Caribbean Coral Reefs Mostly Dead

Corals are colonies compounded by small animals such as hydras, jellyfish and sea anemones. They are animals that stay in one place and feed themselves catching tiny fishes and plankton with their tentacles. They secrete some kind of hard calcium carbonate skeleton, which serves as a uniform base or substrate and it also provides protection against predators. Calcium carbonate is constantly deposited by the living colony, adding size to the structure. The coral size may vary depending on the environmental conditions and it can grow from 0.3 to 10 centimeters per year. 

Healthy coral reefs.

"The plant-like algae live inside the coral polyps and perform photosynthesis, producing food which is shared with the coral. In exchange the coral provides the algae with protection and access to light, which is necessary for photosynthesis. The zooxanthellae also lend their color to their coral symbionts. Coral bleaching occurs when corals lose their zooxanthellae, exposing the white calcium carbonate skeletons of the coral colony. There are a number of stresses or environmental changes that may cause bleaching including disease, excess shade, increased levels of ultraviolet radiation, sedimentation, pollution, salinity changes, and increased temperatures. "The coral bleaching could have a devastating impact on coral reef ecosystems by killing coral and destroying food chains in the ocean. Communities who depend on the oceans for their livelihoods may see a huge impact from this event."

Monitoring changes in water quality can help local resource managers understand the implications of actions occurring in watersheds that are associated with particular coral communities. These connections will help in development of sound management plans for coral reefs and other coastal and marine resources." (EPA, 2012). Also the association on between reefs and men is extremely important due to the uses given to them, for example fishery and nursery areas, as well as a tourist attraction in many caribbean islands. It can protect coastlines from erosion

Some problems exist

"The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting severe bleaching for parts of the Coral Sea, near Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, and the Coral Triangle, causing immense damage to an important global marine environment over the next few months."

The marine ecosystem are in danger of collapse, according to The international Union for Conservation of Nature, the Caribbean's reefs are in sharp decline, with live coral coverage down to an average of 8 per cent. The lost is mostly the result of severe environmental problems including over exploitation, pollution and climate change.

 "Last year, scientists estimated that 75 per cent of the Caribbean’s coral reefs were in danger, along with 95 per cent of those in south-east Asia. That research, from the World Resources Institute, predicted that by 2050 virtually all of the world’s coral reefs would be in danger. This decline is likely to have severe impacts on coastal villages, particularly in developing countries, where many people depend on the reefs for fishing and tourism. Globally, about 275 million people live within 30 kilometres of a reef." (Global Reef Monitoring Network, 2011).

Unhealthy, bleached coral reefs.

What can be done?

"There have been increasing efforts to establish better management and conservation measures to protect the diversity of these biologically rich areas. Management practices have historically focused on the coral reef proper and not considered associated communities, such as seagrasses, mangroves, mudflats or defined watersheds (which transport complex mixtures in their waters), in a meaningful manner. This attempted to manage the reef in isolation, like an island.

When reefs are considered as part of a larger watershed, the recognization of the complexity of environmental stressors can be understood. Management plans can be developed to lessen impacts to mangroves, seagrasses and the reef ecosystem, based upon scientific data and a better understanding of the system. EPA is in the process of developing guidance for a watershed approach to coral ecosystem protection." (EPA, 2012). Individuals can also help by not exploiting the seas anymore. It is not recommendable to people to start "creating" new corals because if they do not know about the topic or the methods that should be used it can cause more damage.