutrient flows, contaminant mobilisation/transport/transformation) are presented, and the consequences for coral reefs of changes in these driving forces are discussed.

W. G .L. Aalbersberg—deceased February 2018, four weeks after making his final contribution to Chapter.

Appendix: Tribute to Dr. William G. L. (Bill) AALBERSBERG (1949–2018)

William (Bill) Aalbersberg was born in Riverside, CA, in 1949. He passed away on February 8, 2018, in Kula, Hawaii. His extreme intelligence, humanitarian ways and thoughtful wisdom, interspersed with his quick wit and humour, made him unique. He graduated from San Clemente High School in CA, as the class Valedictorian, when he was only 16 years old. Then, on a full scholarship, he completed a BSc in Chemistry with Honours from Cornell University, NY. Upon graduation, he joined the Peace Corps and spent the next 3 years in Fiji. He returned to California and attended UC Berkeley, on a fellowship, to earn his PhD in Organic Chemistry and proceeded to become an Associate Professor of Chemistry there. His love for Fiji and the people he had met there drew him back to Fiji, where, in 1984, he first joined the Chemistry Department of the University of the South Pacific (USP) in Suva, quickly moving upwards to a full Professorship. He later moved to the Institute of Applied Sciences at USP (a scientific research and consultancy unit), becoming Director and guiding this operation most successfully for 15 years, retiring in 2016.

Bill spent 30 years as an avid environmentalist, working tirelessly to improve the cleanliness and sustainability of the local ocean systems, identifying the active compound in traditional medicinal remedies and treatments, maximizing the nutrition in the soil and also acting as a taxonomist and chemist, even having a marine sponge named after him while researching curative properties for cancer. He worked with the local communities and villages to pioneer programmes that encouraged the building of infrastructure and teamwork for resource management and the long-term health and economic benefits they could achieve as one.

He ran the Institute of Applied Sciences at USP and was revered internationally as both a humanitarian and also one of the great minds of his time, scientifically. He was recognised internationally (2005, Walter B Jones Memorial and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Excellence Award for Coastal and Ocean Resource Management), regionally (inaugural Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP) Award for Leadership in Environment (2014) and Japanese Nippon Award for Climate Change (2000) and locally (Inaugural USP Award for research impact). He was in constant demand to provide assistance to various agencies of the United Nations and other regional organisations. Despite this heavy consultative roll, Bill continued his own research programme, mainly through graduate students and international collaborators. He published over 200 research papers.

In addition to the attributes above, Bill was an accomplished bridge player and a keen exponent of mah-jongg. He is survived by his sister, Susie Saunders of Kula, HI, nieces Angela Saunders Koski and Sheila Siegel, great nephews Zach Siegel (who coined the family nickname name G’unc shortened form of Great Uncle) and Ryan Siegel, of Southern California. The world has lost a great scientific mind and a gentle soul that his family and friends will never forget.