Coral reefs in the Caribbean are degrading rapidly with a loss of ~50% in just 4 decades. The cause of this degradation is a combination of natural and human impacts (Wilkinson 2000). If present rates of decline continue, researchers project that 60% of Caribbean coral reefs will be lost over the next 30 years. The cumulative impacts from runoff, pol- lution, tourism overuse, destructive fishing and cli- mate change contribute synergistically to these re- gion wide trends. This Assessment finds the same is true for Curacao

The following five indicators were used to assess the health and condition of reef communities at each site: (1) the abundance of reef building organ- isms and their dominant competitors to determine if reefs at a location were growing or declining, (2) the abundance of coral recruits (juvenile corals) to assess the ability of a reef to renew itself, (3) the diversity, abundance, and biomass of all reef as- sociated fishes to assess the state of economically and ecologically important fish species around the island, (4) the abundance of mobile invertebrates such as lobsters and conch (not yet reported in this Assessment), and (5) water measurements to assess water quality for marine life and ocean users. Researchers conducted marine surveys at 148 nearshore sites around Curaçao

This is the last part of the Marine Scientific Assessment  The State of Curacao's Coral Reefs document. For part 1 click here, for part 2 here & for part 3 here. 

This document contains information on:

Appendix I: Methodology

 Appendix II: Local concerns related to coral reef

conservation and responses

Climate change

Marine invasive species

Lionfish

 Invasive seagrass

Threatened & endangered species

Corals

Fish

Sharks and rays

Sea turtles

Marine mammals

Inland bays: mangroves and seagrasses

Information about coral health and disease

Point vs non-point source pollution (septic seepage through groundwater vs sewage outfalls)
Pro and cons of coastal forti cation  (seawalls, breakwaters, etc.)
Invert data (Diadema, conch, lobster)

Information on pelagic fisheries 

References