This infographic aims to convey the main local pressures that the Caribbean UK Overseas Territories identify as priority concerns impacting their local reefs, and how these pressures threaten coral reef ecosystems. While not fully comprehensive, the list of priority local pressures was determined based on consultations with the Coral Conservation in the UK Overseas Territories (C-COT) Working Group, which is made up of UK Overseas Territory (OT) government and non-governmental organisation (NGO) members working toward marine conservation in their respective OTs. The priority pressures conveyed in the infographic include: Coastal Development, Waste and Wastewater Management, Fishing Activity, Boating, Shipping and Cruising, and Tourism.
These human-induced pressures have negative repercussions for tropical coastal reefs, which are illustrated in the infographic. These include: increased algae growth, sea urchin die-off, poor water quality, sedimentation on reefs, the loss of key species (such as pillar coral and grouper fish), the increased spread and introduction of invasive species (such as the lionfish), direct damage to reefs, and coral disease spread (for example stony coral tissue loss disease).
The priority pressures conveyed in the infographic, specific activities associated with these pressures, and their impacts on coastal reefs are detailed below.
· Artificially created beaches, habitat loss/destruction, coastal construction
· Sedimentation on reefs leading to coral smothering.
· Increased nutrients and waste in nearshore waters, leading to decreased water quality, increased invasive species and disease spread, potential sea urchin die-off, and more algae production on reefs.
· Domestic boating, cruise ships, golf courses, artificially created beaches, snorkelers kicking and damaging the reef.
· Increased nutrients and waste in nearshore waters, leading to decreased water quality, increased invasive species and disease spread, potential sea urchin die-off, and more algae production on reefs.
· Litter waste in the ocean and on reefs, impacting water quality and reef health.
· Direct damage to reefs from boat anchors, boat groundings, and damage from tourists.
· Ballast discharge from boat activity leading to decreased water quality, increased invasive species and disease spread, potential sea urchin die-off, and more algae production on reefs.
· Domestic boating, fishing gear left in the ocean and on reefs, overfishing, illegal fishing, or fishing out of season.
· Direct damage to reefs from boat anchors, boat groundings and fishing gear that is abandoned on reefs and becomes entangled in corals.
· Direct damage to marine species that become entangled in fishing gear that has been abandoned in ocean waters. This can contribute to the loss of key and/or predator species.
· Overfishing, illegal fishing or fishing out of season leading to the loss of key and/or predator species.
· Ballast discharge from boat activity leading to decreased water quality, increased invasive species and disease spread, potential sea urchin die-off, and more algae production on reefs.
· Agriculture and agricultural runoff, golf courses (fertilizer runoff), cruise ship and other boating wastewater and waste, industrial waste, sewage.
· Increase nutrients and waste in nearshore waters, leading to decreased water quality, increased invasive species and disease spread, potential sea urchin die-off, and more algae production on reefs.
· Cruise ships, Barges (importing or exporting goods), domestic boating.
· Direct damage to reefs from boat anchors and groundings.
· Ballast discharge from boat activity leading to decreased water quality, increased invasive species and disease spread, potential sea urchin die-off, and more algae production on reefs.
· Waste and wastewater released from cruise ships, barges or larger vessels, impacting water quality, invasive species and disease spread, potential sea urchin die-offs, and algal production on reefs.
As we face global issues of climate change our reefs are under more threat than ever. Increasing sea surface temperatures are leading to increased coral bleaching, which can cause massive coral mortalities; heavily impacting the entire backbone of coral reefs and causing negative repercussions for the entire ecosystem. To give reefs a fighting chance and improve their resilience against the impacts of climate change, we need to work with local communities to manage pressures facing reefs. Improving reef resilience will allow them to continue to provide important services (e.g. coastal and storm protection, food security, and tourism) that are vital for the coastal communities that rely on them.