British Indian Ocean Territory (the Chagos Archipelago): Setting, Connections and the Marine Protected Area

Sheppard, Charles; Bowen, Brian W.; Chen, Allen C.; Craig, Matthew T.; Eble, Jeff A.; FitzSimmons, Nancy N.; Gan, Chai-Hsia; Gaither, Michelle R.; Gollock, Matthew; Keshavmurthy, Shashank; Koldewey, Heather J.; Mortimer, Jeanne A.; Obura, David; Pfeiffer, Miriam; Rogers, Alex D.; Sheppard, Anne; Vogler, Catherine; Wörheide, Gert; Yang, Ming; Yesson, Chris

doi:10.1007/978-94-007-5965-7_17

Cited by 12 publications

(17 citation statements)

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“…We found that there is a significant congruence of patterns of genetic differentiation among species and that the Maldives (western/central Indian Ocean) represents a location of overlap or possible hybridization among distinct anemone populations or lineages (Sheppard et al, ). Previous studies have reported genetic discontinuity between the eastern and western Indian Ocean in different taxa including coral reef fishes (Bay, Choat, van Herwerden, & Robertson, ; Gaither et al, ; Huyghe & Kochzius, ; Leray et al, ) and invertebrates such as echinoderms (Otwoma & Kochzius, ; Vogler et al, ) and giant clams (Hui et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Comparative phylogeography of three host sea anemones in the Indo‐Pacific

Emms

Saenz‐Agudelo

Giles

et al. 2019

Journal of Biogeography

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Aim The mutualistic relationship between anemones and anemonefishes is one of the most iconic examples of symbiosis. However, while anemonefishes have been extensively studied in terms of genetic connectivity, such information is lacking entirely for host sea anemones. Here, we provide the first information on the broad‐scale population structure and phylogeographical patterns of three species of host sea anemone, Heteractis magnifica, Stichodactyla mertensii and Entacmaea quadricolor. We evaluate if there is concordance in genetic structure across several distinct biogeographical areas within the Indo‐Pacific region and to what extent the observed patterns may concur with those found for anemonefishes. Location Indo‐Pacific, including the Red Sea. Taxon Heteractis magnifica, S. mertensii and E. quadricolor Methods Microsatellite markers and a combination of statistical methods including Bayesian clustering, isolation by distance (IBD), analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) and principal components analysis (PCA) were used to determine population structure. The congruence among distance matrices (CADM) method was used to assess similarity in spatial genetic patterns among species. Results Significant population structure was identified in the three host anemone species. Each species is likely composed of at least two genetic clusters corresponding to two biogeographical regions, the Red Sea and the rest of the Indo‐Pacific. Two of the three anemone species seem to be experiencing admixture where the two main clusters overlap (the Maldives). IBD analyses in the Red Sea revealed differences in gene flow among species, suggesting more limited dispersal potential for E. quadricolor than for S. mertensii and H. magnifica. Clonality is documented in S. mertensii for the first time. Main conclusions This research documents the genetic population structure for three ecologically important host sea anemones across the Indo‐Pacific and provides valuable insights regarding their biogeography and evolution. Specifically, we found high levels of genetic divergence between populations across different biogeographical regions, suggesting different evolutionary lineages within species. At the same time, common geographical overlap of population structures suggests similar evolutionary histories among all three species. Interestingly, the observed patterns are congruent to some extent with structure reported for several anemonefish species, reflecting their close ecological association.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Comparative phylogeography of three host sea anemones in the Indo‐Pacific

Emms

Saenz‐Agudelo

Giles

et al. 2019

Journal of Biogeography

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“…They support a wealth of biodiversity (Prince and Croxall 1996;Procter and Fleming 1999;Cuthbert 2004;Angel and Cooper 2006;Sheppard et al 2013;Churchyard et al 2014;Friedlander et al 2014;Weber et al 2014;Havery et al 2015) much of which faces immediate threat, particularly from invasive alien species (Hilton and Cuthbert 2010;Dawson et al 2015). However, conservation action is constrained by the limited, poorly prioritised, and taxonomically biased biodiversity information (Clark and May 2002;Game et al 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The biodiversity of the United Kingdom’s Overseas Territories: a stock take of species occurrence and assessment of key knowledge gaps

