Researchers from The University of Queensland are helping conserve and protect what some believe to be the eighth wonder of the world.
Marovo Lagoon, the centrepiece of the Solomon Islands` Western Province, is facing a significant environmental threat to the health of its marine ecosystems due to inappropriate land use.
But a unique multi-disciplinary approach involving 16 academics from scientific, anthropological, geographical, legal and socio-economic fields is developing environmental management initiatives to conserve the biodiversity of the lagoon while allowing for the sustainable use of its resources.
Headed by Dr Norm Duke from UQ`s Centre for Marine Studies, the researchers are undertaking an integrated ecological assessment of the health of the lagoon`s ecosystem.
Dr Duke, who will conduct an ecological assessment of intertidal mangrove wetland condition, said that just 15 years ago Marovo Lagoon was relatively pristine.
“In recent years several exploitive industries have begun to impact the health of the marine ecosystems,” he said.
“The chief problems include extensive and apparently uncontrolled logging of lush tropical rainforests. Forests are also being cleared for oil palm plantations and there is widespread overfishing.”
The Marovo Lagoon is one of the world`s largest double barrier enclosed lagoons and is on the Pacific A list of areas of outstanding universal value for marine biodiversity.
The UQ researchers are working with the local communities, using educational aids such as posters, leaflets and maps. The Solomon Islands Government and UQ have also signed a Memorandum of Understanding.
“Developing countries, like the Solomon Islands, do not have the luxury of declaring large regions of the marine environment off limits to human use,” Dr Duke said.
“It is urgent that the local community be supported in providing best management practices to preserve the current biodiversity and, if necessary, rehabilitate regions that have already been degraded.”
Mangrove, seagrass and coral habitats provide the basis of most food chains in tropical regions and any deterioration in the condition of these habitats would lead to coral loss, increased weed algal mats, and less desirable fish to catch.
The research, funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in the US, involves interviews with people from the local communities, economic assessments, and scientific studies.
The team are using state-of-the-art Geographic Information Systems and remotely sensed images of the lagoon to identify areas of environmental concern.
Dr Duke said the project was a combination of scientific knowledge with socio-economic understanding of local communities to improve opportunities for sustainable outcomes.
“Our overall strategy is to build various streams of knowledge, both local and scientific, in parallel with our understanding and knowledge of community perceptions, expectations and capacity,” Dr Duke said.
“Because there are already many views in the community, the strategy might involve supporting and expanding those views that concur with scientific findings in order to achieve sustainable outcomes.
“While we are well-advanced in this process, there is still a long way to go before we can be certain of achieving levels of success where we provide a catalyst for positive change.”
Media: For more information, contact Dr Norm Duke (telephone 07 3365 2073, email n.duke@uq.edu.au) or Chris Saxby at UQ Communications (telephone 07 3365 2479, email c.saxby@uq.edu.au).
