The Oceans Surrounding The Isle Of Pines, New Caledonia, French Territory
Today's Article will discuss the Oceans Surrounding The Isle of Pines, New Caledonia. New Caledonia, is in the South Pacific just north of Brisbane, Australia. It is south of the country of Vanuatu, with its capital being “Noumea”. The Isle of Pines is south of mainland New Caledonia, & it has an approximate population of 2,000. It is approximately 26.91 nautical miles (30.967475 miles or 49.83732 kilometers) from mainland New Caledonia, 793.87 nautical miles (913.56928 miles or 1470.24724 kilometers) from Australia, & 3,784.67 nautical miles (4355.3204536 miles or 7009.20884 kilometers) from the mainland country of Malaysia. Malaysia seems to be the closest mainland country to this island. The island is famed for its beautiful coral reefs as it is surrounded by the New Caledonian Barrier Reef, as well as its excellent hiking trails. It is also known for its beautiful forests of pine trees which contrast with the sea to make a beautiful landscape, which is the reason for its name. It is located in the commune of L'Île-des-Pins, which encompasses many islands, with The Isle of Pines being the largest. This Island has many interesting land, & marine flora, mainly due to its proximity to the New Caledonian Barrier Reef. Not only that, but the island has lush mangroves that directly connect lagoons & forests. This makes it so that the clash of terrain can accommodate a wide variety of creatures, that it ordinarily would not be able to host. Many of these creatures are endemic or rare, making the Isle of Pines especially unique. Additionally, Since The Isle of Pines is in the southern Pacific, it is in one of the most tropical places on Earth. This isle has approximately 56 Kilometers of Coastline, which is not all documented. Certain parts of the wilderness have not been explored on this island, leaving the possibility for unknown species. In this article, we will discuss the Salinity, Tides, Temperatures, & Marine Geography, of the island, the most prominent ecosystems of the island, The documented marine flora & Fauna, & Finally how the Marine Resources of the island have been used, & how ocean acidification has affected the island. With that being said, let us delve into The Isle Of Pines.
The Salinity, Tides, Temperatures, Marine Geography, & Basic Information Of The Isle Of Pines, New Caledonia
Unfortunately, the exact salinity of The Isle of Pines or New Caledonia has never been measured. Since The Isle of Pines rests in the Pacific Ocean, it has a lesser salinity than the Atlantic. Salt deposits or brine pools have not been proven to be found around the island in higher concentrations than other areas. However, this could change. Since the average salinity of the water in the southwestern Pacific is 35 parts per thousand at any given time, it can be assumed that the salinity level is somewhere around that. Salinity is measured in 1,000 grams. For every 1000 grams of water, there will be a certain number of grams that are pure salt. This is the way that salinity is currently measured. There are no external factors currently that seem to be affecting the salinity either. The tidal charts of this island can be found on surprisingly few amount of websites, & the most user-friendly are https://www.tideschart.com, https://www.seatemperatu.re, & https://surf-reports.com. The Sea Temperature charts are also accessible at https://www.seatemperatu.re. The average yearly temperature is 24.9° Celsius (76.82° Fahrenheit). The high tide seems to never go over approximately 1.8 meters (5.90551 feet). The island is safe to swim around, with Oro Bay being the most attractive spot to do so on the island. A wetsuit is not needed to comfortably swim around the island. The water is clear & pristine, & free from pollutants. Eco-tourism is a massive industry on the island because of this lagoon, along with its astounding natural beauty. There are very few forming currents, & riptide is not common. This makes the island very safe, but you should always check for warnings from the French Coast Guard just to be safe. Many water-based activities such as kayaking, snorkeling, swimming, & wildlife watching are very accessible on the island, though this is not a very good place for surfing due to how small the waves are. The deepest oceanic point currently known to man within 5 nautical miles (5.7539 miles or 9.26 kilometers) of the island is 656.2 feet deep. There are very few oceanic mounds, & the lagoon is rather shallow making that virtually impossible. The oceanic floor of the island usually will consist of Sand, Rock, or most often, Coral. The island is not itself a part of the Natural Park of the Coral Sea, however, it is close to it. The Natural Park of the Coral Sea is the 5th largest marine protected area in the world & it is located around the greater New Caledonian area. The island is in the center of this marine park, but it is not a part of it. There is much government research going on due to the presence of the marine park, & many different stations to monitor various aspects of the marine environment.
The Most Prominent Marine Ecosystems Of The Isle Of Pines, New Caledonia
Ecosystem No. 1: Mangrove Forests
As of 2024, there are Mangrove Forests found on all sides of the island. A mangrove forest is a place where the ocean, & the tree line meet, & saltwater mixes with the freshwater. This creates a mix of terrains, in which the salt water is interacting with the forest. Often, there will be some sort of stream, or river that will take saltwater further into the forest. In these forests, the trees will grow so that their roots elevate them out of the water, creating a cage-like underwater environment for species to thrive in. These mangrove forests are not restricted to any one area, but the most pristine mangrove areas are in the northern, & northeastern areas of the island. This ecosystem is considered one of, if not the most important ecosystem on the island. There currently is little to no data as to what creatures are found specifically in this ecosystem. Additionally, there is no data on the designated mangrove forests on the island. This is a very closed-off area, where animals usually live in instead of passing through it. Currently, 2 known species of mangrove trees grow in these forests. These mangrove trees are known as Rhizophora samoensis (Samoan Mangrove), & Avicennia Marina (Grey / White Mangrove). However, since there is such little data on the mangrove forests of the Isle of Pines, we may discover more species shortly.
