posted on 2021-08-16, 12:37authored byRudy van der Elst, Simon Chater, Dennis King
Bassas da India is a remote, uninhabited coral atoll in the West Indian
Ocean. Its inaccessibility had historically precluded study of its ichthyofauna
until a small group of scientists from the Oceanographic Research Institute in South Africa undertook a two-week biodiversity survey in 1991. Since then, the discourse
on climate change has taken on a higher relevance, calling for protection and
study of biodiversity hotspots such as Bassas da India. The survey recorded 309
fish species, including a number of vulnerable teleosts and elasmobranchs. As
the only published information on the biodiversity of this remote small island,
it is intended that this dataset will contribute to increased relevance as an
ecological baseline for detecting impacts relating to climate change in the South
West Indian Ocean. Each species is listed in terms of its individual abundance,
IUCN status as well as its museum and photographic record. Comparisons are made
with survey results of other small coral islands in the region, notably Europa
Island, revealing several distinct differences in fish diversity. There is
evidence that giant groupers will replace sharks as apex predators when there
is no local exploitation. A total of 86 species were photographed to confirm
identity, and a further 84 species were provided to the South African Institute
for Aquatic Biodiversity museum in Grahamstown and also to several international
species experts.