Reefs at Risk in the CaribbeanReefs at Risk in the Caribbean

Lauretta Burke / Jon MaidensWorld Resources Institute

Presentation OverviewPresentation Overview

Background on Reefs at (Background on Reefs at (R@RR@R) project series) project series

Partnership for Partnership for R@RR@R Caribbean Caribbean

Project concept and method Project concept and method

Key findings of analysis Key findings of analysis

Future events and products Future events and products

The Information NeedThe Information Need

Few Coral Reefs Have Been MonitoredFew Coral Reefs Have Been Monitored

Inadequate Information on Changes in Coral Inadequate Information on Changes in Coral ReefsReefs

Much Data Is UnavailableMuch Data Is Unavailable

Integrated Monitoring Integrated Monitoring Programs Are NeededPrograms Are Needed

Global Analysis released in 1998 byWorld Resources Institute,in collaboration with ICLARM, WCMC and UNEP

The The Reefs at RiskReefs at Risk Index Index

LowLow MediumMedium HighHigh

Global Global Reefs at Risk Reefs at Risk successful at raising successful at raising awareness.awareness.

Relatively coarse-scale Relatively coarse-scale (4km.)(4km.)

Global Global Reefs at Risk Reefs at Risk successful at raising successful at raising awareness.awareness.

Relatively coarse-scale Relatively coarse-scale (4km.)(4km.)

Regional Reefs at RiskRegional Reefs at Risk series series Higher resolution analysis – Higher resolution analysis –

valuable for managementvaluable for management More integration and More integration and

improvement of dataimprovement of data

Regional Reefs at RiskRegional Reefs at Risk series series Higher resolution analysis – Higher resolution analysis –

valuable for managementvaluable for management More integration and More integration and

improvement of dataimprovement of data

Reefs at Risk in the CaribbeanReefs at Risk in the Caribbean

Collaboration of Collaboration of over twenty over twenty international and international and regional partnersregional partners

Uses Geographical Uses Geographical Information System Information System (GIS) to evaluate (GIS) to evaluate threat to coral threat to coral reefsreefs

Caribbean Project CollaboratorsCaribbean Project Collaborators

Research Institutions Research Institutions and Universitiesand Universities

AGRRAAGRRA CARICOMPCARICOMP Florida International Florida International

University University GCFIGCFI NCORENCORE University of MiamiUniversity of Miami University of South FloridaUniversity of South Florida University of the West University of the West

Indies (UWI)Indies (UWI)

NGOs NGOs

CCACCA CORALINACORALINA Environmental DefenseEnvironmental Defense FoProBiMFoProBiM IRFIRF TNCTNC REEFREEF Reef CheckReef Check WWFWWF

Caribbean Project CollaboratorsCaribbean Project Collaborators

Government Agencies and Government Agencies and International International OrganizationsOrganizations

GCRMNGCRMN ICRANICRAN UNEP-CEPUNEP-CEP UNEP-WCMCUNEP-WCMC US NASAUS NASA US NOAAUS NOAA World Bank / GEF MBRS World Bank / GEF MBRS

ProjectProject The World Fish Center The World Fish Center

Financial SupportFinancial Support

The Munson FoundationThe Munson Foundation The Henry FoundationThe Henry Foundation Netherlands Ministry of Netherlands Ministry of

Foreign AffairsForeign Affairs Swedish International Swedish International

Development Cooperation Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)Agency (SIDA)

United Nations FoundationUnited Nations Foundation UNEP-CEPUNEP-CEP USAIDUSAID

Goals of Reefs at Risk Goals of Reefs at Risk

Raise awareness about threats to coral reefsRaise awareness about threats to coral reefs

Establish linkages between human activity and Establish linkages between human activity and coral conditioncoral condition

Develop a standardized indicator of threat to Develop a standardized indicator of threat to coral reefs from human activitiescoral reefs from human activities

Promote sharing and improvement of Promote sharing and improvement of information through data integration and information through data integration and distributiondistribution

