MANTA RAYS

 

One of the most interesting creatures on Yap is the MANTA RAY. The manta ray is a cartilaginous fish that is known for sometimes being pretty freakin’ huge (up to 29 FEET). Mantas move through the water by flapping their water wings, or pectoral fins, and have their big mouths open all the time to filter feed. Manta rays swim through the upper layers of the ocean filtering plankton from the water. Manta rays are commonly visitors to coral reefs. They feed from this productive ecosystem, and also visit reef ‘cleaning stations’ where small fish, like wrasse and angelfish, pick parasites from the manta ray’s skin. Manta rays are gentle giants; they pose no real threat to humans. Because of their huge size, the only real predator of the manta is the shark. 

Arto(bread)carpus(fruit) altilis

Breadfruit, also known as Artocarpus altilis is part of the fig family. It can be seen on most Pacific Islands expect for New Zealand and Easter Island. There are over 100 different types of breadfruit! It is a melon shaped fruit that is usually baked or roasted over a fire. I’ve read that they can taste similar to chestnuts. The prime time for breadfruit is between April and August. It gets its name from artos- which means bread and karpos which means fruit, but it also resembles freshly baked bread, because the texture is starchy and has the aroma of newly baked bread. This fruit contains both edible meat and seeds.

The tree that breadfruit comes from is beneficial to the environment and also provides materials for construction, medicine, glue, animal feed, insect repellent and much more. The breadfruit tree also plays an important role in the agroforestry system. They provide shade and mulch. By growing breadfruit, it is able to  protect watersheds. Below is an image of breadfruit.

                       

Also, did you know that breadfruit is a wonderful source of dietary fiber and potassium and also contributes to your daily intake of vitamin C? Well now you do! Instead of grabbing some brown or white rice, you should get some breadfruit, because it contains fewer calories. So you are able to feel full and keep that beach body of yours.

First hearing about breadfruit I pictured fruit baked in bread. I then learned that it came from a tree, so I knew I was completely wrong about my assumption. Now that I’ve actually learned what breadfruit looks like and could possibly taste like, I get to actually try it when we take our trip in 8 weeks. Being able to go to a pacific island allows for new experiences and one of those includes trying brand new food. I absolutely love food and cannot wait to try all of the new and exciting foods of Micronesia. It amazes me that there can be so many different species and varieties of foods (and animals) that we know nothing about. We live in this world comprised of all of them and yet we are just scratching the surface.

 

Mudskippers in the Mangroves

What is a mudskipper you might ask? It is funny looking amphibious fish, that inhabit the mangroves of the Pacific Islands.

 

 

Mudskippers have fins and a tail like a fish but can breathe out of the water. They have gills which can hold a bubble of oxygen in, allowing them to “breathe” air and underwater; but they can only do this if their gills stay wet. They can also maneuver on land by using their fins and tail to hop or skip across the land, giving it it’s name. They are quite speedy in these movements, so quick that little research has been done on them because they are extremely hard to catch. 

Unlike most of the mangroves inhabitants, these little guys spend their entire lives in the mangroves. They are one of the only true natives of the of the mangrove, appropriately so. The mangrove is a half-marine, half-forest ecosystem which mirrors the mudskippers’ lifestyle. While they live on both land and in water, they hunt almost exclusively on land feasting on insects, small crustaceans, and worms.  

Mudskippers in Yap build Y-shaped  burrows in the marine inter tidal soil in the mangroves. But because water doesn’t get in these burrows, they can become oxygen deficient. The mudskippers then gulp oxygen and exhale them in the burrows to create a pocket of air. They create these burrows with their mouths, taking a mouthful of mud and spitting it out at the edge of its territory, creating a wall barrier for their home. 

Another interesting characteristic of the mudskipper is its eyes, sitting on top of the mudskipper’s head, not on each side like a fish. Each eye works independent of each other, similar to a chameleon allowing them to see above and below the water at the same time. The upper part of the eyes can only see black and white utilizing the rods, surveying for predators. While the bottom part of the eye is equipped with cones which allow them to see color.

