Status of coral reef fish communities within the Mombasa Marine Protected Area, Kenya, more than a decade after establishment

Abstract

The abundance, trophic composition and diversity of fish were
\ninvestigated in the Mombasa Marine Protected Area (MPA) on the Kenya coast
\nover a period of four years (2004-2007) sixteen years after its establishment to
\ndetermine its effectiveness. Fish monitoring data collected using belt transects
\nrevealed significant differences in fish abundance, distribution and composition
\nbetween the MPA’s no-take area and a partially-protected area with controlled
\nexploitation. Although seasonal variation was apparent in the trophic composition,
\nannual differences over the four year study period were not significant. Results
\nindicated that differences in fish composition within the MPA were due to a greater
\nabundance of haemulids (nocturnal carnivores) and acanthurids (herbivores) in
\nthe no-take area than in the partially-protected area. Fish diversity also varied
\nbetween the no-take area and the partially-protected area with a higher ShannonWiener
\ndiversity index associated with the no-take area. Dominance was higher
\nin the partially-protected area than in the no-take area and was also higher during
\nthe southeast (SE) monsoon season. These results support the claim of greater
\neffectiveness of the fully protected no-take area, compared to the partially protected
\narea in sustaining the rich fish community found in previous studies.