Coral community decline at a remote Caribbean island: Marine no-take reserves are not enough

Published source details Coelho V.R. & Manfrino C. (2007) Coral community decline at a remote Caribbean island: Marine no-take reserves are not enough. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 17, 666-685.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Designate a Marine Protected Area and prohibit all types of fishing and collection Action Link

Designate a Marine Protected Area and prohibit all types of fishing and collection

A replicated, site comparison study in 1999–2004 in nine marine sites around the coast of Little Cayman Island in the Caribbean Sea (Coelho & Manfrino 2007), found that during a period of hurricane events, protected areas that prohibited all types of fishing and collection showed similar decreases in live coral cover compared to unprotected sites, while coral bleaching and coral disease similarly affected both protected and unprotected sites. Average live coral cover decreased at similar levels both inside the four marine no-take reserves (from 1999: 29% to 2004: 19%) and the five non-protected marine sites (from 1999: 24% to 2004: 14%). Coral disease prevalence was similar inside protected and unprotected sites each year (see paper for details). Bleaching in protected areas was lower in comparison to non-protected areas in 1999, but the reverse was observed in 2002 (see paper for details). Nine sites were selected, four marine no-take reserves (protected since the mid-1980s) and five non-protected marine sites. In summer months in 1999–2004 randomly placed 10m transects (8-15) were surveyed per site (9-13 m deep) to measure hard coral cover, diversity, size and disease presence. In 2002-2004 Little Cayman was impacted by multiple hurricanes and tropical storms.

(Summarised by: Silviu Petrovan)