Humans are the only species that recognize geopolitical boundaries; to all others, the oceans of the world represent a single entity. Sea turtles, marine mammals, all manner of pelagic (open water) fishes, spiny lobsters, stony corals, invasive species, and a caravan of immigrants, emigrants, colonists and opportunists travel the “pelagic highway” from the Caribbean Current to the Loop Current.

AT LEFT: HRI doctoral students Morgan Kilgour
and Peter Etnoyer conduct research at sea during
the Saba Bank Expedition held in Oct 2007.
Photo: Dr. Juan Sanchez. VIEW SLIDE SHOW

This dispersal is augmented by transoceanic shipping, which retains and rapidly transports invertebrate larvae and entire communities on hulls and in ballast water. In order to understand the sources and upstream influences to the Gulf of Mexico, studies of the Caribbean Sea are essential. One such opportunity was recently afforded to HRI investigators.

HRI Biodiversity and Conservation Science Laboratory scientists ventured to Saba Bank in the Netherlands Antilles in October 2007 to assist the Dutch Ministry of Health and Environment (MINA) with biological inventories of the benthic (bottom dwelling) megafauna between 15-130 meters depth. Dr. Thomas Shirley and HRI doctoral fellows Peter Etnoyer and Morgan Kilgour used two boats equipped with scuba gear and a remotely operated vehicle to collect and identify 40 species of soft corals, and nearly 100 species of crabs and shrimp. Project partners included Saba Conservation Foundation, Conservation International, University of Miami, University de los Andes, and others.

The 10-day Caribbean Sea expedition was part of an ongoing series of investigations to map the seafloor and to document the marine biodiversity of Saba Bank, the largest submerged atoll in the Caribbean. The ultimate goal is to win protection from anchor damage caused by passing tankers en route to oil terminals on nearby St Eustatius.

The problem on Saba Bank is that oil tankers regularly drop anchor on the Bank, damaging benthic megafauna. Saba Bank supports small fisheries for snapper and lobster, and Saban fishermen are concerned.

The ultimate goal is to win protection from anchor damage
caused by passing tankers en route to oil terminals
on nearby St. Eustatius

Saba has maritime jurisdiction within 12 km, but the Bank is 60 km across. Dutch MINA is seeking a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) designation to regulate international shipping over the parts of the Saba Bank that lie outside the territorial waters of Saba but in the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Netherlands Antilles. Intensive documentation is required to put the PSSA application before the International Maritime Organization, including biological inventories of common and conspicuous benthic megafauna like fishes, algae, crabs, and corals.

HRI Doctoral Fellow Peter Etnoyer has been involved in the project since 2006 through project partner Conservation International. “It’s great to do research which will protect the environment; this type of anchor damage is probably occurring worldwide,” he said. Before this trip he joined scientists from Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History as they collected at least five new species of sargassum algae and one new species of fish.

In October, HRI researchers collected two new species of gorgonians (soft corals) and tripled the known diversity records for shallow soft corals. The crustacean collections and the species list are entirely novel; many species of crustaceans (crabs and shrimp) common to the Caribbean were collected, as well as cryptic species that are often overlooked. This was also the first expedition to sample below diver depth on Saba Bank. Deepwater traps were used to collect species in waters up to 400 meters deep.

In a way, the door is just beginning to open on this project. “The conservation of biodiversity and its wise use are always difficult to achieve. Saba Bank is no exception to this rule,” says project leader Paul Hoetjes of MINA. Three separate presentations related to the Saba Bank biodiversity assessment were submitted to the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS) this July in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

This is the International Year of the Reef 2008, and the ICRS venue will provide a great opportunity to raise awareness about the anchor damage issue, to present the results of the HRI biological inventory, and together with many partners, to help “save” Saba Bank.