Optimism Rises as Reef Conservation Efforts in the Caribbean Show Promise

Numerous coral restoration programs and reef conservation efforts in the Caribbean are proving to be successful, with coral nurseries showing signs of growth. There may be no full restoration of the reef system’s full glory yet, but supporters and advocates are looking forward to a future where live coral species are once again making shallow Caribbean waters a spectacular place to visit. The Caribbean Sea has 20,720 square kilometers of coral reefs and now, most of them are dead or dying. Scientists have given the verdict: the Caribbean reef system is in a “poor state.”

Coral decline in the Caribbean

There is hope yet for the reefs that once thrived in rich and diverse Jamaican waters. For many years, this once healthy underwater ecosystem has declined due to coral bleaching and disappearance of various species of fish that call the shallows reefs their home. Compared to the 50% coverage in the 1970s, when the decline was first noted by scientists, the live coral in the Caribbean now comprise only 8% (based on reports by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.)

Alarming levels of reef mortality

The drastic changes in the condition of the reef systems in the Caribbean in the 25 years is hypothesized to be related to the increase in the transport of Saharan desert dust from the African continent. Major Atlantic reef mortality was first noticed in the 1970s, and repeated episodes of mass casualties of various reef species occurred repeatedly throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Other, more popular contributing factors to the obvious decline of reef systems not just in the Caribbean but in the rest of the world as well are: 1) warming waters of the ocean attributed to climate change, 2) increased acidification of the oceans due to a number of contributing factors, but mainly due to greenhouse gases 3) overfishing, 4) water pollution, 5) and coastal development.

Reef seeding programs underway

Seeing reefs are done in nurseries within protected areas and fish sanctuaries in the Caribbean in the effort to revitalize the reef system. Weights are placed on the sea floor and fragments of coral are placed on strings. When the coral grows, they can then be transplanted. Others employ concrete frames that are also transported onto the seabed. The current restoration efforts are focused on a two endangered coral species—the elkhorn and staghorn. These tiny animals are fighting for a chance to survive, despite the odds being against them. Though very resilient creatures, the combination human activities and drastic global changes in climate patterns have caused the world’s oceans to change in such a way that is making it very difficult for them to adapt.

Local fisherman and joining the conservation efforts because there is not much fishing to do, since the coral reefs that draw in hundreds of marine species are gone and in their place are resorts full of year-long tourists. The warning signs are all too clear. If there are no efforts to conserve what remains, then there will be no reef ecosystem in the future. Locals are concerned that their children’s children would only see coral reefs from books, and that is why they choose to be optimistic despite the criticism that current conservations efforts are not quite enough.