Turks and Caicos Islands

Figure 4.5.2: Lacustrine karst habitat, West Caicos
(Source: SWA Ltd., Blue Dolphin Research and Consulting Inc., EDSA, 2010)
Rapid development for real estate and tourism has led to the degradation of wetlands, particularly on the
island of Providenciales. Clearance of mangroves and in-filling of salinas defragments or completely
destroys habitats and contributes to biodiversity loss. Despite the clearings of some wetland areas for
resort and urban development, the general level of threat is not considered to be very high. A greater
threat to the natural environment is posed by proposals for major developments on the uninhabited
islands, which are prime habitats for unique species such as rock iguana and the remaining breeding sites
for turtles.
Status of beaches
Beaches are dynamic ecosystems that provide habitat to marine reptiles, crustaceans and a wide variety of
shorebirds. At least two species of globally threatened sea turtles have been documented in TCI; these
depend on beaches and coastal vegetation to support their foraging and nesting behaviours. The island has
many sand dunes that function as important reservoirs of sand, habitat for coastal plants and a line of
defence for inland areas from the erosive effect of high-energy waves during storms. The vegetation that
grows on beaches acts as a natural windbreak to protect coastal infrastructure from wind damage. Beaches
are one of TCI’s main attractions and thus support a multi-million dollar tourism industry through
recreational use and through use by the fisheries sector.
With much of TCI’s tourism located along the coast beaches are at great risk of tourism impacts. Rapid
development in tourism infrastructure has resulted in growth in the construction sector and uncontrolled
sand mining that has damaged sand dunes such as those of Booby Rock Point in Grand Turk. The
introduction of the Australian pine tree, Casuarina equisetifolia, has also increased the vulnerability of
beaches to erosive action. The tree is an invasive alien species IAS that was initially introduced to help
stabilize sandy soils; however, it is outcompeting natural vegetation and actually destabilizing sand and
increasing the risk of beach erosion.
Within the past five years a number of groins and breakwaters have been constructed and beach
nourishment projects have been undertaken in order to protect coastlines at East Grace Bay, Pelican Point
and Emerald Bay. As TCI seeks to expand the tourism sector consideration must be given to establishing
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