et al. 2016

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Limited financial resources for conservation and growing environmental problems make it vital to base conservation on sound scientific evidence. Small islands hold a disproportionately large amount of the worlds threatened biodiversity but it is among the least well-documented. This paper reports on the most extensive collation and synthesis of biodiversity data to date for the 14 United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs). A process of literature review and consultation produced 65,259 species records, including 32,216 native species of which 1549 were endemic to a single UKOT. The extent of knowledge of species occurrence varied both between islands and taxonomic groups. It was higher for vertebrates and vascular plants than small bodied invertebrates and nonvascular and for non-Caribbean compared to Caribbean islands, a difference that largely reflects knowledge of invertebrates. Global Red List assessments exist for 2606 species and document 111 of endemic species, 75 % of those assessed, and 291, 12 % of non-endemics, as globally threatened. Using the data to estimate true species richness suggests a further 70,000 native species, including 1800 single island endemics, remain to be documented suggesting the UKOTs as a whole may support over 100,000 native species including 3300 single island endemics.

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“…In particular, the timescales over which these linkages may function -whether they operate over years, decades or millennia -is uncertain in most (but not all) cases. Early information suggests that for some species such as the endangered coconut crab, the Chagos is an effective reservoir for the WIO that is interconnected in ecologically meaningful time scales (Sheppard et al 2013). The value of the benefits provided by the Chagos here is ultimately determined by the value of the reefs potentially supported by it.…”

Section: Scientific Valuementioning

confidence: 99%

“…There is incomplete understanding of the ecosystem functions of the Chagos and their relationship with the goods and services they provide, as is the case for many ecosystems (Perrings & Pearce 1994). Here, the biological links between the islands and reefs with the rest of the SWIO are only now being recognised (Sheppard et al 2012(Sheppard et al , 2013 • Relevance of non-use values. A key characteristic of the Chagos that will shape the valuation is the likely importance of non-use values as a proportion of the whole.…”

Section: Valuing the Ecosystem Services Of The Chagosmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Not only does the Chagos provide the opportunity to understand a relatively undisturbed tropical ecosystem, but it offers a critical capability of acting as a scientific baseline or control site for similar systems around the world in the face of growing human impacts and threats. Pelagic fisheries (Koldewey et al 2010, Sheppard et al 2012, deepwater ecosystems (Sheppard et al 2012(Sheppard et al , 2013 and Indian Ocean and global climate change research (Sheppard et al 2012(Sheppard et al , 2013 have been cited as important scientific beneficiaries of a large functionally linked marine ecosystem. This is particularly true for a healthy and resilient integrated ecosystem, as is the case for the Chagos.…”

Section: Scientific Valuementioning

confidence: 99%

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Valuing the ecosystem services of the Chagos: a review of challenges and estimates

Gravestock¹,

Sheppard²

2015

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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This study provides a preliminary review of the economic value of the ecosystem goods and services of the Chagos Islands, central Indian Ocean, in the period immediately prior to the designation of the Chagos marine reserve in April 2010. The goods and services valued include inshore and offshore fisheries, shoreline protection, scientific value, the islands' possible role in supporting southwest Indian Ocean fisheries and in southwest Indian Ocean reef recovery and its value as a unique and unspoiled ecosystem. The goods and services identified were largely intangible, with few associated directly with a market. Both the nature of the subject, particularly the significance of its non-use values and the uniqueness of the site, as well as incomplete data, presented valuation challenges. In order to accommodate these characteristics, estimates of annual economic flow were provided in addition to economic values. The study estimated possible annual economic flows of several hundred million pounds, with an economic value in excess of £1 billion (£10 9 ), with the benefits accruing both regionally in the southwest Indian Ocean and globally.

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British Indian Ocean Territory (the Chagos Archipelago): Setting, Connections and the Marine Protected Area

Cited by 12 publications

References 77 publications

Comparative phylogeography of three host sea anemones in the Indo‐Pacific

Comparative phylogeography of three host sea anemones in the Indo‐Pacific

The biodiversity of the United Kingdom’s Overseas Territories: a stock take of species occurrence and assessment of key knowledge gaps

Valuing the ecosystem services of the Chagos: a review of challenges and estimates

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