Reefs and islands of the Chagos Archipelago, Indian Ocean: why it is the world's largest no‐take marine protected area
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- C. R. C. Sheppard
- School of Life Sciences University of Warwick CV4 7AL UK
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- M. Ateweberhan
- School of Life Sciences University of Warwick CV4 7AL UK
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- B. W. Bowen
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology P.O. Box 1346 Kane'ohe Hawai'i. 96744 USA
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- P. Carr
- BF BIOT Diego Garcia BIOT, BFPO 485 UK
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- C. A. Chen
- Biodiversity Research Centre Academia Sinica 128 Academia Road, Nankang Taipei 115 Taiwan
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- C. Clubbe
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew Richmond Surrey TW9 3AB UK
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- M. T. Craig
- Department of Marine Sciences University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez P.O. Box 9000 Mayaguez PR 00681
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- R. Ebinghaus
- Department for Environmental Chemistry Helmholtz‐Zentrum Geesthacht, Zentrum für Material‐ und Küstenforschung GmbH Max‐Planck‐Straße 1 I 21502 Geesthacht I Germany
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- J. Eble
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology P.O. Box 1346 Kane'ohe Hawai'i. 96744 USA
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- N. Fitzsimmons
- Institute for Applied Ecology University of Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
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- M. R. Gaither
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology P.O. Box 1346 Kane'ohe Hawai'i. 96744 USA
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- C‐H. Gan
- Biodiversity Research Centre Academia Sinica 128 Academia Road, Nankang Taipei 115 Taiwan
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- M. Gollock
- Zoological Society of London Regents Park London NW1 4RY UK
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- N. Guzman
- Nestor Guzman: NAVFACFE PWD DG Environmental PSC 466 Box 5, FPO AP 96595‐0005
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- N. A. J. Graham
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville QLD 4811 Australia
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- A. Harris
- School of Life Sciences University of Warwick CV4 7AL UK
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- R. Jones
- Zoological Society of London Regents Park London NW1 4RY UK
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- S. Keshavmurthy
- Biodiversity Research Centre Academia Sinica 128 Academia Road, Nankang Taipei 115 Taiwan
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- H. Koldewey
- Zoological Society of London Regents Park London NW1 4RY UK
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- C. G. Lundin
- IUCN Marine Programme Rue Mauverney 28 Gland 1196 Switzerland
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- J. A. Mortimer
- Department of Biology University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA
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- D. Obura
- CORDIO East Africa #9 Kibaki Flats, Kenyatta Beach, Bamburi Beach, P.O.BOX 10135 Mombasa 80101 Kenya
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- M. Pfeiffer
- RWTH Aachen University Templergraben 55 52056 Aachen Germany
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- A. R. G. Price
- School of Life Sciences University of Warwick CV4 7AL UK
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- S. Purkis
- National Coral Reef Institute Nova Southeastern University, Oceanographic Center 8000 North Ocean Drive Dania Beach FL 33004 USA
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- P. Raines
- Coral Cay Conservation Elizabeth House, 39 York Road London SE1 7NQ UK
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- J. W. Readman
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory Prospect Place, The Hoe Plymouth PL1 3DH UK
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- B. Riegl
- National Coral Reef Institute Nova Southeastern University, Oceanographic Center 8000 North Ocean Drive Dania Beach FL 33004 USA
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- A. Rogers
- Department of Zoology University of Oxford The Tinbergen Building, South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3PS UK
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- M. Schleyer
- Oceanographic Research Institute PO Box 10712, Marine Parade Durban 4056 South Africa
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- M. R. D Seaward
- Division of Archaeological, Geographical and Environmental Sciences University of Bradford Bradford West Yorkshire BD7 1DP UK
