Data
f om
Ulo g
Isla d,
Ko o
Republic
of
Palau
shows
that
seabi ds
a e
etu i g
(Rep ese tatio al
AP
photo)
The
etu
of
seabi ds
to
a
small
isla d
i
Palau
has
b ought
a
u expected
be efit.
Just
o e
yea
afte
i vasive
ats
we e
emoved
f om
Ulo g
Isla d,
esea che s
have
fou d
that
ea by
co al
eefs
a e
also
begi i g
to
ecove .The
study
is
the
fi st
expe ime tal
esea ch
to
show
that
whe
seabi ds
etu
afte
i vasive
ode ts
a e
emoved,
they
help
move
ut ie ts
f om
la d
i to
the
sea.
The
p ocess
is
al eady
suppo ti g
eef
ecosystems
a d
i c easi g
fish
populatio s
much
soo e
tha
expected.Acco di g
to
Isla d
Co se vatio ,
the
esea ch
was
ca ied
out
o
Ulo g
Isla d
i
the
Republic
of
Palau,
a
isla d
atio
i
Weste
Pacific
Ocea ,
as
pa t
of
the
Isla d-Ocea
Co ectio
Challe ge
(IOCC).
Scie tists
f om
Isla d
Co se vatio
a d
the
Sc ipps
I stitutio
of
Ocea og aphy
at
the
U ive sity
of
Califo ia
Sa
Diego
mo ito ed
the
isla d
befo e
a d
afte
the
at
emoval.They
t acked
cha ges
i
seabi ds,
ut ie ts,
eef
fish
a d
othe
ma i e
life
while
compa i g
the
esults
with
a
ea by
isla d,
Nge uktabel,
whe e
i vasive
ats
emai .The
fi di gs
suggest
that
esto i g
isla d
ecosystems
ca
also
imp ove
the
health
of
ea by
ocea s
a d
shows
how
closely
la d
a d
sea
a e
co ected.
Fi st
sig s
of
ecove y
Resea che s
say
seei g
measu able
cha ges
i
such
a
sho t
time
is
su p isi g.
“Seei g
measu able
ecological
cha ge
just
o e
yea
afte
esto atio
is
ext ao di a y.
It
demo st ates
the
powe
of
local
leade ship
a d
scie ce
wo ki g
togethe
to
heal
isla d
ecosystems
f om
idge
to
eef,”
said
Co al
Wolf,
Co se vatio
Impact
P og am
Ma age
at
Isla d
Co se vatio .
The
p ocess
is
suppo ti g
eef
ecosystems
a d
i c easi g
fish
populatio s.
O e
of
the
clea est
sig s
of
ecove y
was
the
etu
of
bi ds.
The
e da ge ed
Palau
G ou d
Dove
was
detected
mo e
ofte
afte
the
esto atio
wo k.
Seabi d
activity
also
i c eased
massively.
Calls
of
B idled
Te s
ose
by
286%,
while
B ow
Noddy
a d
White
Te
calls
i c eased
by
a ou d
50%
compa ed
with
the
ea by
co t ol
isla d,
whe e
ats
had
ot
bee
emoved.Scie tists
say
seabi ds
play
a
impo ta t
ole
because
they
feed
i
the
ocea
but
est
o
la d.
Thei
d oppi gs,
k ow
as
gua o,
ca y
ut ie ts
f om
the
sea
o to
isla ds.
Rai
the
washes
some
of
these
ut ie ts
i to
ea by
coastal
wate s,
helpi g
suppo t
ma i e
life.
Nut ie ts
a d
fish
populatio s
The
esea che s
also
fou d
cha ges
i
the
isla d’s
soil
a d
su ou di g
wate s.
Decli e
i
it oge
sig atu es
happe ed
mo e
slowly
o
Ulo g
tha
at
othe
sites.
Acco di g
to
the
esea che s,
this
matches
what
would
be
expected
if
seabi d
gua o
was
begi i g
to
add
ut ie ts
back
i to
the
soil
a d
ea by
ma i e
e vi o me t.Fish
populatio s
also
espo ded
ea lie
tha
expected.
The e
has
bee
sig ifica t
i c ease
i
fish
biomass
a ou d
Ulo g,
suggesti g
that
the
etu i g
ut ie ts
we e
al eady
suppo ti g
eef
p oductivity.O e
mo ito i g
site
showed
pa ticula ly
st o g
cha ges.
Resea che s
eco ded
i c eases
i
seve al
seabi d
species,
a
app oximately
80%
ise
i
leaf
it oge
a d
a
183%
i c ease
i
total
fish
biomass.
A
seabi d
flyi g
ove
the
coast
of
Palau
(G eg
Met o
photog aphy)
Although
these
cha ges
we e
see
at
o ly
o e
mo ito i g
site,
scie tists
say
the
speed
of
ecove y
was
much
faste
tha
they
had
p edicted.Natha iel
Ha a
Holloway,
a
ma i e
ecologist
at
the
Sc ipps
I stitutio
of
Ocea og aphy,
says
the
fi di gs
p ovide
di ect
evide ce
of
how
esto i g
isla ds
ca
be efit
ea by
eefs.”These
ea ly
sig als
f om
Ulo g
show
how
quickly
ecosystems
ca
ebou d
whe
st esso s
a e
emoved.
Fo
the
fi st
time
i
Palau,
we’ e
seei g
measu able
evide ce
of
seabi d-d ive
ut ie t
flow
etu i g
to
the
la d
a d
sea.
It’s
powe ful
p oof
that
te est ial
actio
spills
ove
i to
be efits
fo
su ou di g
eef
commu ities,
which
people
ely
o
fo
thei
livelihoods,”
Holloway
said.
Removi g
ats
I vasive
ats
a e
o e
of
the
biggest
th eats
to
isla d
ecosystems
a ou d
the
wo ld.
They
p ey
o
bi d
eggs
a d
chicks,
p eve ti g
ma y
seabi d
populatio s
f om
ecove i g.Whe
seabi d
umbe s
fall,
fewe
ut ie ts
a e
ca ied
f om
the
ocea
o to
isla ds.
This
weake s
ot
o ly
la d
ecosystems
but
ca
also
educe
the
ut ie ts
eachi g
ea by
coastal
wate s.Scie tists
say
this
co ectio
betwee
la d
esto atio
a d
ma i e
ecove y
had
p eviously
bee
suggested
by
obse vatio al
studies.
Howeve ,
the
Ulo g
p oject
is
the
fi st
expe ime tal
study
to
demo st ate
the
p ocess
usi g
befo e-a d-afte
mo ito i g
alo gside
a
compa iso
isla d.
