Man O War Shoal Marine Park

Note: The data were entered in the language of the country of origin (English, French or Spanish) and there is no translation available yet.

Chapter 3. SITE DESCRIPTION

h - Information and knowledge

Information and knowledge available


Despite it being a relatively newly established MPA there is quite a bit of documentation available on the species composition, baseline inventories, and social and economic valuations;

Each of the information types described below are available to staff and have been identified via the DCNA Management Success Project or by Kenchington, R. A. (1990) (Managing Marine Environments, Taylor and Francis, New York.) as important background information for the running of any PA;

Nautical chart; Nature Foundation St Maarten Imray chart.

Tide tables; Web/press.

Community descriptions; very basic descriptions in the Management Plan.

Species lists; Keystone species as listed by nature Foundation St Maarten.

Status of commercially important species; Some shark data, anecdotal data on other species.

Status of endangered, threatened and endemic species; online CITES list and RED List data, endemic species information does not exist.

Aerial photographs; 2011 photos of run off shoreline, none of the MPA itself.

Land use plans; 1993 VROM zoning plan for St. Maarten

Topographical maps; 1977, VROM Arcview programme

Economic valuation; carried out by Nature Foundation St Maarten in 2010.

User Fee Survey; carried out by Nature Foundation St Maarten 2011 (willingness to pay).

GIS; Basic files for producing location (base) maps.

 

The following important sources of information for the MPA are not available;

Maps of currents                                

Bathymetric charts                             

Baseline habitat maps                        

Digital Satellite Images                      

Hydrological survey                            

Cultural valuation                              

Traditional usage                               

Current use and usage levels              

Socio-economic survey

List of the main publications


Title Author Year Editor / review
Nature Foundation Bleaching Response Plan Tadzio Bervoets 2010 N/A
Nature Foundation Lionfish Response Plan Tadzio Bervoets 2010 N/A
Report St. Maarten Marine Mammal Census Tadzio Bervoets 2011 N/A
Report Halophilia stipulacea Tadzio Bervoets 2011 N/A
RESULTS OF NATURE FOUNDATION AQUATIC RESEARCH PROJECT Tadzio Bervoets 2010 N/A
REPORT ON THE VALUATION OF ST. MAARTEN’S CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEMS Tadzio Bervoets 2010 N/A

Briefly indicate in the chart if any regular monitoring is performed and for what groups/species

Species / group monitored
(give the scientific name)		 Frequency of monitoring
(annual / biannual / etc...)		 Comments
(In particular, you can describe here the monitoring methods that are used)
Marine Mammals Annual Marine Mammal Monitoring Occurs from January to May
Lionfish Monthly Lionfish monitoring for effects on coral reefs occurs on a monthly basis
Coral Bleaching Six times anually or higher Coral Bleaching monitoring is conducted six times yearly or more frequent based on bleaching events
Coral Reef Monitoring Monthly Coral Reef Monitoring Occurs once a month
Seagrasses Bi-anually seagrasses are monitored twice a year


Previous