<strong>Status</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Caribbean</strong> Coral Reefs <strong>after</strong> Bleach<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> Hurricanes <strong>in</strong> <strong>2005</strong>The reef was not exposed to the direct force <strong>of</strong> the w<strong>in</strong>d <strong>and</strong> waves <strong>and</strong> only a few colonies <strong>of</strong>Acropora palmata (
The Effects <strong>of</strong> Coral Bleach<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the Northern <strong>Caribbean</strong> <strong>and</strong> Western Atlanticbetween 0% <strong>and</strong> 38%. Significant <strong>bleach<strong>in</strong>g</strong> also occurred between late May <strong>and</strong> the end<strong>of</strong> August 2006, with <strong>bleach<strong>in</strong>g</strong> affect<strong>in</strong>g between 66% <strong>and</strong> 85% <strong>of</strong> liv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>coral</strong> cover <strong>and</strong><strong>in</strong>dividual colonies exhibit<strong>in</strong>g <strong>bleach<strong>in</strong>g</strong> over 50-95% <strong>of</strong> their surface areas.JamaicaGeographic Distribution <strong>and</strong> Extent <strong>of</strong> Coral Reefs: Jamaica is the 3rd largest <strong>Caribbean</strong>isl<strong>and</strong>; 230 km long by 80 km wide with 891 km <strong>of</strong> coastl<strong>in</strong>e <strong>and</strong> a <strong>coral</strong> reef area <strong>of</strong> 1240km 2 . Well developed fr<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g <strong>reefs</strong> occur along most <strong>of</strong> the north <strong>and</strong> east coasts, while patchyfr<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g <strong>reefs</strong> grow on the broader shelf <strong>of</strong> the south coast. Reefs <strong>and</strong> <strong>coral</strong>s also grow on theneighbor<strong>in</strong>g banks <strong>of</strong> the Pedro Cays, 70 km to the south, <strong>and</strong> the Morant Cays, 50 km to thesouthwest.<strong>Status</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>coral</strong> <strong>reefs</strong> prior to <strong>2005</strong>: Hard <strong>coral</strong> cover decl<strong>in</strong>ed from 50% <strong>in</strong> the 1970s to lessthan 5% by the early 1990s as a result <strong>of</strong> <strong>hurricanes</strong>, Diadema die-<strong>of</strong>f, <strong>coral</strong> diseases, <strong>and</strong>over-fish<strong>in</strong>g. Coral cover has risen to 10-15% recently, with some sites hav<strong>in</strong>g <strong>coral</strong> cover <strong>of</strong>34-46%. Fish populations <strong>in</strong> Jamaica have been decl<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g for decades because <strong>of</strong> poor fish<strong>in</strong>gpractices. Reef Check surveys at 35 sites between 2001 <strong>and</strong> 2006 reported an average density<strong>of</strong> 9.8 fish per 100 m 2 .Impacts <strong>of</strong> Coral Bleach<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>2005</strong>: Between August <strong>and</strong> October <strong>2005</strong>, there were prolongedhigh sea surface temperatures around Jamaica <strong>and</strong> nearby countries, with 5 to 6 weeks <strong>of</strong>greater than normal temperatures, which resulted <strong>in</strong> widespread <strong>bleach<strong>in</strong>g</strong>. This was firstobserved on the north coast from late August to early September <strong>and</strong> on the south coast <strong>in</strong>late September to early October. Corals started recover<strong>in</strong>g as early as February/March whensea temperatures began to cool.Bleach<strong>in</strong>g was assessed 26 times at 16 sites. Variation <strong>in</strong> the proportion <strong>of</strong> <strong>coral</strong>s bleachedranged from 10% to 95%, with Montastraea annularis, M. faveolata, M. cavernosa, Siderastreasiderea, Diploria strigosa, Agaricia spp., Millepora complanata <strong>and</strong> Porites porites be<strong>in</strong>g mostcommonly affected. With<strong>in</strong> five months, about 50% <strong>of</strong> the bleached <strong>coral</strong>s had recovered.There were however, <strong>in</strong>creases <strong>in</strong> recently killed <strong>coral</strong> <strong>and</strong> fleshy algae, which usually <strong>in</strong>dicatenutrient pollution.In September 2006, black-b<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> white plague diseases were noted <strong>in</strong> the Port Royal Cays,especially Lime Cay <strong>and</strong> South-east Cay. White plague has been the most prevalent diseases<strong>in</strong>ce January 2006, affect<strong>in</strong>g the massive <strong>coral</strong>s Siderastrea, Montastraea, <strong>and</strong> Diploriaspecies.Impacts <strong>of</strong> Hurricanes <strong>in</strong> <strong>2005</strong>: Major <strong>hurricanes</strong> that have damaged Jamaica’s <strong>reefs</strong> <strong>in</strong>clude‘Allen’ <strong>in</strong> 1980, ‘Gilbert’ <strong>in</strong> 1988 <strong>and</strong> ‘Ivan’ <strong>in</strong> 2004. The <strong>hurricanes</strong> <strong>in</strong> 2004 <strong>and</strong> <strong>2005</strong> passed tothe south <strong>of</strong> Jamaica caus<strong>in</strong>g most damage to south coast <strong>reefs</strong>. Hurricane Ivan passed parallelto the south coast <strong>in</strong> September 2004 caus<strong>in</strong>g damage to Port Royal <strong>and</strong> Portl<strong>and</strong> Bight Cays,with large numbers <strong>of</strong> fractured <strong>and</strong> killed branch<strong>in</strong>g <strong>coral</strong>s <strong>in</strong> shallow water (2-8 m). Othernearby <strong>coral</strong>s were turned over, relocated, abraded <strong>and</strong> bleached. Some survived virtuallyundamaged or with only partial mortality. The lesions caused dur<strong>in</strong>g the hurricane werequickly be<strong>in</strong>g overgrown by fast grow<strong>in</strong>g opportunistic algae; however, by February, <strong>2005</strong>,79
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