Join Jim Hewlett, FLCC Biology Professor, to learn more.
The Caribbean is home to 9 percent of the world's coral reefs, but only around one-sixth of the original coral cover remains. The reefs, which span 38 countries, are vital to the region's economy and support the more than 43 million people, generating more than $3 billion annually from tourism and fisheries.
Recent studies have suggested that in a "business as usual" model, these ecosystems will suffer a complete collapse in this region within 25 years.
The reasons for this decline include stressors that operate on global, regional, and local scales. The good news is that coral reefs are extremely resilient, and in areas where protective measures have been put in place, the rate of recovery has matched the rate of decline.
In this presentation, the sources of stress will be reviewed along with examples where protections have been successful. Professor Hewlett has been studying this decline for over ten years and will present data from targeted reef sites where this decline has been measured.
