The extent of coral bleaching, disease and mortality for data-deficient reefs in Eleuthera, The Bahamas after the 2014–2017 global bleaching event

Abstract

Given the rapid change in coral reef assemblages globally, quantification of coral bleaching events, disease prevalence and mortality is critical. Here we discuss observations on the status of coral reefs in Southern Eleuthera, The Bahamas following the 2014–2017 global bleaching event. A total of 37 unique hard coral species were observed from 1232 surveyed corals across five sites between 2016 and 2017. Overall (± SE), live coral cover was 28.2 ± 11.0% with 11.0 ± 1.6% of these corals showing signs of bleaching, and 2.0 ± 0.6% showing signs of disease. Results suggest levels of coral bleaching observed in Eleuthera are currently lower than some regions globally following the bleaching event. There was no significant difference among sites for new and old mortality types, suggesting regional and/or global scale drivers. More local scale studies, especially for data-deficient regions are needed for the development of regional and local baselines to support future management of local reefs and their fisheries.