STATU S OF CARIBBEAN CORAL REEF S AFTER BLEA C HING AND HURRI C ANE S IN 2005 EDITED BY CLIVE WILKIN S ON AND DAVID SOUTER STATU S OF CARIBBEAN CORAL REEF S AFTER BLEA C HING AND HURRI C ANE S IN 2005 EDITED BY CLIVE WILKIN S ON AND DAVID SOUTER Dedication: This book is dedicated to the many people who have worked on coral reefs to understand them and ensure that they exist for future generations. One of these deserves special mention; Len Muscatine retired from UCLA to his vineyard but did not have enough time to enjoy the fruit of his vines. We miss him. The book is also recognises the International Coral Reef Initiative and partners, and particularly those people in the USA, operating through the US Coral Reef Task Force, the US Department of State and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, who continue to strive for greater recognition of the problems facing coral reefs and the need for urgent conservation efforts. Note: The conclusions and recommendations of this book are solely the opinions of the authors and contributors and do not constitute a statement of policy, decision, or position on behalf of the participating organizations. Front Cover: A stylized map of the maximum Degree Heating Week values observed across the Caribbean during 2005, indicating the highest level of accumulated thermal stress at each location (image from US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Coral Reef Watch). Inside Title Page: This image shows the 2005 maximum Degree Heating Week data used to create the image on the front cover, showing the maximum level of accumulated thermal stress at each location (explained on pages 38 and 39; image from US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Coral Reef Watch). Back Cover: A NOAA/Biogeography Branch diver with a 1 metre by 1 metre quadrat examining a bleached Montastraea colony at St Croix, US Virgin Islands (photo from NOAA Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment Biogeography Branch). Maps were provided by UNEP-WCMC through ReefBase, The WorldFish Center; we thank them. Citation: Wilkinson, C., Souter, D. (2008). Status of Caribbean coral reefs after bleaching and hurricanes in 2005. Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, and Reef and Rainforest Research Centre, Townsville, 152 p. © Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network c/o Reef and Rainforest Research Centre, PO Box 772 Townsville, 4810 Australia Telephone: +61 7 47212699; Facsimile: +61 7 47722808 www.gcrmn.org ISSN 1447 6185 ii CONTENTS Acknowledgements iv Foreword 1 Executive Summary 3 1. Introduction 15 2. Coral Reefs and Climate Change: Susceptibility and Consequences 19 3. Hurricanes and their effects on Coral Reefs 31 4. The 2005 Bleaching event: Coral-list Log 37 5. Status of the Mesoamerican Reef after the 2005 Coral Bleaching Event 45 6. Coral Reefs of the U.S. Caribbean The History of Massive Coral Bleaching and other Perturbations in the Florida Keys 61 Coral Bleaching in the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2005 and 2006 68 7. The Effects of Coral Bleaching in the Northern Caribbean and Western Atlantic 73 8. Status of Coral Reefs of the Lesser Antilles after the 2005 Coral Bleaching Event 85 9. The Effects of Coral Bleaching in Southern Tropical America: Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela 105 10. Managing for Mass Coral Bleaching Strategies for Supporting Socio-ecological Resilience 115 11. Predictions for the Future of the Caribbean 129 12. Sponsoring Organisations, Coral Reef Programs and Monitoring Networks 135 13. Suggested Reading 145 14. List of Acronyms 148 iii Status of Caribbean Coral Reefs after Bleaching and Hurricanes in 2005 AC KNOWLEDGEMENTS , CO-SPONSORS A ND SUPPORTERS OF GCRMN Much of the material for this book was provided voluntarily by more than 70 contributors; we wish to specifically thank them for their efforts and dedication towards conserving coral reefs. Many scientific papers and reports were consulted to extract data and information; unfortunately we are unable to include all of these, but have added a number of references in each chapter and at the back as Suggested Reading. We apologise if pertinent material has not been cited. This report will be lodged on ReefBase, at WorldFish Center, which acts as the global coral reef database, www.reefbase.org. Many colleagues assisted us as reviewers of text; we wish to thank these people for their time, effort and patience: Robert Buddemeier, Greg Connor, Christine Dawson, Carlos Drews, Simon Donner, Scot Frew, Robert Ginsburg, Stefan Hain, Marea Hatziolos, Jim Hendee, Scott Heron, Gregor Hodgson, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Maria Hood, Christy Loper, Derek Manzello, Peter Mumby, Bernard Salvat, Kristian Teleki, Alessandra Vanzella-Khouri and Christian Wild. We specifically thank Fiona Alongi and Tim Harvey for formatting