Assessing the design of marine protected areas in the Wakatobi National Park (Indonesia) from coral connectivity networks
Irfana Diah Faryuni (a, b), Widsyastuti Umar(c), Jamaluddin Jompa(c), Emmanuel Hanert(a)

a) UCLouvain
b) Tanjungpura University
c) Hasanuddin University

Abstract

The Wakatobi National Park (WNP) is part of the Coral Triangle and one of the most biodiverse marine habitats on earth. Its ecosystem has however been endangered in recent decades by anthropogenic stressors. The Government of Indonesia (GoI0 has therefore established over 2% of the WNP marine areas as marine protected zones. Still, the question is whether or not they effectively support the coral resilience against anthropogenic disturbances. This study aims to fill in this gap by evaluating the coral connectivity within the WNP and assessing how the marine protected zones in the WNP contribute to the coral resilience on other reefs within the WNP. We modeled the dispersal of two coral species (Acropora millepora and Acropora gemmifera) during spawning events in 2014 to 2021, using the Second generation Louvain La Neuve Ice Ocean Model (SLIM) high resolution ocean model. We then analyzed the coral connectivity matrices using Googles PageRank algorithm to identify the sub reef communities that act as the main sources and the main sinks and the sub-reef communities best suited for protection and restoration. We found that the existing marine protected zones have yet to cover the sub communities with the highest protection index (top 25%). We also found that the current restoration site is not a significant larvae supplier to its adjacent reefs. Based on the coral connectivity network, we propose some reefs to be prioritized for maximizing conservation and restoration programs in the WNP.

Keywords: Wakatobi, coral connectivity, biophysical modelling, marine management

Topic: Oceanography (International)