Status of coral reefs in the Northern Caribbean and Western Atlantic GCRMN Node in 2008

Abstract

The Node is a mix of islands, some with well-developed economies like Bermuda, Cayman Islands, and Turks and Caicos, where reef conservation is strong or improving, and others with developing or extremely poor economies like Haiti, where reef monitoring and conservation need to expand. All northern Caribbean coral reefs except Bermuda were affected during the major coral bleaching and hurricane year in 2005. Reefs were severely damaged; for example, 34% of corals around Jamaica bleached, and half of these died, though there is evidence of coral resilience on the north coast. The Bahamas, Dominican Republic, and Jamaica signed the Caribbean Challenge to conserve 20% of their coastal resources, including coral reefs, by 2010, along with other Caribbean states. The invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans) now occurs in several countries, including Bermuda, Cuba, Jamaica, and Turks and Caicos, posing a significant risk to native species.