Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity

The forest in Mauritius covers around 25 per cent of its land area [ ] 155 Assessing coastal and marine biodiversity Since coral reefs are constantly threatened by rising seawater tem- perature and ocean acidification, coral culture has an important role to play in rehabilitating degraded reefs, hence enhancing the ecosystem ser- vices they provide for tourism, fisher- ies and coastline protection. Land- based coral farming can be used to create sanctuaries for maintaining biodiversity and genetic resources and for propagating threatened spe- cies to prevent local extinction. A coral farming project, started in 2011, is focusing on the culture of cor- al species which are in high demand for the aquariummarket. It is also ad- dressing the propagation of threatened species to prevent local extinction, along with the mass culture of corals, creation of a coral sanctuary to pre- serve biodiversity and genetic resourc- es, and collaboration with the private sector to create land-based coral farms and coral gardens for hotel resorts. Another project is undertaking an assessment of marine living resourc- es using a DNA-based approach. In Mauritius, the degradation of coastal habitats and overexploitation of marine living resources threaten the persistence of certain species. In 2010, the Mauritius Oceanogra- phy Institute initiated a project to establish an inventory of marine species of commercial importance by combining traditional taxonomic identification tools and a DNA-based approach. To date, 189 commercial fish species have been inventoried, of which 42 are new records to Mauri- tius and three may be potentially new species. Additionally, nine species of holothurians have been identified. A seaweed farming project on an experimental farm in Rodrigues is showcasing three seaweed cultiva- tion methods with two species of seaweeds. The farm in Petite Butte is being monitored by the personnel of Rodrigues Office in collaboration with the South East Marine Protected Area and the Fisheries and Research Training Unit. There are also plans to study the diversity of other groups of organ- isms such as molluscs, crustaceans and soft corals. The morphological and genetic data generated from this study are continuously being upload- ed on the publicly accessible Mauri- tius Oceanography Institute’s online marine diversity and genetic data- bank. The information gathered from this project will be valuable for the sustainable use and conservation of marine living resources in the waters of Mauritius. Mauritius Mauritius T he Republic of Mauritius is located in the western Indian Ocean and consists of two main islands, Mauritius and Rodrigues, and a number of outer islands. No part of the country has ever been connected to a continental landmass and this isolation, together with the age of the islands, means that its native biodiversity is unique. is has allowed some of the richest and most extraordinary terrestrial biodiversity to evolve, giving rise to a high percentage of endemic species. Mauritius is engaged in several coastal and marine biodiversity projects and studies to protect its remarkable natural heritage. Agl fotos on Unsplash