Ethnobiological analysis and the cultural keystone species model in high diversity coral reef environments to support sustainability programs.

The Great Astrolabe Reef, bordering Fiji’s Kadavu and Ono Islands, is a high diversity coral reef environment. People from local villages fish the reef for food and to meet demands to obtain cash. Several NGOs have run programs in the area to support sustainable fishing practices. Some Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are in place and locally managed. In this article, I will utilize folkbiological taxonomic information gathered in the area during recent fieldwork to consider how the use and analysis of broad community taxonomic surveys can assist in selecting key kinds of animals from hundreds for consideration as Cultural Keystone Species (CKS), as defined by Ann Garibaldi and Nancy Turner (1994). I will discuss the applicability of the CKS model to high diversity marine environments and review possibilities for using the right CKS to create emotional engagement, bridge scientific and traditional knowledge systems, and complement MPAs in building sustainable practices.