A team of Australian scientists will survey the remote reefs in the
northern Bismarck Sea of Papua New Guinea so we can better understand
the marine life of our closest neighbour and help protect it.
"We are surveying one of the richest marine environments on our
planet so we are looking forward to making some amazing discoveries,"
says Dr Alison Green, Senior Marine Scientist with The Nature
Conservancy who is leading the survey. "Little is known about the
underwater life in this very remote part of the world which is
becoming increasingly significant as our marine regions are more
threatened."
The month-long survey begins on 13 August and will include reefs in
the northern Bismarck Sea about 500 kilometres north-east of Port
Moresby. The team will concentrate on reefs in the south of Manus
Province, and near New Hanover and Tigak Islands in New Ireland
Province. The team expect to dive at about 50 sites to survey corals,
fish and commercially important species such as fish and clams.
"The survey will discover if there are any special animals or
habitats that we need to protect. This information is vital for
government agencies, non-government organisations and communities to
assist conservation efforts and better manage these critical
resources," said Dr Green.
The survey in Papua New Guinea is one of a series of surveys being
led by The Nature Conservancy to better understand marine life and
work toward a global network of marine protected areas in the centre
of marine biodiversity known as the Coral Triangle. Previous surveys
have been conducted in Solomon Islands, Indonesia and Federated States
of Micronesia.
The survey team includes Dr John (Charlie) Veron from the
Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and Mr Emre Turak who
will assess coral diversity, coral reef health and look for new coral
species. Dr Veron is a world-recognised coral specialist who has
written more than 20 books about corals.
"The Bismarck Sea is inside the Coral Triangle, which is home to
almost three quarters of all of the world’s coral species," says Dr
Veron from AIMS. "I expect we will find coral species that are new to
science in this very special region."
Mr Emre Turak is an experienced coral ecologist who specialises in
rapid assessments of coral reefs. He will assess the status and health
of the coral communities. Turak has undertaken assessments in the
Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and throughout Australia.
Dr Gerald Allen from the Western Australian Museum will also take
part in the survey and get an accurate count of coral reef fishes of
the region. Dr Allen is a world expert on coral reef fishes and has
been diving for 35 years and spent more than 7,000 hours underwater.
He has written more than 20 books about coral reef fishes.
These visitors will complement work by a local team who will survey
commercially important species including clams, bęche-de-mer and
fishes.
The survey is being led by The Nature Conservancy in collaboration
with the World Wide Fund for Nature, Wildlife Conservation Society and
National Fisheries Authority of Papua New Guinea.
