Research and Monitoring within PHMR

Water Quality

Water quality is a key determinant of ecosystem health. Water quality within the PHMR is done on a monthly basis. Each month end, community researchers along with PHMR rangers and Marine Biologist; Juan Chub goes out in the field to collect water quality data. There are 14 water quality-monitoring sites established within PHMR. Parameters measured includes Nitrates, Phosphates, Dissolved oxygen, Turbidity, Total Dissolved Substance, pH, Temperature and Salinity. Core parameters such as date, time, collector's name, weather conditions, wind speed and direction, surface current speed and direction and sea state are also recorded. Permanent data loggers measuring salinity and temperature are presently installed in all fourteen sites.

Seagrass monitoring

Seagrass meadows are ecologically important habitats in marine environments. Seagrasses and their associated algae are very productive. As a result of seagrass productivity, the abundances of these creatures are very high, and attractive to larger marine organisms, especially fishes, in search of good feeding areas. In PHMR, seagrass meadows serve as important "nursery grounds" for the juvenile stages of commercially important conch, lobsters, and fishes, and as important feeding sites for adult fishes and birds (Bauer, 2004). Seagrass monitoring is done twice per year, in June and December. Three sites within the PHMR are being studied and compared. These include, west snake caye, Stuart caye and Frenchman lagoon. Seagrass biomass, as well as seagrass community percentage composition is being monitored using core samples and belt transect quadrats techniques. Data collected at present indicates Stuart caye having the highest biomass. A high biomass would indicate a high productivity at this site.

Mangrove monitoring

Mangroves perform a vital ecological role by providing habitat for a wide variety of species and the dominant vegetation type within PHMR is the mangrove, red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) being the most abundant. The importance of these communities to the ecological functioning of PHMR cannot be stressed enough, especially in terms of habitat for commercially valuable species (e.g. permit, snook, lobster, snappers, jewfish, etc). Many species, though not permanent mangrove inhabitants, make use of mangrove areas for juvenile habitat, foraging, breeding, and other activities. Additionally, mangrove roots are particularly suitable for juvenile fishes. In terms of productivity, mangrove litter contributes greatly to local fisheries in terms of nutrition. Permanent monitoring sites for mangroves have already been established at East snake caye. Visual examination of threats is done in the field. Community composition is done once a year, and leaf litter fall is being done twice a year during peak and low litter fall.

Reef benthic monitoring

Eight sites are being established within the PHMR for reef benthic monitoring. These include all four snake cayes, Wilson caye, Frenchman caye and two banks. 6 permanent transect points are being established at each site. Data collection is being done once a year between May and July. Methods of monitoring include characterization of coral community (coral health), coral recruitment, linear point intercept, Diadema antillarium counts and Presence/Absence coral Diversity.

Fish monitoring

A major goal of the PHMR management plan is to stabilize and increase fish populations to sustain the local fishing economy. Much research has been done on the fish populations within Port Honduras and the reserve itself. In 2003, eight reef monitoring sites were established to survey fish and the benthic populations; six were adjacent to cayes and two were on banks. Their locality was based upon the need to measure management effectiveness in the Conservation and Preservation areas, as well as, to assess the commercial fisheries. Fish surveys are being performed in the same area as the benthic transects. Fish surveys methodology include the belt transect counts for defined species list and recruitment and the rover diver technique. Fish surveys are also being performed during reef benthic surveys.

Lobster and Conch monitoring

Lobster and conch are being monitored during closed seasons. Lobsters are being monitored using rover diver techniques for species abundance, size structure, population structure and lobster timed effort. Conch are monitored using 4 transects at each site for species abundance, density and size structure.

In the field

The closed season for lobster season is from February 15 - June 15. Lobster surveys are usually conducted immediately after closed season and before open season, thus surveys were conducted at 11 sites within the reserve. A larger portion of the reserve was surveyed in comparison to 2003 and 2004. Seven of these sites were selected by knowledge of local fishermen within PHMR. The other 4 sites included the 4 Snake Cayes. West Snake, East Snake and South Snake caye are considered the conservation zones, while middle snake caye is the preservation zone. During the lobster surveys, South snake caye and Middle snake caye had the highest lobster counts during a 30-minute dive. Up to 32 lobsters were counted and measured at each of the sites. This is a good indication of management success within these sites.

Manatee, Dolphin and Sea turtle monitoring

There is no comprehensive monitoring project in place for the monitoring of manatees, dolphins and sea turtle; however sightings of these species are regularly recorded and marked using GPS by PHMR rangers and Biologist in the field. On the 23rd and 24th of February 2005, a 2-day Manatee field survey was conducted within the Port Honduras Marine Reserve. The main purpose of this survey was to gather baseline data on the status of the Manatee population within PHMR for future Manatee research. Sites of focus surveyed included Deep River, Rio Grande, Stuart Caye, Paynes Creek, Golden Stream and Frenchman's lagoon. On day 1, a total of 6 Manatees were observed at a point west of Stuart Caye and north of Rio Grande mouth. Sightings of these Manatees occurred in the evening around 4:00 pm. On day 2, a total of 3 manatees were sighted at a point between Deep River mouth and Scotland Point (a point south of Paynes Creek River mouth). Sightings of these 3 manatees occurred in the morning around 8:30 am.