Reef
Coral reefs provide some of the most valuable ecosystem services for the islands. They are a driver of tourism, they protect against storms, and support local fisheries. To follow the health of the coral reefs a number of locations on each island are photographed each year, providing a systematic snapshot of ecosystem health and insight into temporal trends in reef condition. The data contribute to our understanding of processes shaping coral reefs, and to actionable advice to policy makers, stakeholders, and communities.The Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network method (GCRMN) is used on St.Eustatius while Bonaire and Curacao have been using this method since 1973.
- St.Eustatius (Reef Health Index and sea bottom cover)
- Saba
- Saba Bank (sea bottom cover)
- Bonaire (percentage of living reef)
- Curacao (percentage of living reef)
St.Eustatius
Over the last two decades coral cover (amount of coral on the seabed) on Statia’s shallow coastal reefs has decreased rapidly. In comparison with the coral cover in 2000 less than one-fifth is left.
Reef health index (1999-2018)
After: Piontek (2015), de Graaf et al.(2015), Piontek (2016), Kitson-Walters (2017)
Annual distribution of Reef Health Index scores, derived from individual dive sites
Data provided by: the ministry of agriculture, nature and food quality & CNSI-NIOZ
Data analysis by: Wageningen University and Research after Piontek (2015), Piontek (2016), Kitson-Walters (2017)
Sea bottom cover
Saba
Data provided by: Sea Saba
Data analysis by: Wageningen University and Research
Saba Bank
Bonaire
Coral reefs are of great value to Bonaire. These attract dive and snorkel tourists, protect against storms and support local fisheries. Since the early 1970s the seabed cover by living coral has decreased. Even on the healthiest locations living coral cover went down from around 70% to below 30%.
Data provided by: E.Meesters, Wageningen University and Research
Data analysis by: E.Meesters, after Bak, Meesters, Bakker (1973 - present)
Curaçao
Data provided by: E.Meesters, Wageningen University and Research
Data analysis by: E.Meesters, after Bak, Meesters, Bakker (1973 - present)
- St. Eustatius - CNSI
- Saba - Saba Conservation Foundation
- Bonaire - Wageningen Marine Research
- Curacao - Wageningen Marine Research