Anne Sheppard

University of Warwick · School of Life Sciences

Given the recent trend towards establishing very large marine protected areas (MPAs) and the high potential of these to contribute to global conservation targets, we review outcomes of the last decade of marine conservation research in the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), one of the largest MPAs in the world. The BIOT MPA consists of the atol...

The global decline of reef corals has been driven largely by several marine heatwaves. This has greatly reduced coral cover but has reduced coral diversity also. While there is a lack of data in most locations to detect coral species losses, reefs of the Chagos Archipelago, central Indian Ocean, have long term monitoring data extending back to the...

The atolls and coral banks of the Chagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean Territory) in the central Indian Ocean were badly affected by the warm water event that started in 2015 and lasted for nearly two years. On these reefs, coral mortality was very severe, reducing coral cover to <10% cover and usually about 5%, almost eliminating soft corals a...

The Aichi Biodiversity Targets were designed to promote and implement the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) by providing a framework for action to save biodiversity and enhance its benefits for people. Specifically, Target 11 aims to protect 10% of all seas by 2020. The percentage of the world's oceans that are protected has increased steadi...

Over the period of BIOT’s existence, there have been a dozen scientific visits to its atolls by more than 50 scientists, and double this number have become engaged in work on materi- als sent back. It is clear, during this period when coral reefs in most of the Indian Ocean have become seriously degraded, that the reefs of Chagos persist in an exce...

The British Indian Ocean Territory consists of the Chagos archipelago, almost all of which was designated a no-take MPA in 2010. It covers 650,000 km2, with >60,000 km2 shallow limestone platform and reefs. This has doubled the global cover of such MPAs. It has strong biological affinities with the western Indian Ocean, and larval travel time to re...

Big Ocean: A Network of the World’s Large-Scale Marine Managed Areas, was established in December 2010. Since its inception, the network has aimed to improve global marine management efforts by increasing our understanding of the world’s oceans through sharing information, expertise and resources. To facilitate these efforts, Big Ocean managers and...

A broad range of chemical contaminants and pollutants have been measured within the Chagos Archipelago. Contamination is amongst the lowest in the world. Whilst much data is in the open literature, the chapter also includes details of extensive pollution monitoring for the atoll Diego Garcia which hosts a military facility. Hydrocarbons present are...

The Chagos Archipelago was designated a no‐take marine protected area (MPA) in 2010; it covers 550 000 km ² , with more than 60 000 km ² shallow limestone platform and reefs. This has doubled the global cover of such MPAs. It contains 25–50% of the Indian Ocean reef area remaining in excellent condition, as well as the world's largest contiguous un...

1. The Chagos Archipelago was designated a no-take marine protected area (MPA) in 2010; it covers 550 000 km 2 , with more than 60 000 km 2 shallow limestone platform and reefs. This has doubled the global cover of such MPAs. 2. It contains 25–50% of the Indian Ocean reef area remaining in excellent condition, as well as the world's largest contigu...

In the 1960s and 1970s the biology and geology of the Grand Récif of Tuléar, (now Toliara) in southwestern Madagascar, was thoroughly studied and reported. Toliara is the largest city in the south of the country, and the Grand Récif offshore provides both artisanal fisheries and coastal protection to the growing regional capital. Substantial resear...

This thesis investigates final exam outcomes for a sample of dyslexic students and compares these with outcomes of paired, non-dyslexic students of matched non-verbal ability. A literature review explores definitions of dyslexia and difficulties arising from these, within the context of dyslexic students’ achievements within the study school. Contr...

The conservation status of 845 zooxanthellate reef-building coral species was assessed by using International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List Criteria. Of the 704 species that could be assigned conservation status, 32.8% are in categories with elevated risk of extinction. Declines in abundance are associated with bleaching and diseases dr...

Patterns of coral recovery are analysed across reefs of the Chagos Archipelago, which spans 400 x 250 km in the central Indian Ocean. This archipelago mostly lacks direct human impacts and is subject only to global changes such as a rise in sea surface temperature. Following very heavy coral mortality (mostly > 90%) caused by the 1998 warming event...

In the granitic Seychelles, many shores and beaches are fringed by coral reef flats which provide protection to shores from erosion by waves. The surfaces of these reef flats support a complex ecology. About 10 years ago their seaward zones were extensively covered by a rich coral growth, which reached approximately to mean low water level, but in...

Coral reefs and coral communities were surveyed at about 500 sites in the Red Sea, Gulf and Arabian Sea. The taxonomy of the Arabian scleractinian coral fauna is revised. A new species of Rhizopsammia is described. Measurements of coral distribution, diversity, abundance and community composition were made. Analysis of the Red Sea data showed 13 ba...

A detailed survey of molluscs in the Chagos Archipelago was made (1) to determine whether this isolated atoll group has a diverse fauna, and (2) to identify broad-scale distribution patterns of molluscs in relation to depth, exposure and substrate type: 384 confirmed species (including 282 gastropods and 99 bivalves) compares with reported diversit...

A survey of the holdfast fauna of Laminaria hyperborea was carried out at thirty-five sites around the UK, mostly along the North Sea and south coasts.Data from different age classes of holdfast from a polluted and unpolluted site indicate that volume of holdfast space is a most important measurement of sample size, a minimum size of sample being o...

Comparative data are presented of the biomass of Laminaria ochroleuca and L. hyperborea at several off-shore sites in Normandy and Brittany and of the growth of these species in a mixed stand between 5 and 18 metres below Mean Low Water at Port Levi near Cherbourg. All these sites are characterised by strong current surges and large tidal ranges. B...