The Coral Triangle Maps of the Month is a monthly email running from August 2012 to June 2013 that showcases various maps that highlight the diversity and uniqueness of the Coral Triangle region. The maps also show some of the pressing issues that are threatening this very important resource considered the epicenter of the world's marine biodiversity. The maps are generated by the Coral Triangle Atlas team at WorldFish.
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Map 12: Reef Fish Biodiversity in the Coral Triangle
The Coral Triangle has the highest global diversity of coral reef fishes; it is home to 37% of the world's reef fish species and 56% of those found in the Indo-Pacific region. Some 8% of the coral reef fish found in the Coral Triangle are endemic or locally restricted. For more facts on biodiversity, see Coral Triangle facts, figures and calculations.
Potentially new reef fish species found off the coast of Bali, Indonesia during a rapid marine assessment conducted by Conservation International Credit: CI/Gerard Allen
A GIS approach was used to expose the richness of diversity and endemism at varying spatial scales throughout the Indo-Pacific region (Allen, 2008). It was revealed that the highest concentration of species in the Coral Triangle region extends from southeastern Indonesia to the central Philippines. Within the Coral Triangle countries, the highest numbers of coral reef fish species (and associated species) are in Indonesian waters, which are home to more than 2000 species. The information on the numbers of coral reef fish species was cited in the State of Coral Triangle Report (SCTR) for Coral Triangle countries.
About 130 million people in the Coral Triangle region depend on marine resources for food and livelihoods, according to the Reefs at Risk Revisited in the Coral Triangle report. The region's coral reefs and associated fisheries are essential to people and national economies. Fast population and economic growth have stimulated unsustainable coastal development and boosted demand for expensive live reef fish and other marine species. One of the Coral Triangle Initiative strategies to address this is through the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM), which considers both the impacts of the environment on fisheries health and productivity and the impacts that fishing has on all aspects of the marine ecosystem.
Do you need more maps on the Coral Triangle?
Follow this link to download a high-resolution version of this map from the CT Atlas website To see more maps, view the CT Atlas Map Gallery online To generate your own map, check out the CT Atlas interactive map
Follow these links to see other maps in this series:
The Coral Triangle Atlas is an online Geographical Information System (GIS) database providing scientists, governments and NGOs with a view of spatial data at the regional scale. This project will improve the efficiency of conservation planning in the region by giving researchers and managers access to biophysical and socioeconomic information in spatially explicit while encouraging them to share their data to complete the gaps, therefore reducing duplicate data collection efforts and providing the most complete and most current data available.
By contributing data to the CT Atlas, NGO partners, governments and managers are helping to strengthen the effectiveness of conservation activities in the Coral Triangle through improved information flow and access to the region's best datasets.
For more information about the CT Atlas and to contribute data, contact: Annick Cros atacros@tnc.orgor ReefBase at reefbase@cgiar.org You can also participate in discussions or submit questions to the CT Atlas forum