 

I think the most fascinating thing about the mudskipper is when it comes to the mudskipper’s mating season. In order to impress the females, the males will do push-ups with their fins. The males will also leap into the air and if the female is impressed she will follow him back to his burrow. 

 

Betel Nut

      There has been a lot of talk about Betel Nut ever since I have heard about Yap. I remember coming to Queens my freshman year and hearing former students talk about how awesome Yap was. In all of their stories they would talk about Betel Nut and how all the locals chewed it and it would stain their teeth. They talked about how they would try it and it was like a mild head high. This along with their other stories really is what first attracted me to Yap.

The areca nut is the seed of the areca palm, which grows in much of the tropical Pacific, Asia, and parts of east Africa. It is commonly referred to as betel nut, as it is often chewed wrapped in betel leaves. The areca nut is not a true nut, but rather a drupe. It is commercially available in dried, cured and fresh forms. While fresh, the husk is green and the nut inside is soft enough to be cut with a typical knife. In the ripe fruit, the husk becomes yellow or orange and, as it dries, the fruit inside hardens to a wood-like consistency. From there it is cut up and wrapped up in the betel nuts palms. It produces a mild stimulant feeling very similar to drinking coffee.

The Yapese start chewing betel nut very early and as a result it stains their teeth red or orange. It is a social norm that is followed and it is a way for them to calm down and relax after a long day. They have been chewing this for thousands of years and it is really embedded in their culture. The reason why this betel nut is so interesting is because of the social impact that it has within their community. When I researched around I found that being too stingy or too giving is frowned upon. I also discovered that being offered betel nut by the islanders is a sign of acceptance and should not be taken lightly. It actually shows you are welcomed and esteemed within their community. I can imagine bonding with the Yapese people while chewing with them was a great experience for the former students. Id imagines the bond and stories shared while experiencing the betel nut is what made it so great. 

 

1 Fish, 2 Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

One thing that we have not specifically talked about in class are the fish in Yap. I know what you’re thinking…this might not exactly be the first thing that comes to most peoples minds when we talk about the environment in Yap. But once I got on WordPress and saw that coconuts, sea cucumbers, mangrove forests and coral reefs had already been blogged about, I figured I would at least try to be original! And although we may not have specifically talked about fish in Yap and Micronesia, we have indirectly talked about many of the things that influence the fish population (such as the mangrove roots, coral reefs, ocean floor layout, etc.) and how the people of Yap also rely heavily on fish as a staple food source; not to mention how the fishing industry is a major part of the economy in Yap and throughout all the rest of Micronesia also.

Deep-sea fishing beyond the limits of the coral reefs is quite popular in Yap and Micronesia, with a heavy population of deep-sea game fish including Mahi-Mahi, Yellowfin and Skipjack Tuna, Wahoo, Barracuda, Rainbow Runner, Marlin, and Sailfish. To top things off, many of Yap’s restaurants will prepare your catch for you any way you like!

The reefs in Yap are abundant with aquatic life, from exotic underwater plants to a huge selection of animal life, including some of the world’s largest manta rays as well as sharks, stingrays, dolphins, pilot whales, moray eels, a number of schooling species, and hundreds of other species frequently known to inhabit these areas. The coral reefs of Yap seem to be like the Amazon rainforest of the sea and I know that I am overly thrilled to be exploring them in less than eight more weeks!!

The mangroves are invaluable to Yap for many reasons, from firewood to protection against erosion, and more. Another large benefit of these mangroves is the habitat that they provide for marine life. These entwined roots and trunks of the mangrove trees and seagrass provide ideal habitats for smaller scale sea creatures such as crabs, shrimp, and small fish (i.e. cardinal fish, glass fish, etc.) which further out and in deeper sections of the mangroves, ultimately provide a great food source for larger predatory fish which often end up on our plates, including a large variety of snappers, some groupers and other fish.

