Bonaire National Marine Park
Bonaire National Marine Park
Date established: 1979
Area (Km2): 27
General description of site:
The reefs around Bonaire form a narrow fringing reef which starts practically at the shore line and extends to a maximum of 300m off shore. The whole area is protected as part of the Bonaire Marine Park and legislation exist to ensure wise use of the island's coral reefs, sea grass and mangroves.
The general structure and zonation pattern of the reefs of the leeward (western) shore is as follows:
- A shallow terrace extends 30 - 150m from the shore to the drop off which starts at a depth of approximately 10-15m. The terrace has a characteristic zonation (shallow to deep) of Acropora palmata, Acropora cervicornis and a mixed zone with Montastrea annularis the dominant stony coral and a variety of gorgonia represented.
- From the drop off the fore reef slopes with an inclination of 30' - 60' to a sediment covered platform at a depth of around 50m. From 10-25m the dominant coral species is usually Montastrea annularis, locally also Agaricia agaricites. At greater depth the dominant species are the plate forming Agaricians, Montastrea cavernosa and Stephanocoenia michilini.
Approximately 55 other species of coral can be found on the reefs along with the dominants mentioned above. These vary by habitat. The density and distribution of gorgonians, Antipatharians and sponges differ between areas.
Atypical reef structures on the leeward shore can be found at the following locations:
- Shallow water spur and groove can be found at Boca Bartol and Playa Benge in the Washington Park (northern most part of the island)
- To the north of the island the western facing shore is often covered in shallow water by large coral heads, several meters in diameter.
- To the north of the island the southern facing shore the reef slope shows buttress formation and is steeper than average with the deep water sediment platform occurring below 100m
- On Klein Bonaire the north-eastern coast has virtually no shallow water terrace and the drop off begins at 2-5m
- At some sites south of the airport there is an intermediate sediment platform at 25-30m and a secondary reef formation to the seaward (double reef)
On the windward (eastern) shore the terrace extends generally 100-200m off shore to a depth of 12m. It is covered primarily with crustose coralline algae and Sargassum, though locally also with seafans. The reef slope is generally far less steep than is found on the leeward shore with less coral cover and abundant brown algae.
Lac, an open bay on the windward shore, is the main lagoon area with mangroves and seagrasses. All other lagoon areas are land locked being closed off from the sea by a coral rubble barrier and have therefore formed hyper saline environments (salinas).
Whilst it is possible to access all sites from the shore on the leeward side of the island all year round, conditions on the windward side are unpredictable.
Ecosystems:
- Fringing reef
- Sea grass beds
- Beach area
- Mangrove
- Lagoon area
- Karstic system
- Bacterial mats
Threatened, endangered, endemic species:
- DUNCAN HAVE IT IN DIGITAL FORMAT.
Internationally recognition
- 2 RAMSAR sites, Lac and Klein Bonaire.
- UNEP-ICRAN Demonstration Site.
Legal status: National Park Status since 1999
Vision and goals:
MISSION
To protect and manage the natural, cultural and historical resources, allowing ecologically sustainable use for the benefit of future generations.
Goal(s)
- Sit Maintain and restore the ecosystems, biological diversity, and ecological processes
- Protect and restore the cultural and historical resources identified as of significance
- Create a list of the historical/cultural resources within the Marine Park with particular focus on Lac and Klein Bonaire
- Develop criteria and identify historical / cultural resources of significance
- Conduct threat analysis
- Determine the need for restoration of sites/resources
- Develop a conservation action plan
- Manage the Marine Park as a regionally and globally significant example of a successful multi-use marine protected area through:
- Education and outreach
- Identify target groups: islanders, tourists
- Islanders: fishermen, government and civil servants, STINAPA staff and board, children (elementary school, secondary school), media
- Tourists (divers, other mp users), yachties, international press,
- Assess the level of knowledge of each target group
- Determine what you want each target group to know
- Deciding how to reach each target group
- Evaluate level of knowledge before and after each targeted activity
- Develop an education and outreach plan 2006-200
- Research
- Identify research needs based on management questions, threat and issues facing the Marine Park
- Build relationship/co-operative agreement(s) with university or other research institute for site based research and to create training opportunities
- Identify possible partner institutions based on their research interests and history of working in the Antilles
- Field studies centre
- Set criteria for the evaluation of research proposals against which to measure permit requests
- Monitoring
- Law enforcement
- Maintenance
- Administration
- Allow use of the Marine Park by promoting non destructive activities and working with stakeholders to establish guidelines and regulations to minimize impacts on the environment.
Management
Visitation: 40.000 visitors per year
Management body: STINAPA Bonaire
Type of management structure: Foundation (NGO)
Main challenges:
- Overfishing.
- Nutrient enrichment
- Development/Conversion of land use
- Poaching
- Diving/Snorkeling
- Sedimentation
- Terrestrial run off
- Illegal mining
- Artificial beach creation
Does a management plan exist? Yes, exists
Main stakeholders:
- Tour operators
- Schools
- Building and zoning department
- Legal department
- Harbor office
- Agricultural department
- Dive operators
- Other NGOs
- Volunteers group
Contact Information:
Manager: Ramon de Leon
Address: STINAPA Bonaire, Barkadera s/n
Phone: 599 717 8444
Email: marinepark@stinapa.org
Website: www.bmp.org
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