Status of Caribbean coral reefs after bleaching and hurricanes in 2005

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Executive SummaryRico, and up to 50% of corals had already died. There was also bleaching on the Caribbean coastof Panama, although this did not result in significant mortality.In July, bleaching was reported in Belize, Mexico, Bahamas and in Bermuda and the US VirginIslands, which also coincided with reports of the death of large sponges in the US Virgin Islandsand off Cozumel in Mexico.Although between 25% and 45% bleaching was reported in Belize and Mexico, the HotSpotalong the Mesoamerican Reef system dissipated with the regular passage of storms during 2005,which prevented any significant bleaching related mortality. Despite the cooling benefits to theregion, Hurricanes Wilma and Emily caused considerable damage to coral reefs, especiallyin Mexico around the island of Cozumel. Lower mortality in the Mesoamerican region maybe attributable to a reduced population of temperature sensitive corals, because previousbleaching and disease events have removed the more sensitive species. It appears that the moreresistant species were only slightly affected. Coral cover has decreased markedly in the past 35years, in some cases from near 80% to less than 20%.This image from mid-August shows a dramatic expansion of two HotSpots with temperatures 2ºCto 3ºC in excess of the summer maximum covering large parts of the Northern Caribbean includingFlorida, the Flower Garden Banks in the Gulf of Mexico and just touching Cuba. The HotSpot in theAtlantic has expanded alarmingly to cover all the islands of the Lesser Antilles; and there is a smallHotSpot over Colombia. Bleaching was being reported in all of these regions, as outlined in thefollowing chapters.By early August, concern was growing that bleaching would damage the reefs of Florida andthe Gulf of Mexico. As the HotSpot expanded in the north, there were reports of extensivebleaching in the Florida Keys, with water temperatures around 31°C and almost totally calmand sunny conditions. In late August, extensive bleaching coincided with the warmest water9
Status of Caribbean Coral Reefs after Bleaching and Hurricanes in 2005ever recorded on Sombrero Key in Florida, but fortunately for these reefs, Hurricane Katrinapassed through the area as Category 1 storm resulting in considerable cooling of the waters(see p. 35).Similarly, bleaching increased around Puerto Rico involving all corals and coral-like animalsunder hot calm conditions and the incidence of coral disease increased alarmingly. Severebleaching, up to 95%, was being reported from several islands in the Greater (Cayman Islands,Jamaica, Cuba) and Lesser Antilles (Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Barthelemy in the FrenchWest Indies, St. Maarten, Saba, St. Eustatius in the northern Dutch Antilles, and Barbados).Bleaching in the Cayman Islands was the worst ever recorded.By early September, two major HotSpots with sea surface temperatures 2ºC to 3ºC more than normalare covering Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the other is still covering the Lesser Antilles. Theoriginal HotSpot over the Gulf of Mexico and Florida has been effectively ‘blown away’ by Hurricanes,especially Katrina that went on to devastate New Orleans on 29 August 2005 (see the Chapter onHurricanes p. 31). Reports of major coral bleaching were received corresponding to all the sites withHotSpots.The weather was particularly calm for two weeks in September, and was accompanied byextensive bleaching on the south coast of Jamaica where about 80% of corals bleached. TheAugust bleaching on the north coast of Jamaica began to subside. Sea temperatures in the U.S.Virgin Islands reached more than 30°C at 16 m depth. Bleaching affected most coral species.More than 90% of corals bleached down to 30 m on the nearby British Virgin Islands. Moreextensive bleaching continued on northern Puerto Rico. The bleaching footprint had expandedto include Trinidad and Tobago and the Dominican Republic reported bleaching in 85% and68% of corals.10
Page 1 and 2: Stat u s o fCa r i b b e a nCo r a
Page 3 and 4: Dedication: This book is dedicated
Page 5 and 6: Status of Caribbean Coral Reefs aft
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Page 25 and 26: Status of Coral Reefs in the Caribb
Page 35 and 36: 3. Hu r r i ca n e s a n d t h e i
Page 37 and 38: Hurricanes and their Effect on Cora
Page 39 and 40: Hurricanes and their Effect on Cora
Page 41 and 42: 4. Th e 2005 Bl e a c h i n g Ev e
Page 43 and 44: The 2005 Bleaching Event: Coral-Lis
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6. Co r a l Reefs o f t h e U.S. Ca
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Coral Reefs of the U.S. Caribbean19
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Coral Reefs of the U.S. CaribbeanMe
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Coral Reefs of the U.S. Caribbeanwe
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Coral Reefs of the U.S. CaribbeanSe
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7. Th e Effects o f Co r a l Bl e a
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The Effects of Coral Bleaching in t
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10. Ma n ag i n g f o r Ma s s Co r
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Managing for Mass Coral Bleaching:
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Status of Caribbean coral reefs after bleaching and hurricanes in 2005

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