402
WORLD ATLAS OF CORAL REEFS
GENERAL DATA
Country areas: areas are from the World Resources Institute
1996-97 dataset.
Population: Population figures are estimates for tfie year
2000, taken from the US Census Bureau. These figures are
estimated from the latest available national statistics.
GDP; GDP figures are taken from United Nations statistics
and are based on 1996 data.
Marine area: Areas are draft estimates of the area of ocean
up to the 200 nautical mile limit or equivalent EEZ boundary.
They are provided to give an approximation of the marine
waters, and the potential area of influence, of particular
countries. In most cases these areas have been obtained by
adding the EEZ area to the territorial sea area Iboth figures
being obtained from WRI, 20001. It should be noted that, in a
few cases this leads to overestimation of the total marine
areas, as some countries claim a larger territorial sea than
the standard 12 nautical miles. These figures have no political
basis and do not imply any sovereignty. WRI does not provide
data for all nations. For the remainder, figures have been
obtained from a variety of sources, notably the South Pacific
Island Web Atlas developed at the University of the South
Pacific in Fiji lwww.usp.ac.fj/-gisunit/pacatlas/atlas.htm|.
Figures are rounded to the nearest 1 000 square kilometers
(or 100 square kilometers for countries with areas of less
than 5 000 square kilometers).
Per capita fish consumption: Data are largely taken from
FAOSTAT, the database operated by the United Nations Food
and Agriculture Organization lhttp://apps. fao.org/). Some,
particularly for the Pacific islands, are largely based on Gillett
119971 and are estimated averages for the 1990s. Others come
from the World Resources Institute IWRI, 20001. All are based
on all fish and seafood.
STATUS AND THREATS
Reefs at risk: Using the original threat coverage generated at
the World Resources Institute IBryant et al. 1998) new figures
were generated, using the improved global reef map presented in this volume. The single figures presented are the
percentage of each country's reefs which fall into either the
medium or high level of threat. These threats, as explained in
Chapter 2, were based on fishing, coastal pollution, marine
pollution and sedimentation. It is important to note that these
measures were produced at coarse resolutions, and are
broadly indicative rather than highly accurate. They are also a
measure of potential threat rather than actual reef state. In
a number of countries threatened reefs remain in good
condition. Threats can also be diminished or removed by
active management interventions, which were not included in
the model.
Coral diseases: Data are likely to be conservative. For each
country the total number of recorded types of coral disease
is listed. These figures are derived from a UNEP-WCIvIC
database Ivro/w.unep-wcmc.org/marine/coraldis/index.htm),
which has been developed from more than 150 published
or authoritative sources. These cover some 29 different
diseases, although there are likely to be problems over
identification, and the true identification of some of these
remains controversial. In many cases the total number of
recorded diseases is little more than a measure of research
effort, however general patterns can be drawn by looking
at figures from a number of countries across a region or
regions.
BIODIVERSITY
Please note that, where appropriate or available, biodiversity
figures taken from national sources are provided in the text
Isee note above). These statistics are meant to complement
the statistics found in the tables as described below. In these
tables, the stastistics are based on standardized procedures
and definitions, and hence are intended to be directly comparable between countries, although in some cases they are
unlikely to include the latest information from all sources.
Reef area: Reef areas have been calculated from the UNEPWCI>/|C maps. In order to avoid the problems associated with
scale and resolution, data were gridded to a 1 square kilometer grid prior to calculation [see Spalding and Grenfell,
1997). Although true error terms cannot be calculated caution
should be applied in the use of these statistics for detailed
analysis. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100
square kilometers, while for those countries with small areas
of coral reefs the terms <100. <50 and <10 km' have been
used in order to provide an approximate estimation.
Coral diversity: Two global sources were available for the
calculation of coral diversity, and their presentation together
gives some idea of the probable range of estimates available
for any country.
First figure: UNEP-WCIv|C maintains, on behalf of the CITES
Secretariat, a database of all scleractinian corals. This dataset IS based on around 1 000 published sources which
provide known records from particular countries. All zooxanthellate Scleractmia [as defined by Veron, 2000) within
this database were marked, and used in the generation of a
list of recorded species by country. Taxonomic unreliability
and problems of synonymy exist with this dataset, however
the simple species totals generated from such data are only
partially influenced by these errors and are still broadly
accurate. These figures remain unreliable for smaller
countries where there are few readily available published
species inventories, and they have been omitted where they
are clearly very inadequate. For larger countries, they may
be accurate measures of described species, but in many
cases such figures are as much a measure of research effort
as they are true measures of diversity.
Second figure: These represent expected numbers of
species by country and are based on the electronic [GISI
database used to generate the species distribution maps in
Veron (2000). This database recognizes biogeographic
regions rather than political boundaries. Note that, for
localities where the geographic area is small [like Hawai'i
and Singapore), species numbers are from original records
(Veron, pers. com.) rather than from the database, and that
for countries where a political boundary crosses a single
geographic region (like Mozambique and Tanzania), only a
combined total number of species is given. These figures are
largely based on interpolations from distribution ranges, and
as such they incorporate species which are predicted, but
may not occur, in some countries. These are thus maximum
figures, and may be exaggerated in a number of countries.
