Caribbean Coral Report

ImaginaryNumber · Aug 5, 2014

From despair to repair: Dramatic decline of Caribbean corals can be reversed | International Union for Conservation of Nature

With only about one-sixth of the original coral cover left, most Caribbean coral reefs may disappear in the next 20 years, primarily due to the loss of grazers in the region, according to the latest report by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The report, Status and Trends of Caribbean Coral Reefs: 1970-2012, is the most detailed and comprehensive study of its kind published to date – the result of the work of 90 experts over the course of three years. It contains the analysis of more than 35,000 surveys conducted at 90 Caribbean locations since 1970, including studies of corals, seaweeds, grazing sea urchins and fish.

The results show that the Caribbean corals have declined by more than 50% since the 1970s. But according to the authors, restoring parrotfish populations and improving other management strategies, such as protection from overfishing and excessive coastal pollution, could help the reefs recover and make them more resilient to future climate change impacts...

Climate change has long been thought to be the main culprit in coral degradation. While it does pose a serious threat by making oceans more acidic and causing coral bleaching, the report shows that the loss of parrotfish and sea urchin – the area’s two main grazers – has, in fact, been the key driver of coral decline in the region. An unidentified disease led to a mass mortality of the sea urchin in 1983 and extreme fishing throughout the 20th century has brought the parrotfish population to the brink of extinction in some regions. The loss of these species breaks the delicate balance of coral ecosystems and allows algae, on which they feed, to smother the reefs...

The report also shows that some of the healthiest Caribbean coral reefs are those that harbour vigorous populations of grazing parrotfish. These include the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the northern Gulf of Mexico, Bermuda and Bonaire, all of which have restricted or banned fishing practices that harm parrotfish, such as fish traps and spearfishing. Other countries are following suit.

“Barbuda is about to ban all catches of parrotfish and grazing sea urchins, and set aside one-third of its coastal waters as marine reserves,” says Ayana Johnson of the Waitt Institute’s Blue Halo Initiative which is collaborating with Barbuda in the development of its new management plan. “This is the kind of aggressive management that needs to be replicated regionally if we are going to increase the resilience of Caribbean reefs.”

Reefs where parrotfish are not protected have suffered tragic declines, including Jamaica, the entire Florida Reef Tract from Miami to Key West, and the U.S. Virgin Islands...
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Caribbean Coral Reefs - Status Report 1970-2012 (28MB PDF)

Executive Summary Status and Trends of Caribbean Coral Reefs: 1970-2012 (5MB PDF)

AndySGray · Aug 10, 2014

There are many factors which can impact coral reef health and diversity,

Sadly the common denominator in almost all of them is Mankind.

Shark fishing has had a devastating effect on reef health - removal of this apex predator allows the Barracuda to flourish unchecked and this results in overpredation of Parrotfish and a subsequent general deterioration of the reef as above.

Even something as seemingly innocuous as sunblock has many active ingredients that can cause damage to the coral polyps themselves.

I have the honor and priviledge to dive on Caymans reefs on an almost daily basis, as such I see the effects of thoughtless actions as well as the ability of the ecosytem to rebuild and repair itself when given the chance.

The man who tries to cut the cords which bind him to the earth, to nature and to all living things, will, with each successfull cut become less and less.

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Caribbean Coral Report

ImaginaryNumber Imaginary Member

AndySGray Senior Member

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