Report of the BOBLME ecosystem valuation workshop, Phuket, Thailand, 2-3 December, 2014

The objective of the workshop was the first assessment of marine coastal ecosystems in the BOBLME environment. The workshop: endorsed the report assessing, demonstrating and capturing the economic value of marine & coastal ecosystem services; acknowledged further data was was needed for ecosystem valuation analysis; recommended information from this report be added to the BOBLME Strategic Action Programme; identified economic instruments that might be used in conservation and sustainable management, and proposed future work.

Assessing potential of production in Lake Choghakhor

Phytoplankton productivity is the common and important factor being considered in determining the overall status of a given body of water. This is because they are found at the base of an energy or food chain, being the basic source of primary food in a given aquatic system. Hence, information on their contribution is essential in indicating how much biomass energy will be available to all other living resources in the system. Though the primary productivity of shallow lakes is characterized by mixed populations of phytoplankton and submersed aquatic vegetation in the open water. Lake Choghakhor, is a shallow lake, located in Chaharmahal-Bakhtiyari Province. This lake is the most important ecosystem in the region especially for waterfowl populations, has a recreational value and supports tourism and fisheries. During last decade Choghakhor has been influenced by some man-made impacts such as water level fluctuation, agricultural discharge and fish (Cyprinids) introduction causing a serious problem in its trophic states. So water quality for physical, chemical and biological was monitored in five sampling stations, from April 2003 to March 2004. As biological parameters we studied phytoplankton, epiphytic algae, and zooplankton and macrobenthose community structure. Chlorophyll a content for phytoplankton and epiphytes was measured to estimate production of these groups (biomass over time). Also we determined biomasses of submersed macrophytes and macrobenthose and primary production of phytoplankton (dark and light bottles technique) to estimate fish production. The results of this study showed Lake Choghakhor did not undergo stable thermal and oxygen stratification, and the lake water was mixed throughout the study (the lake mixing regime is polymictic). Now submerged plants especially Myriophyllum spicatum has covered almost the entire lake and dense macrophyte beds (Polygonom amphibium), located on the east southern end of the lake appear to act as a sink for these nutrients. Lake Choghakhor appeared to be in a macrophyte dominated clear water state with low TP (annual mean: 24± 15μg.l-1) and chlorophyll a (annual mean: 3±1.28μg.l-1) concentrations and very high Secchi depth. The grazing pressure of dominant pelagic filtering zooplankton Daphnia longespina did not seem to be significant in determining the low phytoplankton crop expressed as chlorophyll a. We expect that sequestering of nutrients by submerged plants and associated epiphytes are the dominant stabilizing mechanisms suppressing the phytoplankton crop of Lake Choghakhor.

An ecosystem characterisation of the Bay of Bengal

This study summarises the high level drivers on ecological systems of the BOBLME. The ecological characterisation resulted in the identification of 29 subsystems. The report recommends the development of fully integrated approaches that considers human needs and the ecological system, involving stakeholders in a transparent way.

Ecosystem characterisation of Indian coast with special focus on the west coast

CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR-NIO), Goa, India in collaboration with CSIRO, Australia organised a 2 day national experts workshop to: pool information between fisheries and oceanography experts; verify a draft ecosystem characterisation for the east coast of India; and develop a draft ecosystem characterisation for the west coast of India.

Report of the SocMon capacity development workshop for the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem countries in South Asia, St Martin's Island, Bangladesh, 2-11 January, 2015

Socio-economic Monitoring (SocMon) is an approach and set of tools for conducting socio-economic monitoring of changes in coastal communities. Planned outputs of the workshop included: training of local staff i SocMon methodologies; draft a SocMon report for St. Martin's Island; a workplan for implementing the SocMon; a communication strategy; and key inputs to a regional SocMon strategy

Report of the SocMon capacity development workshop for the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem countries in South Asia, Vidathaltivu, Northern Province, Sri Lanka, 3-11 March, 2015

This Socioeconomic Monitoring (SocMon) training workshop was coordinated by the Small Fisher Federation of Lanka (SFFL). Planned outputs included: participants from Mannar trained in SocMon methodologies; draft SocMon reports fro Vidathaltivu; a workplan for Mannar; a communication strategy for Vidathaltivu/ Mannar; and key inputs to a regional SocMon strategy

Key considerations for a regional SocMon strategy for the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem countries in South Asia

Socio-economic Monitoring (SocMon) is an approach and set of tools for conducting socio-economic monitoring of changes in coastal communities. Key considerations included: importance of local partnerships; government and civil society partnerships; emphasis of adapting SocMon to local needs and priorities; capacity building; engaging with local stakeholders; inter and intra-regional collaboration; importance of language; and importance of language.

Report on Saint Martin's Island ecosystem boundary, Bangladesh: final report

This report seeks to strengthen national capacity on managing Marine Protected Area (MPAs) in Bangladesh. St Martin's Island was used as the pilot ecosystem boundary delineation.

Workshop on assessing governance in the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem, Bangkok, Thailand, October 28-30, 2014: workshop summary and messages for Bay of Bengal marine resource policy-makers and other stakeholders

This brochure suggests casting a wider net when dealing with governance assessment to include other players.

Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (Essential EAFM) training and TOT in Sri Lanka

This report presents presentations from representatives of 12 countries, key outcomes and recommendations for the future.

The diversity of macro invertebrates in the Victoria and Kyoga lake basin and their relationship to ecosystem functioning

Aquatic macro-invertebrates encompass all those organisms that be seen with unaided eyes. Most macro-invertebrates are categorised as semi-aquatic in that they are aquatic in early stages, but live as terrestrial organisms as adults, while others like gastropods, bivalves, Oligochaetae, Hirudinae and ostracods are exclusively aquatic. Some of them such as mayflies lay eggs in water and subsequent stages also live in water until adulthood when they emerge to live a terrestrial life. In others, eggs are laid near the water, while some like members of Tendipedidae (midges) lay their eggs on the leaves of aquatic macrophytes and after hatching their larvae creep into water

Habitat degradation of Rhinopithecus bieti in Yunnan, China

Black-and-white snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus bieti) are endemic to the Trans-Himalayas in Northwest Yunnan and Southeast Tibet between the upper Yangtze and Mekong Rivers. Based on field surveys and previous reports, we identified the dark-coniferous forest, the mixed coniferous and broadleaf forest, and oak patches as suitable habitats (SH) for the monkeys. Summer grazing lands (SGL), which were made by local people cutting and burning the dark-coniferous forest at the high altitude belt, replaced SH. To have a general view of the status of the SH in Yunnan, we estimated the areas of SH and SGL from satellite images in 1997, and compared with areas estimated from aerial photo-based maps (ca. 1958). The work resulted in: 1) the area of SH was 4,169 km(2) in 1997; 2) SGL was 1,923 km(2); 3) during the past 40 years, the area of SH decreased by 31% (1,887 km(2)), and SGL increased by 204% (1,291 km(2)); and 4) the mean size of forest patches decreased from 15.6 to 5.4 km(2). In addition, the area of SGL is positively correlated to local human population (R-2 greater than or equal to0.53), implying that the reduction and fragmentation of habitat for Rhinopithecus bieti is a result of population growth of humans, who mostly employ traditional modes of production. Only 11 monkey groups remained in the changing habitat. Considering that forests at lower elevation were also encroached upon by farmlands in a similar way, the forest ecosystem is highly threatened. The destruction will continue unless there is a change in the mode of production in the region.