Funafuti Conservation Area


The Funafuti Conservation Area is a marine conservation area covering 33 square kilometers of reef, lagoon and motu on the western side of Funafuti atoll in Tuvalu. The marine environment of the conservation area includes reef, lagoon, channel and ocean; and are home to many species of fish, corals, algae and invertebrates. The islets are nesting sites for the green sea turtle and Fualopa hosts a breeding colony of black noddy.
The decision to create a protected area was made in 1999; the purpose of the Funafuti Conservation Area is the conservation of the marine and land based biodiversity within the protected area. The boundaries of the Funafuti Conservation Area encompass about 20 percent of the total coral reef area of Funafuti lagoon, and is an important part of the protection of the coral reefs of Tuvalu.

History

The project to create the Kogatapu began under the administration of the Funafuti Falekaupule and with the support of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, the conservation area was funded under SPREP's South Pacific Biodiversity Conservation Programme. After surveys of the marine environment, and consultation with the land owners and the Kaupule o Funafuti,, the Government of Tuvalu created the Kogatapu in the Kaupule o Funafuti Conservation Area Order made under Section 3 of the Conservation Area Act, which order took effect on 1 December 1999.

Land and marine environment

The Funafuti Conservation Area is sometimes called the 'Kogatapu Conservation Area' or 'Funafuti Marine Conservation Area'. Six islets are included in the Funafuti Conservation Area: Tepuka Vili Vili, ; Fualopa; Fuafatu; Vasafua; Fuagea and Tefala. Vasafua was severely damaged by Cyclone Pam. The coconut palms were washed away, leaving the islet as a sand bar.
The Tuvalu National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan of 2009 describes the marine environment as comprising six major ecosystem types: oceanic, outer reef, lagoonal, back reef, lagoon floor, and patch reefs, plus natural channels between the ocean and lagoon. It says these ecosystems produce sediment that is required for island building and maintenance and support communities of corals, other invertebrates, algae, plankton, fish and marine mammals and reptiles.
The terrestrial invertebrates that are found in Tuvalu are land and shore crabs, including paikea, tupa, kamakama, a range of hermit crabs, uga and the coconut crab, ū or uu.
The islets are also nesting sites for the green sea turtle. The IUCN Red List identifies only the green turtle as being found in Tuvalu. The green turtle is recognised as critically endangered. The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme lists two additional turtle species as being found in Tuvalu: hawksbill sea turtle and leatherback sea turtle, with both species being recognised as critically endangered.
The marine environment of the Kogatapu includes reef, lagoon, channel and ocean; and are home to many species of fish, corals, algae and invertebrates. Surveys prior to 1999 identified 76 species of indicator fish, 141 species of food fish and 149 mobile invertebrates such as crabs and sea cucumbers. A 2007 survey established that fish populations had increased as a result of the Funafuti Conservation Area. Large-sized individual fishes of the highly prized target food species, such as grouper and snapper were observed; the presence of so many large fish of desirable target food species indicates that there is very low fishing pressure in the Funafuti Conservation Area, although enforcement by conservation rangers of the no-fishing rules is necessary to preserve the fish stock.
Surveys were carried out in May 2010 of the reef habitats of Nanumea, Nukulaelae and Funafuti and a total of 317 fish species were recorded during this Tuvalu Marine Life study. The surveys identified 66 species that had not previously been recorded in Tuvalu, which brings the total number of identified species to 607.
The general Tuvaluan name for an eel is pusi or puhi, or in relation to eared eels, tuna, such as the black-edged conger eel,. The most common species are: peppered moray ; whitemouth moray ; giant moray ;, starry or snowflake moray., fimbriated moray, also known as dark-spotted moray or spot-face moray, is a moray eel that is also found on the reefs.
Low densities of reef sharks were recorded in the Tuvalu Marine Life study. Four species of reef shark have been identified: grey reef shark ; blacktip reef shark ; whitetip reef shark ; and lemon shark, which are all listed on the IUCN Red List of threatened species, as 'near threatened' species. Scalloped hammerhead sharks are also seen off the reefs.
The Tuvalu Marine Life study also recorded low densities of two species of rays : manta ray ; and spotted eagle ray, which are both listed on the IUCN Red List of threatened species, as 'near threatened' species.

Oceanic species

The range of tiger shark, oceanic whitetip shark and mako shark includes the ocean around Tuvalu. The mako is known as rokea in the Tuvaluan language.
Skipjack tuna, yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna and giant trevally are the larger pelagic fish that are found in the ocean around Tuvalu.
The pantropical spotted dolphin and other cetacea, including sperm whale and orca or killer whale, are also found in the ocean around Tuvalu.

Bird life of Tuvalu

Surveys have established a total of 35 bird species as confirmed in Tuvalu, including:
Pacific imperial pigeon live in the broadleaf forest. Migratory birds are found in Tuvalu, such as long-tailed cuckoo or areva. The birds found in Tuvalu include 17 breeding species, such as:
  • eight species of migratory shorebirds, including the globally threatened species, bristle-thighed curlew ; and
  • nine species of seabirds, including black noddy or taketake.
Fualopa hosts a breeding colony of black noddy.

Native broadleaf forest

The native broadleaf forest is limited to 4.1% of the vegetation types on the islands of Tuvalu. The islets of the Kogatapu have 40% of the remaining native broadleaf forest on Funafuti atoll. The other land cover types found on Funafuti include coastal littoral forest and scrub, mangroves and wetlands.
The Tuvalu forest gecko is endemic to Tuvalu, and has been located in the Kogatapu on Fuagea and on Tepuka.
While coconut palms are common in Tuvalu, they are usually cultivated rather than naturally seeding and growing. Tuvaluan traditional histories are that the first settlers of the islands planted coconut palms as they were not found on the islands. The native broadleaf forest of Funafuti includes the following species, that were described by Charles Hedley in 1896, which includes the Tuvaluan name :Fala or screw pine, Puka or pouka, Futu, Fetau, Ferra,, native figFau or fo fafini, or woman's fibre tree Lakoumonong, Lou, Meili,, fernLaukatafa, Asplenium nidus, bird's-nest fernMilo or miro, Ngashu or naupaka, Ngia or ingia,, bushNonou or nonu, Sageta,, vinePukavai, Talla talla gemoa,, fernTausunu or tausoun, Tonga or tongo,, found around swampsTulla tulla,, whose prostrate stems trailed for several feet over the groundValla valla,
Donald Gilbert Kennedy, the resident district officer in the administration of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony from 1932 to 1938, identified other trees found in the broadleaf forest:Pua, Kanava,

Access to the ''Kogatapu''

The protected lagoon, coral reefs and bommies of the Kogatapu provide for snorkeling and scuba diving. Access to the Funafuti Conservation Area is by boat; the Conservation Area is across the lagoon from the main island of Fongafale.