Ecological Status of the Inner Banda Arc, Sunda Banda Seascape- Indonesia

This report presents and examines the ecological status of coral reef habitat and fish populations in the Inner Banda Arc island chain of Indonesia’s Sunda Banda Seascape. The Inner Banda Arc houses important coastal ecosystems that support local fishing communities, and diverse and productive coral reefs, and yet this region is relatively unknown both to ecological science and the general public. During November 2014, a rapid assessment was carried out by WWF and WCS to collect data on reef characteristics, seafloor conditions, fish assemblages, and local fisheries at 27 sites. Data from the expedition shows that this region has high biomass of key fisheries species, high percentage of hard and soft coral cover on the seafloor, and fishing practices by resident and foreign fishermen vary spatially. The efforts presented here are the first step toward assessing ecological status of the region and will be used when local governments consider different management and conservation strategies to preserve the area’s high productivity.