and editing; others also assisted us in unseen ways – thanks. Three operational partners of the GCRMN have assisted with this report: Gregor Hodgson and Cori Kane of the Reef Check Foundation; Jamie Oliver, Stanley Tan and Moi Khim Tan of ReefBase; Christy Loper of NOAA who coordinates the Socioeconomic Monitoring Network; and colleagues. The Management Group of the GCRMN has provided substantial assistance, advice and support: The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO; the United Nations Environment Programme Coral Reef Unit (UNEP-CRU); IUCN - The World Conservation Union; the World Bank; the Convention on Biological Diversity; WorldFish Center; and the ICRI Secretariat, held by Mexico and USA. These meet voluntarily to provide guidance to the GCRMN. Direction for the GCRMN Management Group has been provided Carl Gustaf Lundin (Chair), and the GCRMN Chair of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee, Bernard Salvat, assisted with manuscripts and advice on the format and structure of the report - we thank them all. The host of the GCRMN, the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre is specifically thanked. Support for the GCRMN primarily comes from the US Department of State and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via funds channelled through UNEP in Cambridge, The Hague and Nairobi. This support is critical for the operation of the GCRMN and the publication of this Caribbean status report; thus special thanks go to those people involved. We received funds to produce, print and distribute this book from: the Government of the USA (Department of State and NOAA); IUCN - The World Conservation Union; the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); WWF International, especially the offices in Europe; the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO; Reef Check and the PADI Foundation; RRRC- Reef and Rainforest Research Centre; ICRAN and the Buccoo Reef Trust. Their assistance ensures that the book will be produced and provided free of charge to people around the world who are working to conserve coral reefs, often voluntarily. GCRMN Management Group IOC-UNESCO –Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO UNEP – United Nations Environment Programme IUCN – The World Conservation Union (Chair) The World Bank, Environment Department CBD – Convention on Biological Diversity AIMS – Australian Institute of Marine Science GBRMPA – Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority RRRC – Reef and Rainforest Research Centre (host) WorldFish Center and ReefBase ICRI Secretariat – Governments of USA and Mexico GCRMN Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee. GCRMN Operational Partners Reef Check Foundation, Los Angeles ReefBase, WorldFish Center, Penang CORDIO – Coral Reef Degradation in the Indian Ocean World Resources Institute, Washington DC NOAA – Socioeconomic Assessment group, Silver Springs. Major Financial Supporters* and other Supporters of this report * The Government of the USA, through the US Department of State, and * NOAA – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration * UNEP – United Nations Environment Programme via USA counterpart funds ICRAN International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN) and Buccoo Reef Trust Tobago IOC-UNESCO - Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO IUCN – the World Conservation Union, Gland Switzerland PADI Foundation and Reef Check, Los Angeles, USA WWF – Europe iv FOREWORD Here in 2008, we are in the midst of the International Year of the Reef as designated by the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI). This year-long campaign of events and initiatives is aimed at promoting conservation action and building long-term partnerships for sustaining coral reef systems. 1992 was also a critical year for the world’s environment. World leaders met in Rio de Janeiro at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) to sign the Convention on Biological Diversity and also pledge major resources for environmental action. The Rio Conference also led to negotiations that transformed the Global Environment Facility (GEF) from a pilot program to a permanent financial mechanism in support of the global environment. Estimates were also made in 1992 that the world had already lost 10% of the coral reefs and that a further 60% were under threat of destruction if urgent actions to implement sustainable use and conservation of the reefs were not implemented. In the 16 years since these estimates were made at the 7th International Coral Reef Symposium in Guam, alarming increases in degradation of coral reefs have been reported. The events of 1992 catalyzed the formation of the ICRI as well as the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN), which has supported production of this book. Chapter 17 of Agenda 21 that was agreed at UNCED highlighted