Reefs at Risk in the Caribbean

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Reefs at Risk in the Caribbean
Lauretta Burke / Jon Maidens World Resources
Institute
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Presentation Overview

• Background on Reefs at (R_at_R) project series
• Partnership for R_at_R Caribbean
• Project concept and method
• Key findings of analysis
• Future events and products

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The Information Need

• Few Coral Reefs Have Been Monitored
• Inadequate Information on Changes in Coral Reefs
• Much Data Is Unavailable
• Integrated Monitoring Programs Are Needed

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Global Analysis released in 1998 by World
Resources Institute, in collaboration with
ICLARM, WCMC and UNEP
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The Reefs at Risk Index
Low
High
Medium
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• Global Reefs at Risk successful at raising
  awareness.
• Relatively coarse-scale (4km.)

• Regional Reefs at Risk series
• Higher resolution analysis valuable for
  management
• More integration and improvement of data

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Reefs at Risk in the Caribbean

• Collaboration of over twenty international and
  regional partners
• Uses Geographical Information System (GIS) to
  evaluate threat to coral reefs

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Caribbean Project Collaborators

• Research Institutions and Universities
• AGRRA
• CARICOMP
• Florida International University
• GCFI
• NCORE
• University of Miami
• University of South Florida
• University of the West Indies (UWI)

• NGOs
• CCA
• CORALINA
• Environmental Defense
• FoProBiM
• IRF
• TNC
• REEF
• Reef Check
• WWF

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Caribbean Project Collaborators

• Government Agencies and International
  Organizations
• GCRMN
• ICRAN
• UNEP-CEP
• UNEP-WCMC
• US NASA
• US NOAA
• World Bank / GEF MBRS Project
• The World Fish Center

• Financial Support
• The Munson Foundation
• The Henry Foundation
• Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Swedish International Development Cooperation
  Agency (SIDA)
• United Nations Foundation
• UNEP-CEP
• USAID

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Goals of Reefs at Risk

• Raise awareness about threats to coral reefs
• Establish linkages between human activity and
  coral condition
• Develop a standardized indicator of threat to
  coral reefs from human activities
• Promote sharing and improvement of information
  through data integration and distribution

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Main Components of Reefs at Risk project

• Collection and integration of background data
  sets on coral reefs and factors contributing to
  reef degradation
• Modeling of threats to coral reefs
• Evaluate economic losses likely to result from
  coral reef degradation

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Threats Evaluated in Caribbean

• Coastal Development
• Watershed-based sources of sediment and pollution
• Marine-based threat
• Overfishing

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Also Examined

• Coral Bleaching
• Coral Disease

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Threat Analysis Method

• Inferential modeling

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Threat Coastal Development

• Dredging, land filling and reclamation
• Mining of sand and coral
• Runoff from construction
• Sewage discharge
• Impacts from tourism

Replace photo
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Finding COASTAL DEVOPMENTthreatens an
estimated one-third of Caribbean coral reefs.
Estimated threat
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Threat Sediment and Pollution from Inland Sources

• Land clearing
• Poor agricultural practices
• Fertilizer and pesticide runoff

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Watersheds are critical units for analysis and
management
Elevation
Puerto Rico
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Watersheds are critical units for analysis and
management
Watersheds Rivers
Puerto Rico
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Watersheds are critical units for analysis and
management
Pour points
Puerto Rico
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Watershed-based analysis
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Finding SEDIMENT AND POLLUTION FROM INLAND
SOURCES threaten more than one-third of Caribbean
coral reefs.
Estimated threat
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Threat Marine-based Pollution and Damage

• Discharge of ballast water
• Oil spills and leaks
• Anchor damage and groundings

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Finding MARINE-BASED THREATS to coral reefs are
widespread across the Caribbean.
Estimated threat
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Threat Overfishing

• Widespread fishing exceeding sustainable levels
• Alters ecological balance on coral reef
• Overharvest of many commercially valuable species

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Finding OVERFISHING threatens over 60 percent of
Caribbean coral reefs.
Estimated threat
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Regional Summary
Low
Medium
High
Very High
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Finding INTEGRATED THREAT - nearly two-thirds
of Caribbean coral reefs are threatened by human
activities.
Estimated threat
Low
Medium
High
Very High
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How much reef are we talking about here?
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How much reef are we talking about here?
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Finding Degree of human pressure on coral reefs
varies considerably across the region.
Low
Medium
High
Very High
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Sub-Regional Summary Continental SW Caribbean
Reefs at Risk in the Continental Southwestern
Caribbean
Low
Medium
High
Very High
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Country Summary Puerto Rico
Reefs at Risk in Puerto Rico
Low
Medium
High
Very High
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Finding Diseases and rising sea temperatures
threaten to damage coral reefs across the
Caribbean region.
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Management effectiveness of 285 Caribbean MPAs
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.
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
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Protection of the 26,000 sq km of coral reefs in
the region
Ineffective management of protected areas further
threatens Caribbean coral reefs.
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
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Finding If current trends in coral reef
degradation continue, coastal communities and
national economies are poised to sustain
substantial economic losses.
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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 US95
  million to US140 million per year by 2015.

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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 US100
  million to US300 million per year by 2015.

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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 US140 million to US420 million per year
  by 2050.

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Policy Recommendations

• Create the Will for Change
• Build Capacity for Change
• Improve Management
• International Action

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Create the Will for Change

• Raise awareness
• Consider long-term economic value in
  decision-making

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Build Capacity for Change

• Training
• Exchange Experience
• Facilitate Participation in Decision-making
• Integrate Socioeconomic and Environmental
  Monitoring

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Improve Management

• Sustainable Fisheries
• Holistic \ Integrated Management
• Improve MPA management
• Develop Tourism Sustainably
• Manage Wastes

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International Action

• International Agreements
• International cooperation and exchange

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Products / Information
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Integrated Data Sets for Region - on CD

• Coral reef maps
• Coral reef status parameters
• Physical landscape data
• Infrastructure
• Socioeconomic variables
• Estimated threat to coral reefs

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Products

• English and Spanish reports
• Data CD
• Web Site
• Interactive online GIS
• Country Profiles on the Web

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Reefs at Risk in the Caribbean

• Thank you!
• http//reefsatrisk.wri.org
• World Resources Institute