Status and trends of coral reefs and associated coastal habitats in Fiji’s Great Sea Reef

The 2019 survey of Fiji's Great Sea Reef (GSR) reveals a system with generally healthy benthic habitats, including a high average hard coral cover of 34%, but severe declines in reef fish abundance and biomass. While shark populations showed an increase, key fisheries families experienced an 80% biomass decline since the early 2000s. Mangrove cover also declined by 3.88 km² between 1996 and 2016. The report emphasizes the urgent need for improved fisheries management and the expansion of protected areas, particularly in the more degraded southern regions near urban centers like Lautoka and Nadi.

• The Great Sea Reef (GSR) contains over 1,200 km² of reef systems, including the third largest barrier reef system in the world.
• Average hard coral cover across the GSR was 34% in 2019, which is considered high and stable compared to historical levels of 31% from the early 2000s.
• There has been a severe decline in key fisheries family biomass (Haemulidae, Lutjanidae, Scaridae, and Serranidae), which dropped by 80% from a historic 1,198 kg/ha to 283 ± 70 kg/ha.
• Key fisheries family abundance across the GSR declined by 33% since the early 2000s, falling from 1,901 ± 290 ind/ha to 1,272 ± 140 ind/ha.
• The median length of reef fish in key fisheries families decreased from 22.5 cm in historic data to 15.0 cm in 2019.
• Shark abundance in the family Carcharhinidae increased by 678% at sites with historical data, rising from 0.37 ± 0.19 ind/ha to 2.88 ± 1.12 ind/ha.
• Serranidae (grouper) abundance increased by 270% at sites with historical data, though populations remain very low overall.
• Bumphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) remain exceptionally rare, with only one juvenile observed during the 2019 survey.
• Mangrove cover across the GSR declined by 3.88 km² between 1996 and 2016, with the most significant loss occurring in Ba province (2.96 km²).
• Benthic degradation is most severe in the southern GSR, particularly near urban centers like Lautoka, where one site showed only 4% live coral cover and 51% sand and silt.
• The Ba Estuary has experienced a severe decline in marine ecosystems, including a 76% decrease in reef fish biomass from 2010 to 2019.
• Unique ecosystems featuring high abundances of black corals (Antipatharia) were identified in the lagoons of western Macuata province.

APA

D.A., A.-B., L., V., B., F., A., R., & F., A. (2022). Status and trends of coral reefs and associated coastal habitats in Fiji’s Great Sea Reef. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/539/64gx1xcd35_tWWF_2022_State_of_the_GSR.pdf

Chicago

D.A., Andradi-Brown, Veverka L., Free B., Ralifo A., and Areki F. Status and trends of coral reefs and associated coastal habitats in Fiji’s Great Sea Reef. WWF International, 2022. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/539/64gx1xcd35_tWWF_2022_State_of_the_GSR.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=D.A. |first1=Andradi-Brown |last2=L. |first2=Veverka |last3=B. |first3=Free |last4=A. |first4=Ralifo |last5=F. |first5=Areki |title=Status and trends of coral reefs and associated coastal habitats in Fiji’s Great Sea Reef |publisher=WWF International |date=2022 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/539/64gx1xcd35_tWWF_2022_State_of_the_GSR.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{da2022status, author = {D.A., Andradi-Brown and L., Veverka and B., Free and A., Ralifo and F., Areki}, title = {{Status and trends of coral reefs and associated coastal habitats in Fiji’s Great Sea Reef}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2022}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/539/64gx1xcd35_tWWF_2022_State_of_the_GSR.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }