As was wonderfully outlined by Mr. Ramon de Leon, Bonaire National Marine Park Manager, in a previous issue of The Bonaire Reporter (see “1,000 cuts,” Oct. 16-30 issue), there are many factors currently threatening the status of our coral reefs. One source of concern is the loss of our large predators such as groupers and sharks, likely due to overfishing. As large predators are removed from the ecosystem, the number of smaller predators increases or the number of algae-eating fishes may go up, leading to an imbalance in the ecosystem. The unraveling of the natural food web due to human acitivities can completely cange entire coral reef communities from seaweed to fish. In addition to this troubling fact, we are not only taking important ingredients out of our coral reef mixture; we are also possibly adding ingredients that weren’t in the mix before including chemicals from sewage seepage and sediments in runoff from construction sites. The seepage of chemicals such as nitrogen and phosphorous from leaking septic tanks, can be another means by which the number of a particular type of species might increase on the reef. For example, these chemicals can provide the “fuel” for increases in algal growth (like fertilizer in your garden) and possibly disease-bearing pathogens such as the fungus Aspergillosis sydowii. Although it is believed that Aspergillosis originated in soils of the Sahara Desert (blown across the Atlantic by the prevailing winds), the fungus now attacks sea fans and has caused mortality of sea fans throughout the Caribbean. Surprisingly, flamingo tongue snails prefer to live and feed on sea fans that have the disease and, in turn, may be carriers of the disease through simple digestion of food.

- Sites which have been surveyed as of Nov. 9th 2009-

These gregarious snails follow each across the soft coral “landscape” through chemical communication in mucous trails they leave behind, seeking out mates and suitable soft corals to live on. If particular species of soft corals are targeted by both the snails and by disease, like the sea fan example, their numbers may begin to decline. Any declines in coral cover on the reef, opens up space for new organisms to colonize. Thus, in time we may witness a shift in the types of organisms represented on the reef. In summary:1) natural predators may no longer be present in sufficient numbers to keep the number of flamingo tongues in check, 2) flamingo tongues prefer particular soft coral species leading to changes in composition of the reef, and 3) flamingo tongues are able to ingest, excrete, and spread the known disease-causing fungus Aspergillosis, which is one reason why we should be concerned about the snail’s apparent population boom currently occurring in Bonaire. To determine whether flamingo tongues are impacting our beloved marine ecosystems, the marine park in combination with CIEE is asking divers to contribute to a volunteer monitoring study. The protocol is simple, efficient and can easily be performed during the last ten minutes of your recreational dives. Between 30 and 10 feet, examine every soft coral you encounter as you zig-zag your way along the reef. At each soft coral, identify the type of coral and count the number of flamingo tongues you can find (remember, zero is a very important number to record) and the type. For those interested in participating, CIEE and STINAPA will provide a pre-printed datasheet for collecting this information.

- Click image to download data sheet -

On the sheet you will find pictures of four representative gorgonian structures and a table of ranges of snail numbers found. All you have to do is place a tick mark in the appropriate box each time a particular type of gorgonian with or without flamingo tongues is encountered. We request that all data collected be copied and submitted to the Marine Park or CIEE offices (Kaya Gob. Debrot. #26). Datasheets will be printed on waterproof paper that can be erased and reused. To receive more information about this project or to pick up your datasheet, please contact Ramon de Leon (marinepark@stinapa.org) or Dr. Rita Peachey (info@cieebonaire.org).