In conclusion, Yap and the Micronesian islands have a very diverse fish population which serves a variety of important purposes for the everyday lives of the island inhabitants. And should we find ourselves with an opportunity, we should certainly look into investing some time to go out and do some fishing. I know that I am certainly interested in doing so and at the very least could probably gather a group of a handful of others who would be interested in joining. Plus, we could always bring back our catch for back for dinner- yummm!

Below are a few sites I used to gather some of the information for this blog:
http://www.diveyap.com/fishing.html
http://www.diveyap.com/walls.html
http://www.fsl.orst.edu/geowater/PEP/ipif/mackenzie/

Mangroves, Corals, and Water – Oh My!

Looking back at the readings and videos from the last couple of weeks, I feel like we have learned quite a bit about the delicate ecosystem that is on Micronesia, and more importantly, Yap. Little did I realize, that even the littlest of disturbances could mean the complete downfall of an entire country. While it is unlikely that cutting one tree down will cause the island to become submerged beneath the vast Pacific Ocean that surrounds the island, it is increasingly obvious that further environmental degradation could seal the fate of the small island nation. What is so surprising is that the entire environment on Yap is quite simple (at least in a rough sense). It consists of a massive mangrove forest, coral reefs, rain forests, and water; lots and lots of water. What is so cool is that these separate areas within the small island interact with each other in order to survive. What is less cool is that any disturbance within a single biome could spell disaster for the rest of them.

One of greatest threats to the environment on Yap is expansion in just about any sense. Whether the expansion comes from population growth or from simple expansion of roads, the environment is usually a victim in the process. Just the natural population growth can put a strain on the natural resources available for the islanders. On top of the strain on resources, it is expected that trees will be cut down for lumber to build new homes and buildings to accommodate the influx of inhabitants.  When it comes to building new roads, many tress must be cut down in order to make room for the new roads. What is more alarming though, is the destruction of the mangrove forests along the coasts for construction, lumber, and road building. While the immediate impact of many of these problems might only be seen in a localized sense, over time, the localized problems will be the cause of further problems in other areas of the island.

One of greatest concerns for Yap is the health of both the mangrove forests and coral reefs. These two ecosystems are crucial for the success and stability of the island. One of greatest problems is that if one disappears, so does the other. The coral reefs depend on the mangrove forests to protect them and visa-versa. Destruction of the mangrove forests will lead to destruction of the coral reefs due to the fact that the mangrove forests prevent a great amount of sediment from reaching the coral reefs. If too much sediment were to reach the ocean and the coral reefs, the coral reefs would die due to lack of sunlight. The mangrove forests also rely on the coral reefs to disrupt waves as they come near the island. On top of the complex relationship between the mangrove forests and coral reefs, the tropical rain forests and normal forests also effect the stability of both the mangrove forests and coral reefs. If too many trees are cut down from the forests, then the increased erosion will lead to higher sediment levels in the mangrove forests, causing them to die as well. Overall, the entire ecosystem on the island is very delicate and needs to be protected carefully.

Coral Reefs and Mangroves

The threats of global climate change and human population growth are being felt by the modernizing society in Yap, especially with their natural resources. Natural resources are already limited in Yap because of the isolation of these islands, so conservation of ecosystems as part of a larger scale is even more important. It is difficult for the Yapese to just import the resources they need if they run out because the cargo ships which bring the majority of goods take weeks at a time to come. Construction of new buildings to replace delapadated ones as well as to have new ones for tourism is one pressure for the mangrove resources found on Yap. Unfortunately, destroying large areas of the mangroves for timber cannot be done because the coral reefs which often attract tourists in the first place become overwhelmed with sediment and nutrients if they are not protected by the mangroves. One of the things which draws people to visit Yap is the diving. The coral reefs around Yap are less disturbed by tourists and exist in a healthier state because of the management of Yap’s island resources which ultimately impact the coral reefs.

