Question:

What is the current health of Bermudian coral reefs?

Abstract

            The coral health of Bermuda along the North and South eastern coast of the island was investigated. The coral reefs within immediate distance of the shore were found to have high and even distribution of species except Tobacco bay had the most uneven disruption with low numbers of most species. Within regards to disruption due to death or disease Clear Water, a relatively secluded beach, as well as John Smith, a very popular tourist destination, had a signification amount of disruption within the reef. With these two reefs the factors for the higher instance of distribution is most likely due to higher sedimentation from the airport and tourisms. It is important that all the beaches within Bermuda are continual monitored for changes within these ecosystems.

Introduction

            Coral reefs are one of the most diverse marine environments on the world. These reefs play an important role in fishing, materials, and tourism. One popular site is Bermuda with about 350,000 tourists each year (Bermudatouristism.com). This amount of people puts a strain on the endemic species of the island and with many tourists snorkeling without proper understanding of the protection of the reef, it may have unforeseen consequences. Coral reefs allow for protection from erosion and storms allowing other ecosystems such as sea grass beds and mangroves to form (Hoegh-Guldberg 1999). Bermuda coral reefs are particularly important worldwide since they are seeded by reefs in Florida and the Caribbean. The cost for losing coral reefs would be around hundreds of billions of dollars each year not accounting indirect losses from other habitats (Bryant et al 1998). 

          In Bermuda causes of coral death included disease, sedimentation, competition, and bleaching. Human influences on this included overfishing, spread of disease, and pollution from runoff. Locally these factors have been intensified due to global warming and increase of oceans acidity. In Bermuda little construction or agriculture on the island leads to the main source of pollution being tourist (BBSR 2004).

(Click to make larger)

Figure 1: Threats to coral reefs, threat to Bermuda being pollution. Destruction of coral reefs in the Atlantic reaching about 22%.           

  Corals have a primary symbiont of zooxanthellae which photosynthesizes and provides nutrients for the coral polyp. Expulsion of zooxanthellae often is induced by stress, changes in temperature (Coles and Jokiel 1978), salinity, (Goreau 1964), light (Hoegh-Guldberg and Smith 1989, Hoegh-Guldberg 1999), and other chemical factors such as cooper ions, herbicides, pesticides (Jones and Steven 1997; Kushmaro et al. 1996).

Disease include Black Band signified by a black slimy band with the white skeleton inside the circle. White band disease and is characterized by tissue being destroyed in an expanding circle.

Yellow band disease

Red band disease fungus and ciliated associated with disease tissue

Dark spot disease

White Plague

    However much is not known about the cause, distribution, or spreading of these disease (Goreau et al 1998).

            Anthropogenic activity threatens 50-70% of coral reefs (Sebens 1994, Wilkinson and Buddemeier 1994, Bryant et al 1998,  Goreau 1992).Bleaching events have effected ever coral reef system with associated coral mortality (Brown and Susharson 1990). Increased sedimentation flowing from disturbed terrestrial environments (Sebens 1994).

Sedimentation is caused by degrading, erosion run off, and storms, this increases the turbidity of the water and reduced light available for photosynthesis (Rogers 1990).

(http://archive.wri.org/newsroom/wrifeatures_text.cfm?ContentID=1053)

Brown BE, Suharsoso (1990) Damage and recovery of coral reefs effected by El Nino related   seawater warming in the Thousand Islands, Indonesia. Coral Reefs. 8 163-170

Bryant, D., L. Burke, J. McManus, M. Spalding. 1998. Reefs at risk: a map-based indicator of threats to the world's coral reefs. World Resources Institute, Washington, D.C