Marine Life & Conservation
Of grazers, browsers, scrapers and a miracle plant called Vetiver
Guest article by Greet Meulepas who lives in Mauritius…
About 25% of reef fishes are herbivores, grazing on algae that would otherwise smother the corals.
In ‘Reef Fish Behavior’, a wonderful book written by Ned Deloach and Paul Humann, published in1999 the writers state “If left ungrazed, the competitively superior algae would quickly smother existing corals and blanket reef rock, leaving nowhere for coral larvae to settle and establish new colonies.” They also state that due to “continued overfishing and nutrient-rich run-off from coastal development and agriculture algae continue to dominate the reefs in many areas”. These facts were known 22 years ago and still hold today. Yet these days it is easy to blame climate change as the sole culprit for the disappearance of the reefs. Truth is that reefs are even more susceptible to temperature rises because they are already stressed due to overfishing and pollution.
Reef fishes need the reefs for shelter and food, but the reef needs reef fishes in order to survive too. Without the fishes the delicate balance of the reef ecosystem is lost. Certain fish species in particular are crucial for reef survival. Parrotfishes should be “legally protected from fisheries, strictly enforcing fishing restrictions and educating the public on the ecological importance and economic benefits of wild parrotfish”, according to a 2014 IUCN report. Parrotfishes are known as scrapers. Their beaks are powerful tools to scrape fast-growing turf algae from the corals. Doing so they scrape clean and even bite off pieces of coral and in this way provide clean substrate for coral planulae to settle.
Grazers like surgeonfishes are herbivores that keep the growth of turf algae in check by grazing the reef substrate. Grazers limit the growth of macro algae, that would otherwise outcompete the corals for space and light on the reef.
Macro-algae are also known to limit the potential for coral planulae to settle on to the reef. Not only are they prevented to grow by grazers, they are also eaten by browsers should they have survived the grazers.
So without browsers, grazers and scrapers the reef would fast be overtaken by algae as we see happening in many areas surrounding Mauritius and elsewhere in the world.
Luckily, the solution is known. It is two-fold and easy enough to implement.
First of all, like the IUCN suggests, there needs to come a ban on fishing parrotfish and other crucial herbivorous reef fish species. Those who oppose this should think about the fact that without a reef there won’t be any reef fishes anyway. So either act now or pay the terrible price in the near future.
Protection of reef fishes can be done by specific bans to fish certain species or by protecting entire regions by implementing no-take zones and thus protect the entire reef ecosystem of that area.
This solution will not have the desired effect in a timely manner if we do not add to it the second part of the plan: tackle pollution caused by nutrient-rich run-off from coastal development and agriculture. Obviously the logical thing to do is to stop using these polluting chemicals. In addition, Nature offers us a beautiful extra solution, if we only dare to open our eyes to see the beauty in its simplicity: the miracle plant called Vetiver.
This plant, a grass closely related to lemongrass, is so beneficial in many ways that it has been called the miracle plant. Its uses are known for more than 4 decades yet this knowledge has never spread beyond a receptive few.
For if people knew and really saw what Vetiver could mean, all coastal areas all around the world would have surely been planted full with vetiver by now. I can only imagine that the simplicity of the plan turns people sceptic.
Here it is: Vetiver has meters long roots that purify water by trapping and absorbing toxicities, while at the same time the plant stabilises the soil and is thus an excellent weapon against erosion. On top of that Vetiver increases soil fertility and can be used in wetland restoration, agricultural improvement, erosion and sediment control, agrochemical pollution and climate change mitigation. Vetiver has been successfully used to rehabilitate coral reefs in Vanuatu, the Philippines and Guam, will be used to help save the Great Barrier Reef and I am hoping we can add Mauritius to that list in the near future.
So, dear reader, I invite you to submerge yourself in the wonderful world of Vetiver and plant this wonder in your garden, plantation, farm, hotel gardens, surrounding golf courses…. and help the beautiful coral reefs to survive!
Find out more at: www.vetiver.org
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
Until 28 November, prizes worth a massive £10,000 – including experiences, products and tuition – feature in a line-up of items that can be won for £5 in an online prize draw to celebrate Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s 20th anniversary and help generate crucial funds for the future.
Top of the list of prizes is the chance to spend time with adventurer and wildlife expert Steve Backshall, a workout session with Nat Geo star Aldo Kane, a kayaking trip alongside white-water expert and diver Sal Montgomery and a Zoom call with ‘shark whisperer’ Cristina Zenato.
On top of that, some of the most admired companies in the diving and scuba industry have been quick to support the charity with fabulous prizes that make the £5 ticket price worth more than just a flutter.
Master Liveaboards, BSAC, Midlands Diving Chamber, Go Freediving and Blue Shark Snorkel have all generously donated experience prizes, while celebrated photographer Alex Mustard has donated a print and artists Scott Gleed and Olivier Leger have donated a sculpture and illustration to help boost the fundraising pot.
Fourth Element has donated Ocean Positive gear and LA watch company Nodus has gifted the charity a stunning dive watch. For land lovers, the charity has included a five star London hotel stay at Bankside Hotel plus a family visit to Longleat Safari Park in the roster of prizes.
Campaign director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with support from companies and individuals that we truly admire and who have supported us on our 20 year journey and we’re truly grateful to them all. While we feel incredibly proud of our achievements over the past two decades – and we are super excited about the next chapter – this prize draw isn’t a vanity project. It represents a real lifeline to our work and important advancements in the global protection of sharks. So we hope divers, dive clubs and even bargain hunters grab some tickets to make this a massive success.”
The charity hopes that the prize draw will generate crucial funds to launch a brand new, ground-breaking, campaign to enrol the public and increase support for the protection of sharks around the world.
To enter the competition visit www.bite-back.com/prizedraw. The prize winners will be announced on 1 December 2024.
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