2017 Undergraduate Research Day

Mangrove threats and conservation in Galleon Fish Sanctuary, south coast Jamaica

Second place poster presentation winner!

 

Mangrove forests provide many functions for healthy coastal ecosystems. Mangroves function as sediment traps to prevent coastal erosion and protect coral reefs, physical barriers to storm waves, habitats for juvenile fish and benefits for education and tourism. In general, threats to mangrove forests include sea level rise, harvesting, pollution, wave attack and storm surges, and shoreline erosion. This study examines the threats to mangrove forests along the south coast of Jamaica in Galleon Fish Sanctuary near Black River in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica. The main threat was found to be the loss of mangrove wetland area due to shoreline erosion caused by sea level rise and storm wave attack. Global warming is predicted to increase hurricane intensity and storm wave heights in the Caribbean. Local community groups are implementing mangrove restoration programs in Galleon to off-set these losses. The threats of sea level rise on mangroves can help be mitigated by allowing the mangrove forests to move further inland with the rising sea and in order for this to happen effective land management and planning must be enacted.

Assessing coral reefs threats and remediation techniques on the south coast of Jamaica

Coral reefs play an integral role in the environment, economy, and society of Jamaica. Reef systems face a distinct set of threats from both local and global sources including tourism, overdevelopment, pollution, sedimentation, overfishing, and boat and diver disturbances. Global climate change is increasing sea temperatures resulting in ocean acidification and coral bleaching. This study examines reefs along the south coast of Jamaica near Treasure Beach and Black River in St. Elizabeth and Belmont in Westmoreland to evaluate their condition, main threats they face, and success of reef remediation projects. Coral affected by nutrient inputs from rivers was often overgrown with algae. The shallowest and most accessible reef examined was more degraded than the others. Artificial reefs and coral nurseries were examined in Bluefields Bay and Galleon Fish Sanctuaries. While issues like coral bleaching and algal overgrowth are problematic, it was found that the main inhibitor to healthy reefs and successful reef remediation projects is poverty, which results in insufficient funding for projects, lack of flexibility to avoid sensitive areas, and inadequate education about coral reefs.