Caqalai

Hub Update / Achievement Report

April 2015
Objective Reef regeneration

Marine Resource Inventory - Caqalai Island

Identifying key sites for marine protection

Since the establishment of GVIs marine research and climate change adaption base of operations on
Caqalai Island in October 2014 underwater baseline survey teams have been making progress
around the large 2.6 mile reef system that surrounds the island. The survey methodology developed
for this operation consists of four divers; a physical surveyor responsible for collecting parameters
such as temperature, salinity and visibility, a fish (UVC) surveyor responsible for counting & sizing
target fish species, a benthic (LIT) surveyor responsible for recording benthic life forms, an inverte-
brate (IBT) surveyor responsible for recording numbers of target species. Survey boat marshals is
collect abiotic survey data such as cloud cover, surface impacts, boat traffic & turbidity. Baseline sur-
vey transects are 50m long when surveying fish species and 20m long for benthic and invertebrate
surveys.























Figure 1 - Satellite image of the east coast of Viti Levu displaying the location of Caqalai Island (right), satellite image of
Caqalai Island with completed GVI survey sites (left)

Survey sites have been chosen at points 150m apart along the southern edge of the reef system (fig-
ure 1). At each survey site ten transects are conducted at two different depth ranges, five transects
are completed at 3-5 m and five transects at 8-10 m. GVIs baseline survey technique focuses on or-
ganisms which are biologically important, commercially important or both, for instance Butterflyfish

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and Parrotfish can both be biological indicators. Butterflyfish feed on coral polyps and can be an in-
dicator of coral population abundance, while Parrotfish, feed on algae and their relative abundance
can act as an indicator associated with changes in algal phase shifts.

GVI volunteers & staff have now completed 8 site surveys, 80 transects & 1200m of Caqalais reef
system. Though surveys are ongoing, the eight completed site surveys have begun to be analyzed,
providing a snapshot of the general health of the southeastern side of Caqalais reef system.

Areas of high ecological importance show high percentages/abundances of some organisms but low
percentages/abundances of others;
Table 1 - Table to show some key indicator organisms & substrates when defining a survey site as ecologically important

Organisms &
Substrates

High Ecological
Importance

Low Ecological
Importance

Hard Coral

High Percentage Cover

Low Percentage Cover

Soft Coral

High Percentage Cover

Low Percentage Cover

Macro Algae

Low Percentage Cover

High Percentage Cover

Fish Species Diversity

High Diversities

Low Diversities

Herbivorous Fish
Abundance

High Abundance

Low Abundance

Important Food Fish

High Abundance

Low Abundance

Sea Cucumber Abundance

High Abundance

Low Abundance

Gastropod Abundance

High Abundance

Low Abundance

Coral Predator Abundance

Low Abundance

High Abundance

Rock

High Percentage Cover

Low Percentage Cover

Sand

Low Percentage Cover

High Percentage Cover

Rubble

Low Percentage Cover

High Percentage Cover

Using Arc GISs inverse distance weighted (IDW) spatial analyst tool data is construed visually for
analysis, allowing local community members, volunteers and staff to pinpoint areas of key ecological
importance in order to help inform decision making with regards to protected areas.

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Hard coral is an important organism within the coral reef ecosystem, it is generally accepted that
reef fish species diversity is directly related to hard coral cover percentage and diversity (Taylor et
al., 2004). With hard coral cover being so key to healthy reef ecosystems volunteers are extensively
trained on different hard coral genera & growth forms, allowing for in depth analysis of hard coral
communities.



Hard coral cover across the south-easterly reef
systems of Caqalai Island varies greatly from
site to site and at different depth ranges (fig-
ure 2). The more easterly & westerly sites (001
& 008) display higher percentages of hard cor-
al cover, likely due to higher percentages of
rocky substrate found in those areas, the most
suitable substrate for the majority of coral
species to thrive and grow. Many of the areas
indicating low percentage covers of hard coral
are likely to be sandy substrates .




Figure 2 - Hard coral cover shown as a percentage dis-
played as a colour ramp, green areas indicating low per-
centage cover, red areas a high percentage cover

Key fish species (usually defined by those of economic

value or food fish) is another key group of organisms,
within the coral reef ecosystem and for the local com-
munities which rely on these ecosystems for food. This
category of organisms within the survey structure refers
to specific fish species that are targeted as food fish by
Fijian communities specifically.

Average important food fish abundance across the
south-easterly coastline (figure 3) displayed relatively
low abundances, site 003 and 008 displayed the highest
abundances per 250m2 with 58.4(5.01 SE) & 62.8(4.83
SE) fish respectively. This could likely be due to habitat
types and less fishing pressures at these sites, allowing
some species such as Snappers (Lutjanidae) to congre-
gate in large numbers.
Figure 3 - Average important food fish
2
abundance per 250m displayed as a
colour ramp, green areas indicating low
average abundances, red areas high
average abundances

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By analysing many different factors & organisms within on the reefs around Caqalai & local commu-
nities this survey program can draw effective conclusions about which areas should be put forward
for protection. In the case of Caqalai Island, by just drawing on two key ecological & biological indi-
cators such as those discussed above we can already start to see some possible trends in reef health.
Site 008 is already displaying high percentages of hard coral cover & high abundances of important
food fish, indicating that this site may be a potentially key ecological site.

With this current and relevant data now available, GVI can begin to highlight key sites of ecological
value to local communities and help support efforts to protect and conserve areas of reef which
have the right components and potential to flourish under the right conditions.

Fijis traditional system of Tabu placement is testament to what has always been Fijian communitys
understanding of sustainable resource use, active management, and environmental awareness.
GVIs program on Caqalai Island hopes to help this system continue to function properly under the
new pressures of commercial fishing, development, and climate change by providing the data and
analysis needed to empower more effective decision making.


GVI would like to thank all the current and previous volunteers who have contributed many under-
water hours to collecting data around Caqalai and the nearby community of Uluibau.


To view of all GVI Fijis achievement reports please visit:
https://www.scribd.com/collections/13892306/GVI-Fiji-Achievement-Reports
For more information on GVIs projects in Fiji please visit www.gvi.co.uk
For more information on our global impact visit www.gviworld.com
To make a donation to our community projects in Fiji please visit www.gvi.org for more details.

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