Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T02:46:28.052Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

11 - Environmental impact assessment for coral reefs: advocating direct protective approaches

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

By
John R. Turner ,
Richard Boak ,
Rebecca Klaus ,
Deolall Daby  and
Emily Hardman
Edited by
Isabelle M. Côté  and
John D. Reynolds
John R. Turner
Affiliation:
University of Wales at Bangor
Richard Boak
Affiliation:
Water Management Consultants Ltd
Rebecca Klaus
Affiliation:
University of Wales at Bangor
Deolall Daby
Affiliation:
University of Mauritius
Emily Hardman
Affiliation:
University of Wales at Bangor
Isabelle M. Côté
Affiliation:
Simon Fraser University, British Columbia
John D. Reynolds
Affiliation:
Simon Fraser University, British Columbia
Get access

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Arguably, there is little that coastal zone managers can do to minimize the impact of natural disturbances to coral reefs, such as cyclones and hurricanes, boom and bust in echinoderm populations, coral bleaching, disease and climate change (Bellwood et al., 2004). However, protection can be afforded to reefs from degradation arising from the construction and operation of coastal developments such as marinas, prawn farms, desalination plants, sewage treatment works, hotels and other large-scale developments, thereby maximizing the resilience of reefs to natural perturbations. Coral reefs occur adjacent to many rapidly developing regions, and it is important not to allow concerns over large-scale natural impacts to diminish the need for continued protection of reefs at the national, regional and local levels (Wilkinson, 2004; Jaap, this volume).

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a tool that can be used to identify the likely impacts from human activities before they arise (Clark, 1996), and to put into place measures to minimize damage from those impacts that are unavoidable. Monitoring during both construction and operation is essential to determine whether mitigation measures work (Lincoln-Smith, 1991). EIA is a powerful environmental protection device if the assessment is undertaken thoroughly, and all recommendations are followed by the developer and operator, and enforced by the regulating authority. Unfortunately, EIA is often inadequate (Fairweather, 1989, 1993) or worse, not carried out, and coral reefs are needlessly degraded by developments, devaluing their role in coastal protection (Sheppard, this volume), fisheries (McClanahan, this volume), tourism (Jobbins, this volume) and as repositories of biodiversity.