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- A. L. S. Sheppard
- School of Life Sciences University of Warwick CV4 7AL UK
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- J. Tamelander
- UNEP Division of Environmental Policy Implementation UN Rajdamnern Nok Av. Bangkok 10200 Thailand
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- J. R. Turner
- School of Ocean Sciences Bangor University Menai Bridge Anglesey LL59 5AB UK
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- S. Visram
- Biodiversity Research Centre Academia Sinica 128 Academia Road, Nankang Taipei 115 Taiwan
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- C. Vogler
- Department für Geo‐ und Umweltwissenschaften Paläontologie & Geobiologie Ludwig‐ Maximilians‐Universität Richard‐Wagner‐Str. 10 80333 München Germany
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- S. Vogt
- Naval Facilities Engineering Command Far East PSC 473, Box 1 FPO AP 96349 USA
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- H. Wolschke
- Department for Environmental Chemistry Helmholtz‐Zentrum Geesthacht, Zentrum für Material‐ und Küstenforschung GmbH Max‐Planck‐Straße 1 I 21502 Geesthacht I Germany
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- J. M‐C. Yang
- Biodiversity Research Centre Academia Sinica 128 Academia Road, Nankang Taipei 115 Taiwan
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- S‐Y. Yang
- Biodiversity Research Centre Academia Sinica 128 Academia Road, Nankang Taipei 115 Taiwan
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- C. Yesson
- Zoological Society of London Regents Park London NW1 4RY UK
Abstract
<jats:title>ABSTRACT</jats:title><jats:p> <jats:list> <jats:list-item><jats:p>The Chagos Archipelago was designated a no‐take marine protected area (MPA) in 2010; it covers 550 000 km<jats:sup>2</jats:sup>, with more than 60 000 km<jats:sup>2</jats:sup> shallow limestone platform and reefs. This has doubled the global cover of such MPAs.</jats:p></jats:list-item> <jats:list-item><jats:p>It contains 25–50% of the Indian Ocean reef area remaining in excellent condition, as well as the world's largest contiguous undamaged reef area. It has suffered from warming episodes, but after the most severe mortality event of 1998, coral cover was restored after 10 years.</jats:p></jats:list-item> <jats:list-item><jats:p>Coral reef fishes are orders of magnitude more abundant than in other Indian Ocean locations, regardless of whether the latter are fished or protected.</jats:p></jats:list-item> <jats:list-item><jats:p>Coral diseases are extremely low, and no invasive marine species are known.</jats:p></jats:list-item> <jats:list-item><jats:p>Genetically, Chagos marine species are part of the Western Indian Ocean, and Chagos serves as a ‘stepping‐stone’ in the ocean.</jats:p></jats:list-item> <jats:list-item><jats:p>The no‐take MPA extends to the 200 nm boundary, and. includes 86 unfished seamounts and 243 deep knolls as well as encompassing important pelagic species.</jats:p></jats:list-item> <jats:list-item><jats:p>On the larger islands, native plants, coconut crabs, bird and turtle colonies were largely destroyed in plantation times, but several smaller islands are in relatively undamaged state.</jats:p></jats:list-item> <jats:list-item><jats:p>There are now 10 ‘important bird areas’, coconut crab density is high and numbers of green and hawksbill turtles are recovering.</jats:p></jats:list-item> <jats:list-item><jats:p>Diego Garcia atoll contains a military facility; this atoll contains one Ramsar site and several ‘strict nature reserves’. Pollutant monitoring shows it to be the least polluted inhabited atoll in the world. Today, strict environmental regulations are enforced.</jats:p></jats:list-item> <jats:list-item><jats:p>Shoreline erosion is significant in many places. Its economic cost in the inhabited part of Diego Garcia is very high, but all islands are vulnerable.</jats:p></jats:list-item> <jats:list-item><jats:p>Chagos is ideally situated for several monitoring programmes, and use is increasingly being made of the archipelago for this purpose.</jats:p></jats:list-item></jats:list> Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.</jats:p>
Journal
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- Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems
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Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 22 (2), 232-261, 2012-01-17
Wiley
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Details 詳細情報について
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- CRID
- 1360855569533491200
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- DOI
- 10.1002/aqc.1248
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- ISSN
- 10990755
- 10527613
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- Data Source
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- Crossref