Experts attribute coral loss in the Caribbean to multiple factors
El Dinero-August 6
The death of coral reefs continues to increase at an accelerated rate in the Caribbean, endangering other marine species and the protection of beaches and coasts. This was stated by Rita Sellares, marine biologist and director of the Dominican Foundation for Marine Studies (Fundemar in Spanish), on the program “Se Vale Preguntar” (It’s Worth Asking) with Amelia Deschamps. “In only 2 years we have seen a high mortality in our reefs. We had observed bleaching and some decline, but from 2020 to date we have lost almost 60% of coral coverage, not only in the Dominican Republic but also in the Caribbean,” stated the biologist.
Coral reefs are vital for the preservation of 25% of the world’s marine species, even affecting the food chain, Sellares explained. They also guarantee the production of sand for beaches and act as protective barriers against natural phenomena such as storms, hurricanes and tsunamis.
Experts attribute the loss of coral in the Caribbean to multiple factors, among them: the increase in water temperature as a consequence of climate change, which causes corals to expel the algae that give them color and serve as food, producing the phenomenon known as “coral bleaching”, which weakens them by stripping them of their natural resources.
