Group targets ailing reefs; first project in Bahamas

From an article by Michele Jarvie in the Calgary Herald:

With more than 700 islands and numerous reefs stretching across its vast 1,225 kilometres, the turquoise waters of the Bahamas are a diver's dream.

One of the islands, Andros, has the third-longest barrier reef in the world and there are abundant coral and fish all across these Caribbean islands.

Giant brain coral, grouper, spiny lobsters, sharks, rays, dolphins, lionfish and the weirdly shaped guitarfish are but a few of the priceless jewels beneath the waves.

But the abundance and variety of sea life may just be contributing to their demise.

Reef destruction, pollution, overfishing of grouper and conch, and climate change are all negative byproducts of tourism in the Bahamas.

On New Providence Island alone, dredging, landfill, sedimentation and the construction of a cruise ship port has led to the loss of 60 per cent of the coral reef habitat, according to Reefbase, an environmental watchgroup.

Worldwide researchers, including Stanford University marine scientists, estimate the loss of more than 60 per cent of coral reefs over the next 30 years.

But it's not all doom and gloom. Many things are being done on a number of fronts. Researchers formed the Bahamas Biocomplexity Project, a five-year collaborative study of Bahamas reef ecosystems, with an eye to developing marine policies for the area.

Earthwatch volunteers are monitoring coral bleaching, which occurs when sea temperatures rise above normal limits.

The Bahamas Department of Fisheries is creating a network of protected marine reserves and is working with the Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation, the Bahamas National Trust, the Nature Conservancy and, interestingly, has a major sponsor from the tourism industry.