WORLD ATLAS OF CORAL REEFS
GENERAL DATA
Country areas: areas are from the World Resources Institute
1996-97 dataset.
Population: Population figures are estimates for tfie year
2000, taken from the US Census Bureau. These figures are
estimated from the latest available national statistics.
GDP; GDP figures are taken from United Nations statistics
and are based on 1996 data.
Marine area: Areas are draft estimates of the area of ocean
up to the 200 nautical mile limit or equivalent EEZ boundary.
They are provided to give an approximation of the marine
waters, and the potential area of influence, of particular
countries. In most cases these areas have been obtained by
adding the EEZ area to the territorial sea area Iboth figures
being obtained from WRI, 20001. It should be noted that, in a
few cases this leads to overestimation of the total marine
areas, as some countries claim a larger territorial sea than
the standard 12 nautical miles. These figures have no political
basis and do not imply any sovereignty. WRI does not provide
data for all nations. For the remainder, figures have been
obtained from a variety of sources, notably the South Pacific
Island Web Atlas developed at the University of the South
Pacific in Fiji lwww.usp.ac.fj/-gisunit/pacatlas/atlas.htm|.
Figures are rounded to the nearest 1 000 square kilometers
(or 100 square kilometers for countries with areas of less
than 5 000 square kilometers).
Per capita fish consumption: Data are largely taken from
FAOSTAT, the database operated by the United Nations Food
and Agriculture Organization lhttp://apps. fao.org/). Some,
particularly for the Pacific islands, are largely based on Gillett
119971 and are estimated averages for the 1990s. Others come
from the World Resources Institute IWRI, 20001. All are based
on all fish and seafood.
STATUS AND THREATS
Reefs at risk: Using the original threat coverage generated at
the World Resources Institute IBryant et al. 1998) new figures
were generated, using the improved global reef map presented in this volume. The single figures presented are the
percentage of each country's reefs which fall into either the
medium or high level of threat. These threats, as explained in
Chapter 2, were based on fishing, coastal pollution, marine
pollution and sedimentation. It is important to note that these
measures were produced at coarse resolutions, and are
broadly indicative rather than highly accurate. They are also a
measure of potential threat rather than actual reef state. In
a number of countries threatened reefs remain in good
condition. Threats can also be diminished or removed by
active management interventions, which were not included in
the model.
Coral diseases: Data are likely to be conservative. For each
country the total number of recorded types of coral disease
is listed. These figures are derived from a UNEP-WCIvIC
database Ivro/w.unep-wcmc.org/marine/coraldis/index.htm),
which has been developed from more than 150 published
or authoritative sources. These cover some 29 different
diseases, although there are likely to be problems over
identification, and the true identification of some of these
remains controversial. In many cases the total number of
recorded diseases is little more than a measure of research
effort, however general patterns can be drawn by looking
at figures from a number of countries across a region or
regions.
BIODIVERSITY
Please note that, where appropriate or available, biodiversity
figures taken from national sources are provided in the text
Isee note above). These statistics are meant to complement
the statistics found in the tables as described below. In these
tables, the stastistics are based on standardized procedures
and definitions, and hence are intended to be directly comparable between countries, although in some cases they are
unlikely to include the latest information from all sources.
Reef area: Reef areas have been calculated from the UNEPWCI>/|C maps. In order to avoid the problems associated with
scale and resolution, data were gridded to a 1 square kilometer grid prior to calculation [see Spalding and Grenfell,
1997). Although true error terms cannot be calculated caution
should be applied in the use of these statistics for detailed
analysis. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100
square kilometers, while for those countries with small areas
of coral reefs the terms <100. <50 and <10 km' have been
used in order to provide an approximate estimation.
Coral diversity: Two global sources were available for the
calculation of coral diversity, and their presentation together
gives some idea of the probable range of estimates available
for any country.
First figure: UNEP-WCIv|C maintains, on behalf of the CITES
Secretariat, a database of all scleractinian corals. This dataset IS based on around 1 000 published sources which
provide known records from particular countries. All zooxanthellate Scleractmia [as defined by Veron, 2000) within
this database were marked, and used in the generation of a
list of recorded species by country. Taxonomic unreliability
and problems of synonymy exist with this dataset, however
the simple species totals generated from such data are only
partially influenced by these errors and are still broadly
accurate. These figures remain unreliable for smaller
countries where there are few readily available published
species inventories, and they have been omitted where they
are clearly very inadequate. For larger countries, they may
be accurate measures of described species, but in many
cases such figures are as much a measure of research effort
as they are true measures of diversity.
Second figure: These represent expected numbers of
species by country and are based on the electronic [GISI
database used to generate the species distribution maps in
Veron (2000). This database recognizes biogeographic
regions rather than political boundaries. Note that, for
localities where the geographic area is small [like Hawai'i
and Singapore), species numbers are from original records
(Veron, pers. com.) rather than from the database, and that
for countries where a political boundary crosses a single
geographic region (like Mozambique and Tanzania), only a
combined total number of species is given. These figures are
largely based on interpolations from distribution ranges, and
as such they incorporate species which are predicted, but
may not occur, in some countries. These are thus maximum
figures, and may be exaggerated in a number of countries.