Main Components of Reefs at Risk Main Components of Reefs at Risk project:project:

Collection and integration of background Collection and integration of background

data sets on coral reefs and factors data sets on coral reefs and factors

contributing to reef degradation contributing to reef degradation

Modeling of threats to coral reefsModeling of threats to coral reefs

Evaluate economic losses likely to result Evaluate economic losses likely to result from coral reef degradationfrom coral reef degradation

Threats Evaluated in Caribbean:Threats Evaluated in Caribbean:

Coastal DevelopmentCoastal Development

Watershed-based sources of Watershed-based sources of sediment and pollutionsediment and pollution

Marine-based threatMarine-based threat

OverfishingOverfishing

Also Examined:Also Examined:

Coral Bleaching Coral Bleaching

Coral Disease Coral Disease

Dredging, land filling Dredging, land filling and reclamationand reclamation

Mining of sand and Mining of sand and coralcoral

Runoff from Runoff from constructionconstruction

Sewage dischargeSewage discharge

Impacts from Impacts from tourismtourism

Threat:Threat: Coastal Development Coastal Development

Replace photo

Finding: COASTAL DEVOPMENTthreatens an estimated one-third of Caribbean coral reefs.

Low

Medium

High

Estimated threat

Threat:Threat: Sediment and Pollution Sediment and Pollution from Inland Sourcesfrom Inland Sources

Land clearingLand clearing

Poor agricultural Poor agricultural practicespractices

Fertilizer and Fertilizer and pesticide runoff pesticide runoff

Watersheds are critical units Watersheds are critical units for analysis and managementfor analysis and management

Puerto Rico

Elevation

Watersheds are critical units Watersheds are critical units for analysis and managementfor analysis and management

Puerto Rico

Watersheds & Rivers

Watersheds are critical units Watersheds are critical units for analysis and managementfor analysis and management

Puerto Rico

Pour points

Watershed-based analysisWatershed-based analysis

Finding: SEDIMENT AND POLLUTION FROM INLAND SOURCES threaten more than one-third of Caribbean coral reefs.

Low

Medium

High

Estimated threat

Threat:Threat: Marine-based Pollution and Marine-based Pollution and DamageDamage

Discharge of Discharge of ballast waterballast water

Oil spills and leaksOil spills and leaks

Anchor damage Anchor damage and groundings and groundings

Finding: MARINE-BASED THREATS to coral reefs are widespread across the Caribbean.

Low

Medium

High

Estimated threat

Threat:Threat: Overfishing Overfishing

Widespread fishing Widespread fishing exceeding exceeding sustainable levelssustainable levels

Alters ecological Alters ecological balance on coral balance on coral reefreef

Overharvest of Overharvest of many commercially many commercially valuable speciesvaluable species

Finding: OVERFISHING threatens over 60 percent of Caribbean coral reefs.

Low

Medium

High

Estimated threat

Regional SummaryRegional Summary

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Coastaldevelopment

Sedimentation Marine-basedpollution

Overfishing Integratedthreat

Low Medium High Very High

Finding: INTEGRATED THREAT - nearly two-thirds of Caribbean coral reefs are threatened by human activities.

Low

Medium

High

Very High

Estimated threat

How much reef are we talking How much reef are we talking about here?about here?

How much reef are we talking How much reef are we talking about here?about here?

0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000

Bermuda

Florida

Gulf of Mexico

Western Caribbean

Southw estern Caribbean

Southern Caribbean

Eastern Caribbean

Greater Antilles

Bahamian

Reef area (sq km)

Finding:Finding: Degree of human pressure on Degree of human pressure on coral reefs varies considerably across coral reefs varies considerably across

the region.the region.

