Little Cayman reefs decimated by bleaching
(CNS): The coral cover on Little Cayman’s reefs has dropped to the lowest since monitoring began more than half a century ago, according to the recently published 2024 Healthy Reefs Report Card, compiled by the Central Caribbean Marine Institute. As a result of a global bleaching event in 2023, one of the worst ever recorded, coral cover fell from 27.3% in June 2023 to a new shocking low of just 10% in August 2024.
The importance of coral reefs to marine health, their role in protecting the islands’ coastline and as the foundation of local tourism are all well documented. However, with the global decline in these delicate ecosystems, the threat that they could largely disappear around the world within the next 25 years is looking increasingly likely.
Little Cayman was a beacon of hope in the region due to its comparatively healthy reefs. Even in the summer of 2023, almost 90% of existing reefs were in good or very good condition. By the summer of 2024, just 18% were in good condition, and none were in very good health.
The decimation of the reefs from the bleaching has caused the most severe decline in coral health and cover in 2023 since monitoring began by CCMI in 1999.
But despite this drastic decline in coral cover, the CCMI stated in the report that there was still some hope. Fish populations, especially herbivores like parrotfish, which help limit algae overgrowth and are critical to reef recovery, increased significantly, marking the largest one-year rise ever recorded.
Scientists believe that the increase in macroalgae resulting from the decay of coral could be supporting the increase in parrotfish, as they feed on it. It is hoped that the healthy fish populations in Little Cayman will contribute to the control of macroalgae and support reef recovery in the coming years.
And even after this devastating bleaching event, the scientists at CCMI said that Little Cayman’s reefs remain among the healthiest in the region. “They are vital for regional biodiversity, and their protection supports recovery and resilience across the Caribbean,” the authors of the report said.
See the report below:
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Category: Marine Environment, Science & Nature
Our reefs are bleaching, sargassum clogging the beaches and we’re way, way down the chain of its causes. But we’re seeing the effects.
On that scale what can the average person in the CI do? Recycle (yes), solar home (not average), EV, (not average but will grow). That’s about it really.
No Govt will ever put restrictions on commercial diving, which is the biggest mand-made impact on reefs. Consider if, other than scientific monitoring, a temporary restriction is placed on every major reef site, on an alternating basis, throughout all 3 islands showing signs of bleaching. It could make a difference. Yes, higher ocean temperatures is the overall cause but man has damaged every single facet of the environment, so who says longterm commercial diving can’t have an effect on reefs?
But that’ll never happen.
As for sargassum, Government need not go off and hire consultants and prepare Business Case and require EIA. Just do the only thing we can do, have it cleaned it up….with turtle nests in mind.
It’s an entrepreneurial opportunity, not necessarily a Government responsibility 🤷♂️
Odd that you don’t consider diet. Switching up from meat and dairy to plant-based foods at meal time is probably the easiest household adaption we can all implement today (or everyday) for the benefit of the global environment. Plant based eating reduces pollution, strain on fresh water and land use, reduces household GHGE, erodes demand for an unsustainable 50+ billion living and feeding livestock, improves health and longevity to ourselves and our families within weeks, significantly lowers grocery bills, manages the smell and quantity of household garbage waste. The grocery bill upside and reduction in cholesterol are both ample reason enough. It’s how we are supposed to eat – one of the secrets of the Blue Zones.
Declare all of Little Cayman a marine park! It needs every chance it can get to recover. Unholy amounts of fish are being taken by construction workers. It all needs to stop. Something needs to be protected for generations of Caymanians to see and understand what once was across all three islands.