Ecosystem No. 2: Rocky Lagoons & Caverns
There is a massive lagoon on the Isle of Pines, which caused this kind of ecosystem to be formed. This type of ecosystem is most commonly found in the deeper area of the lagoon, which has little to no coral. In these areas, there are often small to mid-sized rock formations for animals to hide in. These areas are usually just a passing zone, & most creatures don’t live in these areas. Occasionally seagrass may grow here, but that is semi-unusual. These areas are usually the farthest from the coastline as well.
Ecosystem No. 3: Fringing Coral Reefs
Due to the Climate of the Isle of Pines, the coast of the island is covered in coral. These coral reefs are known as Fringing Coral Reefs, not barrier reefs. These Fringing coral reefs are found most commonly in the lagoons of the Isle of Pines & within proximity to the coast. Coral reefs tend to be found 3-50 feet deep, though they can be found deeper. These coral reefs usually are used as breeding grounds, hunting grounds, & fish nurseries of sorts. This type of ecosystem is incredibly common around the island, & is found on all sides of the island. Unfortunately, there is no data on what species of coral are found on the Isle of Pines, but there is data on the species of coral found on New Caledonia as a whole. This ecosystem is extremely important to the biodiversity of the island because it provides the most biodiversity of any ecosystem on the island.
The Documented Marine Flora Of The Isle Of Pines, New Caledonia
Unfortunately, data on all of the island's seagrasses are not available yet in the public domain. Currently, there are approximately 12 documented seagrass species on the main New Caledonian Island of Grand Terre. It is unknown whether or not all 12 of these seagrasses are found around the island as of now. As stated in the subsection titled “Ecosystem No. 1 Mangrove Forests”, there are currently 2 species of native Mangrove Tree. These species are Rhizophora samoensis (Samoan Mangrove), & Avicennia Marina (Grey / White Mangrove). There is no current data on the number of species of algae, or the kind of algae found around the isle. Surprisingly, a kind of beach flower known as Melanthera Biflora (Sea Daisy), is known to commonly grow on the island. Generally, there is just little to no data on what kind of marine flora are found on the island.
The Documented Marine Fauna Of The Isle Of Pines, New Caledonia
The Isle of Pines is extremely biodiverse when it comes to marine creatures. The reason for this is due to their unique clash of terrain, their wonderful climate, & their large amount of plankton & nutrients. Additionally, the New Caledonian government outlawed single-use plastic bags, which helped to improve the quality of the oceanic water, to reduce pollution. Many animals will migrate throughout Oceania, & stop in the Isle of Pines & Surrounding New Caledonian, so the populations of certain creatures will vary throughout the year. Even though the marine creatures are flourishing, many conservation efforts are being made by both the New Caledonian government & locals. These efforts are largely centered on the coral reefs & the mangrove forests. Now, for this article, we will not include nudibranchs, sea slugs, sea snails, planktons, lichens, sea worms, or sea urchins, as there are just too many of them. With that being said, the list of all the most prominent species currently found around The Isle Of Pines is as follows: Hippocampus Spinosissimus (Hedgehog Seahorse), Osteohinchus Neotes (Miniature Cardinal-fish), Chrysiptera Leucopoma (Pacific Surge Demoiselle), Chromis Ternatensis (Ternate Chromis), Iracandus Signifer (Decoy Scorpionfish), Mahidolia Mystacina (Smiling Goby), Xiphophorus Hellerii (Green Swordfish), Charybdis Hellerii (Indo-Pacific Swimming Crab), Ablabys Taenianotus (Cockatoo Waspfish), Pentapodus Caninus (Canine-toothed Midwater Bream), Pomacentrus Imitator (Imitator Damsel), Stenella Longirostris (Spinner Dolphin), Tursiops Aduncus (Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin), Tursiops Truncatus (Common Bottlenose Dolphin), Arctocephalus Fosteri (New Zealand Fur Seal), Orcinus Orca (Orca / Killer Whale), Dugong Dugon (Dugong), & finally, Megaptera Novaeangliae (Humpback Whale).
How The Oceanic Resources Of The Isle Of Pines Have Been Utilized & How Ocean Acidification Has Affected The Island
The marine resources of the Isle of Pines, have most often been used for ecological tourism. Fishing isn’t very common in the Isle of Pines, or New Caledonia for that matter. Mostly, the marine landscapes are used for ecological tourism. Ecological tourism is touring for the specific purpose of seeing the environment of the island, such as touring for the specific purpose of snorkeling. That is one form of ecological tourism. Ocean acidification does affect the island, specifically the coral reefs of the island. Ocean acidification is caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have increased, largely because of human-caused burning of fossil fuels, & deforestation, for the past 150 years. When carbon dioxide contacts sea water, it forms carbonic acid. Carbonic acid gives off positive H+ ions, which causes increased oceanic H+ concentrations & decreased oceanic Ph. The decreased oceanic Ph causes the coral to bleach, which in turn causes a decrease in biodiversity, & a decrease in nutrients. If we do not monitor ocean acidification, it could have devastating consequences.
Directories / Credits
Citation No. 1: “Mangrove Plants”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by newcaledoniaplants.com. Retrieval Date: July 5th, 2023.
Citation No. 2: “Where We Work: New Caledonia”, Written By Unknown & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by the Dugong & Seagrass Hub. Retrieval Date: July 5th, 2023.
Citation No. 3: “New Caledonia”, Written by Many, Published at various times. Published by iNaturalist. Retrieval Date: July 5th, 2023.
Citation No. 4: “Act in New Caledonia”, Written by Unknown, Published on the 27th of March, 2019. Published by Race For Our Water. Retrieval Date: July 5th, 2023.
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