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Bahamian GreaterAntilles

EasternCaribbean

SouthernCaribbean

Southw esternCaribbean

Western Caribbean

Gulf of Mexico Florida

Low Medium High Very High

Sub-Regional Summary – Sub-Regional Summary – Continental SW CaribbeanContinental SW Caribbean

Low Medium High Very High

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Coastaldevelopment

Sedimentation Marine-basedpollution

Overf ishing Integratedthreat

Reefs at Risk in the Continental Southwestern Caribbean

Low Medium High Very High

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Coastaldevelopment

Sedimentation Marine-basedpollution

Overf ishing Integratedthreat

Reefs at Risk in Puerto Rico

Country Summary – Country Summary – Puerto RicoPuerto Rico

Finding:Finding: Diseases and rising sea temperatures threaten to damage coral

reefs across the Caribbean region.

Management effectiveness of 285 Caribbean MPAs

6% of MPAs rated as good

13% of MPAs rated as partially effective

48% of MPAs rated as inadequate

33% of MPAs under an unknown level of management

With the growth of tourism, fisheries, and other development in coral reef areas, marine protected areas (MPAs) are an important

tool for safeguarding coral reefs.

Protection of the 26,000 sq km of coral reefs in the region

80% of reefs outside of MPAs

1% of reefs in MPAs rated as good

3% of reefs in MPAs rated as partially effective

9% of reefs in MPAs rated as ineffective

7% of reefs in MPAs under an unknown level of management

Ineffective management of protected areas further threatens Caribbean coral reefs.

Finding: If current trends in coral reef degradation continue, coastal communities and national economies are poised to sustain substantial economic losses.

Valuation: Coral reef-associated fisheries

Net annual revenues of over $300 million in 2000.

Fisheries could decline by 30-45% by 2015

Estimated loss of net revenues between US$95 million to US$140 million per year by 2015.

Valuation: Dive Tourism Net annual revenues of

over $2 billion in 2000.

Coral degradation could results in a 2-5% reduction in revenues by 2015

Estimated loss of net revenues between US$100 million to US$300 million per year by 2015.

Valuation: Shoreline Protection

Over 20% of Caribbean coastline protected by coral reefs.

Estimated value of this service is between $700 million and $2.2 billion.

Reef degradation could result in losses estimated between US$140 million to US$420 million per year by 2050.

Policy RecommendationsPolicy Recommendations

Create the Will for ChangeCreate the Will for Change

Build Capacity for ChangeBuild Capacity for Change

Improve ManagementImprove Management

International ActionInternational Action

Create the Will for ChangeCreate the Will for Change

Raise awarenessRaise awareness

Consider long-term economic Consider long-term economic

value in decision-makingvalue in decision-making

Build Capacity for ChangeBuild Capacity for Change

TrainingTraining

Exchange Experience Exchange Experience

Facilitate Participation in Decision-Facilitate Participation in Decision-

makingmaking

Integrate Socioeconomic and Integrate Socioeconomic and

Environmental MonitoringEnvironmental Monitoring

Improve ManagementImprove Management

Sustainable FisheriesSustainable Fisheries

Holistic \ Integrated ManagementHolistic \ Integrated Management

Improve MPA managementImprove MPA management

Develop Tourism Sustainably Develop Tourism Sustainably

Manage WastesManage Wastes

International ActionInternational Action

International AgreementsInternational Agreements

International cooperation and International cooperation and

exchangeexchange

Products / InformationProducts / Information

Integrated Data Sets for Region - Integrated Data Sets for Region - on CDon CD

Coral reef mapsCoral reef maps

Coral reef status parameters Coral reef status parameters

Physical landscape data Physical landscape data

InfrastructureInfrastructure

Socioeconomic variablesSocioeconomic variables

Estimated threat to coral reefsEstimated threat to coral reefs

ProductsProducts English and Spanish reportsEnglish and Spanish reports Data CDData CD Web SiteWeb Site Interactive online GISInteractive online GIS Country Profiles on the WebCountry Profiles on the Web

Reefs at Risk in the CaribbeanReefs at Risk in the Caribbean

Thank you!Thank you!

http://reefsatrisk.wri.orghttp://reefsatrisk.wri.org

World Resources InstituteWorld Resources Institute