Environmental guidelines for the construction of boat channels on coral reefs
[Ministry of External Relations and Trade]
1990
Firstly, the ecologists sampled numbers of marine animals including fishes, corals, algae, snails and crabs on the reef and tidal area of one island (Niutao, Tuvalu) before, during and up to one year after channels were built. These numbers were also compared with undisturbed areas on the same island. Secondly, they examined a small number of additional channels and undamaged areas of other islands in Tuvalu (channels up to 47 years old). Any long term changes in numbers of animals and algae were checked.