Type
Chapter
Information
Coral Reef Conservation , pp. 332 - 361
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abarnous, A. (1982). The chlorine effluents in the sea: chemical aspects of water chlorination and evaluation of the toxicity for the environment. Science et Pēche, 321, 1–11Google Scholar
Bamber, R. N. (1990). Environmental Impact Assessment: the example of Marine Biology and the UK power industry. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 21, 270–4CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bell, P. R. F. (1991). Status of eutrophication in the Great Barrier Reef Lagoon. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 23, 89–93CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bellwood, D. R., Hoey, A. S. and Choat, J. H. (2003). Limited functional redundancy in high diversity systems: resilience and ecosystem function on coral reefs. Ecological Letters, 6, 281–5CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bellwood, D. R., Hughes, T. P., Folke, C. and Nystrom, M. (2004). Confronting the coral reef crisis. Nature, 429, 827–33CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Black and Veatch International (1997). Montagne Jacquot Environmental Sewerage and Sanitation Project: Environmental Impact Assessment Report. BVI with Servansingh Jadav and Partners, July 1997
Bryant, D., Burke, L., McManus, J. and Spalding, M. (1998). Reefs at Risk: A Map-Based Indicator of Threats to the World's Coral Reefs. Washington, DC: World Resources InstituteGoogle Scholar
Buckley, R. (1989). What's wrong with EIA?Search, 20, 146–7Google Scholar
Carpenter, R. A. and Maragos, J. (1989). How to Assess Environmental Impacts on Tropical Islands and Coastal Areas. Honolulu, HI: East–West CenterGoogle Scholar
Chin, A. and Marshall, P. (2003). Reactive monitoring at Nelly bay harbour using environmental monitoring to manage marine construction activities. In Monitoring Coral Reef Marine Protected Areas, eds. Wilkinson, C., Green, A., Almany, J. and Shannon, D., pp. 34–5. Townsville, QLD: Australian Institute of Marine ScienceGoogle Scholar
Clark, J. R. (1996). Coastal Zone Management Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC PressGoogle Scholar
Colley, R. and Lee, N. (1990). Reviewing the quality of environmental statements. The Planner, 76, 12–14Google Scholar
Constable, A. J. (1991). The role of science in environmental protection. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 42, 527–38CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Daby, D. (2001). A review and critical assessment of coastal water quality in Mauritius. Science and Technology, Research Journal, University of Mauritius, 8, 59–83Google Scholar
Daby, D., Turner, J. R. and Jago, C. (2002). Microbial and nutrient pollution of coastal bathing waters in Mauritius. Environment International, 27, 555–66CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Desa, E., Zingde, M. D., Vethamony, P.et al. (2005). Dissolved oxygen: a target indicator in determining use of the Gulf of Kachchh waters. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 50, 73–9CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Edinger, E., Limmon, G. V., Jompa, J.et al. (2000). Normal coral growth rates on dying reefs: are coral growth rates good indicators of reef health?Marine Pollution Bulletin, 40, 404–25CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fairweather, P. G. (1989). Environmental Impact Assessment: where is the science in EIA?Search, 20, 141–4Google Scholar
Fairweather, P. G.Fairweather, P. G. (1991). Statistical power and design requirements for environmental monitoring. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 42, 55–67CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fairweather, P. G.Fairweather, P. G.Fairweather, P. G. (1993). Links between ecology and ecophilosophy, ethics and the requirements of environmental management. Australian Journal of Ecology, 18, 3–19CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fairweather, P. G.Fairweather, P. G.Fairweather, P. G.Fairweather, P. G. (1994). Improving the use of science in environmental assessments. Australian Zoologist, 29, 217–23CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gast, G. J., Jonkers, P. J., Duyl, F. C. and Bak, R. P. M. (1999). Bacteria, flagellates and nutrients in island fringing coral reef waters: influence of the ocean, the reef and eutrophication. Bulletin of Marine Science, 65, 523–38Google Scholar
Gardner, T. A., Côté, I., Gill, J. A., Grant, A. and Watkinson, A. R. (2003). Long-term region-wide declines in Caribbean corals. Science, 301, 958–60CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Government of Mauritius (2003). Environment Protection (Standards for Effluent Discharge into the Ocean) Regulations 2003. Port Louis: Government of Mauritius
Gray, J. S. and Jensen, K. (1993). Feedback monitoring: a new way of protecting the environment. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 8, 267–8CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gray, J. S., Calamari, D., Duce, R.et al. (1991). Scientifically based strategies for marine environmental protection and management. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 22, 432–40CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Green, R. H. (1979). Sampling Design and Statistical Methods for Environmental Biologists. New York: John WileyGoogle Scholar
Green, R. H. (1989). Power analysis and practical strategies for environmental monitoring. Environmental Research, 50, 195–205CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Green, R. H. (1993). Applications of repeated measures designs in environmental impact and monitoring studies. Australian Journal of Ecology, 18, 81–98CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grigg, R. W. (1995). Coral reefs in an urban embayment in Hawaii: a complex case history controlled by natural and anthropogenic stress. Coral Reefs, 14, 253–66CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hall, L. W., Burton, D. T. and Liden, L. H. (1982). Power plant chlorination effects on estuarine and marine organisms. Critical Reviews in Toxicology, 10, 27–48CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hose, J. E., Di Fiore, D., Parker, H. S. and Sciarrotta, T. (1989). Toxicity of chlorine dioxide to early life stages of marine organisms. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 42, 315–19CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hughes, T. P. (1994). Catastrophes, phase shifts, and large-scale degradation of a Caribbean coral reef. Science, 265, 1547–51CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hughes, T. P., Baird, A. H., Bellwood, D. R.et al. (2003). Climate change, human impacts, and the resilience of coral reefs. Science, 301, 929–33CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jackson, J. B. C. (1997). Reefs since Columbus. Coral Reefs, 16, S23–S32CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kaly, U. L. and Jones, G. P. (1997). Minimum sampling design for assessing the magnitude and scale of ecological impacts on coral reefs. Proceedings 8th International Coral Reef Symposium, 2, 1479–84Google Scholar
