Summary of BREAM Report: Baseline condition of the coral reefs and fishes across three depth zones of the forereef of Bermuda.

 

Murdoch TJT, Murdoch JMH (2016) Baseline condition of the coral reefs and fishes across three depth zones of the forereef of Bermuda. BREAM: Bermuda Reef Ecosystem Analysis and Monitoring Programme Report, Bermuda Zoological Society, Flatts Bermuda. BBP-2016-237.

Link HERE

Synopsis

Bermuda’s coral reefs protect our beaches and coastal properties from erosion, and high coral cover and abundant parrotfishes make our coral reefs healthy. Predatory fishes like snappers and rockfishes play a critical role in maintaining reef health by eating the kinds of fishes which damage corals and promote healthy herbivorous (plant-eating) fish populations.

In this report, we provide clear evidence that historically abundant predatory fishes are rare and at critically low biomass levels on Bermuda reefs. The cover of corals remains high at forereef locations, but is lower at 30m depth, within the lagoon and particularly at nearshore reefs, where marine plants are overly abundant and plant-eating fishes are scarce.

Long-term monitoring is required to determine whether reef condition is stable or in decline across the Bermuda reef system. Unless we better manage and protect our predatory reef fishes, the health of our reefs will decline, reef erosion will increase, and beaches and coastal properties will suffer substantial damage from increasing storm wave erosion in the coming decades.

 Main Points

·     Bermuda’s coral reefs protect our beaches and shores from coastal erosion by storms and hurricanes, and provide appealing experiences for tourists.

·     Bermuda’s coral reefs are under threat from global climate change and ocean acidification.

·     Coral reefs are most resilient to these serious threats when predatory fishes including groupers and snappers, and plant-eating parrotfishes and surgeonfishes are abundant.

·     BREAM scientists measured the amount of corals, marine plants, plant-eating fishes and predatory fishes across all Bermuda forereef habitat in 2009 and 2011.

·     We found that while corals and plant-eating fishes are abundant, predatory fishes are much rarer than they should be.

·     Commercial and recreational fishing annually constitute only 0.7% of the economic value generated by the services provided by Bermuda's coral reefs to our society. Yet we manage the condition of our reefs as if they are primarily a fisheries concern.

·     Reef condition is really a tourism and coastal protection issue, and should be managed accordingly.

·     We can restore predatory fish populations by restricting the rate at which commercial and recreational fishers catch groupers and snappers, limit the sale of key predatory fishes during their spawning season, expand the seasonal prohibition and extent of protected spawning areas where necessary, and enhance marine resource enforcement.

·     We can improve the resilience of our coral reefs by recognizing that additional marine protected areas are needed for certain species and habitats, such as our patch reefs and inshore reefs.

If we ignore the critical loss of predatory fishes on our reefs, it is highly likely that our coral reefs will erode away. In an era of rising sea level, this condition will allow higher levels of storm wave impacts to threaten our coastal properties and beaches, while also reducing the visual appeal of Bermuda’s waters to both visitors and locals.