#Status of Coral Reefs 2002 - International Coral Reef Action Network

Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2002
for expanding their economies, therefore tourism has gained increased importance. More
than 100 million tourists visit the entire Caribbean region each year, and generate
approximately US$140 billion per annum. Fisheries associated with coral reefs also
generate significant wealth as they are a major source of food and provide employment to
large numbers of individuals.
GEOGRAPHICAL REEF COVERAGE AND EXTENT
The estimated reef extent ranges from the more southern reefs of Jamaica (17°N) in the
Caribbean Sea to the most northern reefs of Bermuda (32°N) in the Atlantic Ocean. The
reef area ranges from 188km 2 for Bermuda to 2,156km 2 for the Bahamas with its extensive
offshore banks.
Bahamas
These comprise 2,750 low, carbonate islands, cays and rocks. This system sits on two large
shallow bank systems and covers 11,400km 2 , from about 80km off Florida and extending
about 970km towards Haiti. The Little Bahama Bank is in the northern Bahamas, and the
Great Bahama Bank extends from central to southwestern Bahamas. The remaining
islands are small isolated platforms. These shallow seas give the Bahamas its name, from
the Spanish ‘Baja Mar.’ A deep-water basin with depths up to 4,000m separates the bank
systems from each other. Reefs cover 1,832km 2 (2.2%) of the Great Bahama Bank and
324km 2 of the Little Bahama Bank. Living coral reefs fringe most of the northern and
eastern windward coasts and the bank edges.
Bermuda
There are 150 coral rocks, islets, and islands (with 20 being inhabited) in the Atlantic
Ocean, about 920km off the coast of North Carolina. The islands form a narrow chain
35km in length, with a land area of 58km 2 . The Bermuda coral reefs are the most
northern in the world, with an area of 188km 2 , including an off-shore reef (101km 2 ), a
patch reef (70km 2 ) and 17km 2 of fringing reef. The reefs are divided into 5 major zones:
North Terrace; North Rim; South Terrace; South Rim and Lagoon Reefs.
Cayman Islands
These consist of 3 islands: Grand Cayman, 197km 2 and the most populous; Little Cayman,
25km 2 and 145km to the ENE of Grand Cayman; and Cayman Brac 32km 2 . The islands are
composed of porous limestone rock with no rivers or streams which results in exceptional
water visibility around the islands. The shelf surrounding Grand Cayman is narrow,
ranging in width from 0.5-2.0km, and the fringing reefs have shallow reef crests, as well as
mid-shelf and shelf-edge fore reefs, along with seagrass beds and mangrove fringes.
Cuba
The Cuban archipelago is made up of the Island of Cuba, the Isle of Youth and some 4,195
keys and islets totalling 110,860km 2 . It is located at the entrance of the Gulf of Mexico,
bathed by the Atlantic Ocean to the North and the Caribbean Sea to the South. It is 77km
off Haiti across the Windward Passage; 140km off Jamaica across the Columbus Strait;
180km off the USA across the Florida Straits and 210km off Mexico across the Yucatan
Straits. The coral reefs grow along virtually the entire border of the Cuban shelf (>98%)
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