Marine Atlas: Maximizing Benefits for Solomon Islands

species composition, nor does it identify whether there are rare or priority species in an area. Furthermore, areas with similar species richness may have very different species present, which would affect the conservation and management measures required. Globally, pelagic fish are generally more abundant in tropical waters and decrease as latitude increases. As the map shows, within Solomon Islands’ waters, there is a trend for lower species richness in the northern and eastern parts of Solomon Is- lands’ waters, with higher pelagic richness around its islands and offshore reefs and shallows, such as the Indispensable Reefs

in the south (see also chapter “Voyage to the bottom of the sea”). Large geograph- ic features that rise from the sea floor, such as seamounts and mid-ocean ridges, interact with currents (see also chapter “Go with the Flow”), allowing pelagic fish abundance and biomass to peak deep in the water column (Sutton et al., 2010). Furthermore, migrating species, including whales, frequently pause over seamounts and other shallow geographical features (Garrigue et al., 2015). Similarly, tropical waters tend to have a higher benthic species richness than wa- ters at higher latitudes. Again, in Solomon Islands’ waters, there is a trend for high- er benthic species richness around the country’s islands and shallow offshore reefs, such as the Indispensable Reefs

Pelagic or benthic? Some marine species move from one place to another, while others tend to stay in the same location. These species are described as ei- ther “pelagic” or “benthic” (see also chapter “Still waters run deep”). and Ontong Java. This reflects the high coral reef diversity and associated spe- cies, as well as the global trend of higher benthic species richness is shallowed waters compared to deep waters. Benthic species were found to be least diverse in the deep waters in the eastern part of Solomon Islands’ waters.

The Zebra shark is found throughout the tropical Pacific, but listed as an endangered species.

BENTHIC MARINE SPECIES RICHNESS (number of species)

70 - 150 150 - 200 200 - 250 250 - 300 300 - 335 335 - 375 375 - 550 550 - 937

5°S

Solomon Islands Provisional EEZ Boundary

50

100

200 km

Copyright © MACBIO Map produced by GRID-Arendal Sources : Becker et al, 2009; Claus et al, 2016; Kaschner et al, 2016; Smith and Sandwell, 1997.

10°S

15°S

160°E

155°E

165°E

170°E

MAXIMIZING BENEFITS FOR SOLOMON ISLANDS

OCEAN VALUES

31