Man of War Shoal National Marine Park

Man of War Shoal National Marine Park
Coordinates: 18 ° 0 ′ 28 "  N , 63 ° 3 ′ 37"  W.
Location:	Sint Maarten
Next city:	Philipsburg
Surface:	approx. 3100 ha
Founding:	2010
National park map

The Man of War Shoal National Marine Park is a marine nature reserve off the south coast of the Dutch part of the Caribbean island of St. Martin . The park, founded in 2010, is the first and so far the only specially protected area of Sint Maartens . Since December 2014, the area has also been covered by the United Nations' SPAW ( Special Protected Areas and Wildlife ) protocol .

geography

The national park protects an area of ​​around 3,100 hectares off the coast of Sint Maarten. Here there are several small-scale spot reefs in the area of a shoal ( English shoal ), including the largely intact Proselyte Reef , named after the British frigate HMS Proselyte that had fallen on September 4, 1801 here. The wreckage of the ship and its former cargo were not lifted and are now a popular destination for diving trips. The park area is on the edge of the Anguilla Bank, an undersea plateau with water depths of up to 36 meters. At the shallowest point of the Proselyte Reef, the so-called Spanish Rock , the depth is only three meters. In general, the water depth in the area varies greatly, suddenly sloping canyons with height differences of up to 20 meters occur. In some places there are small, diveable caves. The areas, which are partly overgrown with very large corals, alternate with seagrass fields and sandy soils. The water temperature is typically warm for the Caribbean and fluctuates between 25 and 29 ° C depending on the season. Furthermore, the water is very clear, the visibility below the surface can be more than 30 meters in places and is rarely less than 15 meters.

Flora and fauna

So far, 54 species have been observed in the waters of the Man of War Shoal National Marine Park, which have received an entry in the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species . There are also ten other species that are listed in Appendix I and 89 species that are listed in Appendix II of the Washington Convention . The structures of the coral reefs and other ecosystems in the park are believed to be largely intact. The area can be roughly divided into four different habitats, each of which is inhabited by different species.

Coral reefs

A school of blue surgeonfish

Millepora alcicornis , the most abundant species of coral in the national park

In the area of ​​the coral reefs of the park, a study in 2000 and 2001 found 24 different types of coral as well as 153 fish species that use the structures formed by the corals as habitat. The most common corals are to the fire coral species belonging Millepora alcicornis and Millepora squarrosa , as well as to the hard coral scoring orbicella annularis . Furthermore, various types of soft corals , sponges and gorgonians can be found in large numbers. The five most frequently detectable fish species are the blue surgeonfish , the blue-headed junker , the damselfish species Abudefduf saxatilis , the red mullet Pseudupeneus maculatus and the ocean surgeonfish . A special tourist attraction are reef sharks , which can be found regularly at the diving spots of the Man of War Shoal. Occasionally, manta rays , sting rays and spotted eagle rays can also be seen here . The invertebrates are particularly numerous, for example, represented by the Caribbean lobster , the flame helmet snail or the net pillow star .

Seagrass fields

The seagrass fields of the national park are mainly formed by the species Thalassia testudinum and Syringodium filiforme . Furthermore, seaweed-forming green algae of the genus Halimeda occur here . Among other things, they form the habitat for a greatly reduced population of large fenced snails , whose population is endangered by hunting for the purpose of consumption or as souvenirs for tourists. There are also numerous sea ​​cucumbers , starfish , sea ​​urchins and jellyfish . An investigation in 2011 found occurrences of the seaweed Halophila stipulacea , which originally came from the Indian Ocean and has been spreading as an invasive species in the waters of the Caribbean for some time .

Sandy soils

The sand-covered soil habitats of the Man of War Shoal are still largely unexplored. It is known to be home to starfish, shrimp and nudibranchs . Furthermore, some sea grasses and algae can be detected.

Open water

The open waters of the national park are particularly rich in microscopic phytoplankton , which form the basis of the food chains in the area. Various migratory fish species can be spotted regularly in the water above the Man of War Shoal. Some examples are tuna , golden mackerel , wahoo , blue marlin, and swordfish . The park area is also regularly visited by whales and dolphins . Occasionally, representatives of all four can in the Caribbean occurring sea turtles TYPES observed: Green Sea Turtle , Leatherback Turtle and True and loggerhead turtle . In addition to the marine life, there are a number of birds that live almost exclusively above the open water and use the island of St. Martin as a resting and breeding area. Above all, the Aztec gulls , terns and cormorants should be mentioned here.

administration

The Man of War Shoal National Marine Park has been managed since the area was protected in December 2010 by the Nature Foundation Sint Maarten , which is mainly recruited from volunteers and led by marine ecologist Tadzio Bervoets. The activities of the foundation are monitored by a control committee consisting of seven elected residents of the island. Furthermore, the national park offers jobs for around 40 residents of Sint Maarten who are employed here as park rangers.

Web links

• Man of War Shoal National Marine Park on the site of the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (English)

Individual evidence

1. ^ ^{A b} The Man of War Shoal Marine Protected Area. In: glispa.org. Global Island Partnership, accessed April 12, 2019 . 
2. ↑ St. Maarten's Man of War Shoal Marine Park lists as protected area of ​​particulaer importance to the wider carribean region. In: soualiganewsday.com. Souliga Newsday, December 13, 2014, accessed on April 12, 2019 . 
3. ↑ St. Maarten's “Man of War Shoal Marine Park Established. In: icriforum.org. International Coral Reef Initiative, accessed April 11, 2019 . 
4. ↑ III. Site description - General and physical features. In: spaw-palisting.org. Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife Regional Activity Center, accessed April 12, 2019 . 
5. ↑ IV. Ecological criteria. In: spaw-palisting.org. Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife Regional Activity Center, accessed April 12, 2019 . 
6. ↑ ^{a b c d} III. Site description - Biological features. In: spaw-palisting.org. Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife Regional Activity Center, accessed April 16, 2019 . 
7. ^ Nature Foundation Staff. In: naturefoundationsxm.org. Nature Foundation Sint Maarten, accessed April 16, 2019 . 
8. ↑ VI. Management - Legal framework, management body. In: spaw-palisting.org. Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife Regional Activity Center, accessed April 16, 2019 .