Abstract
Knowledge of factors that are important in coral reef growth help us to understand how reef ecosystems react following major environmental disturbances due to climate change and other anthropogenic effects. This study shows that despite a range of anthropogenic stressors, corals on the fringing reefs south of Kingston harbour, as well as corals on fringing reefs on the north coast of Jamaica near Discovery Bay can survive and grow. Skewness values for Sidastrea siderea and Porites astreoides were positive (0.85 - 1.64) for all sites, implying more small colonies than large colonies. Coral growth rates are part of a demographic approach to monitoring coral reef health in times of climate change, and linear extension rates (mm·yr −1 ) of Acropora palmata branching corals at Dairy Bull, Rio Bueno, and Pear Tree Bottom on the north coast of Jamaica were c. 50 - 90 mm·year −1 from 2005-2012. The range of small-scale rugosities at the Port Royal cay sites studied was lower than that at the Discovery Bay sites; for example Rio Bueno was 1.05 ± 0.15 and Dairy Bull the most rugose at 2.3 ± 0.16. Diary Bull reef has for several years been the fringing reef with the most coral cover, with a benthic community similar to that of the 1970s. We discuss whether Jamaica can learn from methods used in other Caribbean countries to better protect its coral reefs against climate change. Establishing and maintaining fully-protected marine parks in Jamaica and elsewhere in the Caribbean is one tool to help the future of the fishing industry in developing countries. Developing MPAs as part of an overall climate change policy for a country may be the best way of integrating climate change into MPA planning, management, and evaluation.
Highlights
Knowledge of factors that are important in coral reef growth help us to understand how reef ecosystems react following major environmental disturbances due to climate change and other anthropogenic effects
Developing Marine protected areas (MPAs) as part of an overall climate change policy for a country may be the best way of integrating climate change into MPA planning, management, and evaluation
We discuss whether Jamaica can learn from methods used in other Caribbean countries to better protect its coral reefs in times of climate change
Summary
Velopment of these reef macroalgal communities [12]. Warming ocean (sea surface) temperatures due to climate change are considered to be an important cause of the degradation of the world’s coral reefs. Marine protected areas (MPAs) have been proposed as one tool to increase coral reef ecosystem resistance and resilience (i.e. recovery) to the negative effects of climate change. To manage coral reefs it is important to have an understanding of coral population demography-structure and dynamics. This involves the quantification of numbers of individual colonies of different size classes-the population structure-through time, in addition to quantifying coral growth rates, recruitment and survival. We studied recent non-branching coral population structure at sites near Discovery Bay on the north coast of Jamaica, and at sites near Kingston Harbour, on the south coast of Jamaica. We discuss whether Jamaica can learn from methods used in other Caribbean countries to better protect its coral reefs in times of climate change
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