Mangroves exist in the “in between” area of Yap. They exist in between oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor soils as well as in between the land and the sea. They do not only survive in this environment, they actually thrive in this environment which has limited competition. When compared to an inland forest the mangrove forest is much more delicate to manage because it is more difficult to get seedlings to take root without being carried away by the tides. Harvesting timber affects this important ecosystem and has a detrimental influence on the surrounding coral reefs. The pressures of modern development increase the amount of timber needed within the Yap Islands, especially on the coral atolls which have fewer resources than Yap Proper.

Storm surges are broken by the mangroves, and sediment which could smother the coral reefs is captured by the thick network of roots and trees. Therefore, a coral reef around Yap definitely depends on a healthy mangrove system around Yap. It is interesting to me that many of the pictures of the coastlines on Yap are covered in these mangroves because I am so used to seeing sandy beaches where I have traveled and vacationed before this upcoming trip. Additionally, mangroves are home to so many more fish species than I have ever seen on a sandy beach because there is so much more available shelter. On a larger scale, the area’s fishing industry depends on healthy mangroves because more than half of marine species in this area feed, reproduce, or spend their time as babies in the mangroves before moving out toward the coral reefs. The management of the inland development and mangroves helps to protect the coral reefs from an excess of soil or nutrients which could cause algal blooms in the water. In essence, the interactions between coral reefs, mangroves, and islanders all have to be carefully managed and balanced in order to prolong the availablilty of these resources.

Taste Test Tuesday: Sea Cucumbers

Jen Swanstrom

Yap- JBIP

March 13, 2013

Because Yap is such a small Island (hence Micronesia means “small islands”), there is not a lot of land that can be used for agricultural development. The island landform allows Yap to have a wide variety of aquatic life and fishery resources because of the surrounding waters. One popular type of fish that is harvested in Yap is the Sea Cucumber or the native name for it , “Beche de mer.” 

The sea cucumber is found on the sea floor and they have a cylindrical body shape with leathery skin. They are known to be in the same family as star fish and sea urchins and there are many different species. Sea cucumbers feed on tiny particles in the ocean like algae. Marine species like to eat the sea cucumber’s eggs and larva and humans also enjoy sea cucumber and are sometimes viewed as delicacies. 

Because the sea cucumber are so easy to access, many communities in Yap have seen money come in quickly by selling them. They are very popular especially in the Asian market and have been one of the most important sources of income for some communities in Yap. As long as the Asian market continues to grow, the sea cucumber and its products will be expected to grow as well. 

Shimmy Shimmy Coconut!

I never knew a coconut had so much value or uses…until I began taking the course for Yap. On Yap, the coconut is one of the island’s most abundant resources and it plays a key role in their food system and economy. The island of Yap uses a nature-integrated system for food production; meaning that is sustainable and efficient–and requires an ecosystem that is intact and not stressed beyond its limit of tolerance. The people of this small island have modified their communities and food production system to imitate nature. If nature is already providing them with an ample supply of food, then why not take advantage of that?

One of these things that is provided by the ecosystem is, the coconut. Yap uses community-led ecosystem management (managing the ecology already present to benefit from the services/goods provided), and one of those goods provided is the coconut. On Yap, the coconut has many different uses. The obvious being as a food source, but it also does much more than that. The outer shell and husk can be used as twine or a type of strong string. This can be used to tie wood together for constructing houses or rafts.The coconut also provides milk, and the brown shell of the coconut can be used as a bowl, cup, and even in the tourism industry for souvenir purposes. I mean, who wouldn’t want to buy a coconut bikini from an exotic island??

Also, the main way the coconut has been beneficial to Yap today, and throughout history, is with the production of copra. Copra is the dried meat of the coconut. The inside white “meat” of the coconut is scraped out, and then dried, forming what has been known as copra. In the past, the copra industry was key to the survival of Yap and played a huge economic rule. Copra is not as widely traded today, but it is still used and a dominant food source. Also, according to O’Keefe, the stone money was acquired by the trading of copra, and copra could not be attained without the coconut. So moreover, the stone money on Yap today is because of the presence of the coconut on the island. The coconut has numerous uses and is vital to the ecosystem of the island. For food, shelter or construction, or even the tourism business, the coconut is vital to the island of Yap.