Kirk, J. T. O. (1994) Light and Photosynthesis in Aquatic Ecosystems. Cambridge: Cambridge University PressCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Klaus, R., Jones, D. A., Turner, J. R., Simoes, N. and Vousden, D. (2003). Integrated marine and coastal management: a strategy for conservation and sustainable use of marine biological resources in the Socotra Archipelago. Journal of Arid Environments, 54, 71–80CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Knowlton, N. (1992). Thresholds and multiple stable states in coral reef community dynamics. American Zoologist, 32, 674–82CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lincoln-Smith, M. P. (1991). Environmental Impact Assessment: the roles of predicting and monitoring the extent of impacts. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 42, 603–14CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maragos, J. E., Evans, C. and Holtus, P. (1985). Reef corals in Kaneohe Bay six years before and after termination of sewage discharges (Oahu, Hawaiian Archipelago). Proceedings 5th International Coral Reef Symposium, 4, 189–94Google Scholar
Morrisey, D. J. (1993). Environmental Impact Assessment: a review of its aims and recent developments. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 26, 540–5CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pastorok, R. A. and Bilyard, G. R. (1985). Effects of sewage pollution on coral reef communities. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 21, 75–189CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peterman, R. M. (1990). Statistical power analysis can improve fisheries research and management. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Science, 47, 2–15CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peterson, C. (1993). Improvement of environmental impact analysis by application of principles derived from manipulative ecology: lessons from coastal marine case histories. Australian Journal of Ecology, 18, 21–52CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sheppard, C. R. C. (1995). Editorial: The shifting baseline syndrome. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 30, 766–7CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sheppard, C. R. C. (1999). How large should my sample be? Some quick guides to sample size and the power of tests. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 38, 439–47CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sheppard, C. R. C. (2003). Editorial: Environmental carpetbaggers. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 46, 1–2CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sorensen, J. and West, N. (1992). A Guide to Impact Assessment in Coastal Environments. Nawagansett, RI: University of Rhode Island: Coastal Resources CenterGoogle Scholar
Spalding, M. D., Ravilious, C. and Green, E. P. (2001). World Atlas of Coral Reefs. Berkeley, CA: University of California PressGoogle Scholar
Thomassin, B. A., Gourbesville, P., Gout, B. and Arnoux, A. (1998). Impact of an industrial and urban sewage off a coral fringing reef at Mauritius (Indian Ocean): modelling plumes, distribution of trace metals in sediments and effects of the eutrophication on coral reef communities. In Engineering for Sustainable Use of the Oceans: Conference Proceedings, pp. 301–5CrossRef
Turner, J. R. and Klaus, R. (2005). Coral reefs of the Mascarenes, Western Indian Ocean. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, 363, 229–50CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Turner, J. R., Jago, C., Daby, D. and Klaus, R. (2000a). The Mascarene Region. In Seas at the Millennium: An Environmental Assessment, vol. 2, The Indian Ocean to the Pacific, ed. Sheppard, C. R. C., p. 253–68. Amsterdam: PergamonGoogle Scholar
Turner, J. R., Klaus, R. and Engelhardt, U. (2000b). The reefs of the granitic islands of the Seychelles. In Coral Reef Degradation in the Indian Ocean, eds. Souter, D., Obura, D. and Linden, O., p. 77–86. Stockholm: CORDIO/Swedish Agency for Research CooperationGoogle Scholar
Underwood, A. J. (1990). Experiments in ecology and management: their logics, functions and interpretations. Australian Journal of Ecology, 15, 365–89CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Underwood, A. J. (1991). Beyond BACI: experimental designs for detecting human environmental impacts on temporal variations in natural populations. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 42, 569–87CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Underwood, A. J. (1992). Beyond BACI: the detection of environmental impacts on populations in the real, but variable world. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 161, 145–78CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Underwood, A. J. (1993). The mechanics of spatially replicated sampling programmes to detect environmental impacts in a variable world. Australian Journal of Ecology, 18, 99–116CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Underwood, A. J. (1994). On beyond BACI: sampling designs that might reliably detect environmental disturbance. Ecological Applications, 4, 3–15CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Underwood, A. J. (1996). Environmental Design and Analysis in Marine Environmental Sampling, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Manuals and Guides No. 34. Paris: UNESCOGoogle Scholar
UNEP (1990). An Approach to Environmental Impact Assessment for Projects affecting the Coastal and Marine Environment. UNEP Regional Seas Reports and Studies No. 122. Nairobi: UNEP
Water Management Consultants Ltd (2000). Environmental Sewerage and Sanitation Project, Environmental Impact Assessment of Treated Wastewater Disposal via Borehole Injection, Mauritius, Final Report No. 1539/R1, ed. Wilson, R., Edworthy, K., Turner, J. R.et al. Shrewsbury: Water Management Consultants LtdGoogle Scholar
Underwood, A. J. (2002). Montagne Jacquot Environmental Monitoring, Interim Report No. 1725/R1, eds. Boak, R., Turner, J. R. and Daby, D.. Shrewsbury: Water Management Consultants LtdGoogle Scholar
Underwood, A. J. (2004a). Montagne Jacquot Environmental Sewerage and Sanitation Project, Updated Environmental Management Plan, Final Report No. 1884/R1, ed. Boak, R.. Shrewsbury: Water Management Consultants LtdGoogle Scholar
Underwood, A. J. (2004b). Montagne Jacquot Environmental Sewerage and Sanitation Project, Report on Baseline Survey of Marine Environment. Wastewater Management Authority, eds. Boak, R., Turner, J. R., Klaus, R., Hardman, E. and Daby., D.Shrewsbury: Water Management Consultants LtdGoogle Scholar
Wathern, P. (1988). Environmental Impact Assessment: Theory and Practice. London: Unwin HymanGoogle Scholar
Wilkinson, C. (ed.) (2004). Status of the Worlds Coral Reefs: 2004. Townsville, QLD: Australian Institute of Marine ScienceGoogle Scholar
World Bank (1994). Environmental Assessment Sourcebook, Vol. 3, Guidelines for Environmental Assessment of Energy and Industry Projects, World Bank Technical Paper No. 154. New York: Environment Department, World Bank
Wilkinson, C. (1999). Environmental Management Plans: Environmental Assessment Sourcebook Update No. 25. New York: Environment Department, World BankGoogle Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×