Status and Trends of Caribbean Coral Reefs: 1970 - 2012
Books - Book
30 Nov 2013
Most Caribbean coral reefs will disappear in 20 years if we don't restore the population of fish that eat seaweed, as Caribbean reefs are gradually getting smothered by algae. This is the message of the new report: Status and Trends of Caribbean Coral Reefs: 1970-2012 released today as the result of a three-year joint effort of the International Coral Reef Initiative's (ICRI) Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN), the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). The new report reveals a more than 50% decline in living corals throughout the Caribbean over the past half century. Given that Caribbean coral reefs generate more than US$3 billion annually from tourism and fisheries, and that they are a major oceanic ecosystem, this is truly alarming. Summary in French and Spanish.
Author: Jackson JBC, Donovan MK, Cramer KL, Lam VV (eds)
Organizer: Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, IUCN
Location: Gland (Switzerland)
Related Topics: Caribbean Sea LME
