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  Yahoo News 8 Jun 07
Caribbean's reef-building coral at risk
By Danica Coto, Associated Press Writer

IUCN website 7 Jun 07
Caribbean Corals in Danger of Extinction
Climate Change, Warmer Waters Cited as Leading Cause

Yahoo News 7 Jun 07
Global warming threatens to wipe out Caribbean coral: report

Caribbean coral species essential to the region's reef ecosystems are at risk of extinction as a result of climate change, according to a new marine life study released Thursday.

The report by Conservation International found 10 percent of the Caribbean's 62 spectacular reef-building corals -- one of the sea's most spectacular natural resources -- are under threat and candidates for "critically endangered" designations.

"One of the Atlantic Ocean's most beautiful marine habitats no longer exists in many places because of dramatic increases in coral diseases, mostly caused by climate change and warmer waters," said Dr Michael Smith, director of the Caribbean Biodiversity Initiative at Conservation International.

A gathering of 23 scientists in March 2007 analyzed data on tropical corals, seagrasses, mangroves and algae -- all fundamental components of healthy marine ecosystems.

"Coral reefs support some of the richest areas of biodiversity in the world. When the coral reefs disappear, so will many other species which rely on reefs for shelter, reproduction and foraging," said Dr Suzanne Livingstone, another marine biologist who contributed to the study.

The scientists noted that in some well-managed, protected areas of the ocean, human impacts are reduced, allowing most corals to thrive.

Yahoo News 8 Jun 07
Caribbean's reef-building coral at risk
By Danica Coto, Associated Press Writer

Six species of reef-building coral could vanish from the Caribbean due to rising temperatures and toxic runoff from islands' development, according to a study released Thursday.

Nearly two dozen scientists from U.S. and Caribbean universities, as well as nonprofits, identified the threatened species while reviewing studies and scientific data at a March conference in Dominica.

The species — about 10 percent of the 62 varieties capable of forming reefs in the region — include staghorn and elkhorn corals, which were once among the most prominent.

"One of the Atlantic Ocean's most beautiful marine habitats no longer exists in many places because of dramatic increases in coral diseases, mostly caused by climate change and warmer waters," said Michael Smith, director of the Caribbean Biodiversity Initiative at Conservation International, a U.S.-based nonprofit.

Peter Edmunds, a biology professor at California State University-Northridge, said the study provided a broad perspective that is "terribly important" but does not indicate how close a particular species is to dying off in the region.

"It begs the question, is there a part of the Caribbean where the story is different?" he said.

Researchers have blamed rising temperature, disease and pollutants for damage to the coral reefs, which host countless marine plants and animals.

"The numbers of the population are so diminished that it might take a long, long time, given the right conditions, for them to recover," said William Precht, a Florida-based scientist with the Battelle Memorial Institute who participated in the study.

The team also reported significant damage to mangroves, which filter pollutants, reporting the plants cover 42 percent less area in the Caribbean than they did 25 years ago. Conservation projects are under way to protect coral colonies in the Caribbean.

The U.S. government's Coral Reef Task Force is helping officials in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands cut back on pollution and recreational activities that could threaten coral.

The study was sponsored by the Caribbean Biodiversity Initiative, along with the nonprofit World Conservation Union in Switzerland and the Royal Caribbean Cruises' Ocean Fund.

IUCN website 7 Jun 07
Caribbean Corals in Danger of Extinction
Climate Change, Warmer Waters Cited as Leading Cause

Arlington, Virginia, USA, 7 June 2007 (Conservation International/IUCN) – Caribbean coral species are dying off, indicating dramatic shifts in the ecological balance under the sea, a new scientific study of Caribbean marine life shows.

The study found that 10 percent of the Caribbean’s 62 reef-building corals were under threat, including staghorn and elkhorn corals. These used to be the most prominent species but are now candidates to be listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

"One of the Atlantic Ocean's most beautiful marine habitats no longer exists in many places because of dramatic increases in coral diseases, mostly caused by climate change and warmer waters," said Dr. Michael L. Smith, director of the Caribbean Biodiversity Initiative at Conservation International.

A gathering of 23 scientists in Dominica in March 2007 analyzed data on Western Tropical Atlantic corals, seagrasses, mangroves and algae, which are fundamental components of marine ecosystems providing food and shelter for numerous other organisms and local communities.

The study was funded in part by the Royal Caribbean Cruises’ Ocean Fund. This was the first in a series of Global Marine Species Assessments (GMSA) of key marine primary-producers on a global scale.

The GMSA is headquartered at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, USA, and is a partnership between Conservation International (CI) and the World Conservation Union (IUCN).

It aims to dramatically increase the number of marine species assessed under the rigorous criteria of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species to provide up-to-date information for marine policy and conservation efforts. After a final review, the species assessed during the Dominica workshop will be added to the 2008 IUCN Red List.

“Coral reefs support some of the richest areas of biodiversity in the world. When the coral reefs disappear, so will many other species which rely on reefs for shelter, reproduction and foraging,” said Dr. Suzanne Livingstone, GMSA program officer.

The threats to corals and other marine species include coastal pollution and human development; increased sedimentation in run-off water; thermal stress and heightened severity of hurricanes from climate change; and shifts in species dynamics due to over-fishing, according to the study.

Scientists explained that the Caribbean has undergone the longest and most sustained impacts from human development since the colonization of the Americas.

Next to corals, mangroves appear to be the hardest hit. Mangrove cover in the region has declined by 42% over the past 25 years, with two of the eight mangrove species now considered Vulnerable to extinction and two more in Near Threatened status.

“Mangroves protect shorelines, shelter fish, and filter pollution,” said Aaron Ellison of Harvard University. “The Caribbean was blessed with an abundance of these useful plants, but the consensus of this workshop is that mangroves are in trouble everywhere and need to be protected and restored,” he added.

Mangrove forests are being cut down to make way for coastal housing, tourism, and aquaculture development. Beds of sea-grasses in shallow coastal waters, like mangroves, provide a vital nursery habitat for fish, including many commercially important species and are subject to similar threats. They are in equal need of protection to safeguard the wealth of marine life they support.

Unlike corals, seagrasses and mangroves, Caribbean algae appear to be surviving well and perhaps are taking advantage of the corals’ demise. Algae thrive on dead or dying coral reefs and can overgrow and smother newly settled corals. In addition, the fishes that feed on algae are being overexploited and their reduced populations enable algae to form dense growths that prevent corals from re-colonizing.

The scientists noted that some healthy Caribbean coral reefs still exist in well-managed marine protected areas such as Bonaire Marine Park in the Netherlands Antilles.

Direct human impacts are reduced in these areas allowing most corals to thrive; however, thermal stress from global warming affects all corals in the Caribbean and must be reversed if these refuges of Caribbean beauty are to survive, they added.

“The Caribbean tourism industry relies heavily on the beauty and health of its sea life,” said Dr. Kent Carpenter, GMSA Director. “Concentrated marine conservation and a global effort to halt man-induced climate change are necessary to preserve this vital economic engine in the region.”
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