🌊 Cayman Islands' coral reefs under threat due to global bleaching

The Cayman Islands are at risk of further degradation of its local reefs due to another global coral bleaching event. Experts from the Department of Environment (DoE) warn that the islands' coral reefs are gradually dying, with fewer expected to recover each year. The islands are currently under a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) bleach watch, indicating increased vulnerability of the reefs due to rising sea temperatures. 🌡️

DoE Deputy Director Tim Austin stated that the bleaching events of the past year and the predicted one this summer signify a shift towards a consistent pattern of ocean warming. This trend leaves the reefs with insufficient recovery time between events, leading to mass reef degradation over time. Austin also highlighted that as sea temperatures increase and essential grazers like sea urchins and reef fish fall prey to disease and overfishing, algae levels rise, suffocating the corals. 🐠

Efforts are being made to slow down the degradation and build resilience in the reefs. Coral nurseries and coral banks are being developed to breed corals that can withstand the stressors of climate change. However, these initiatives are costly and challenging. The DoE is seeking support to expand their lab to include a larger, open-air coral-growing facility capable of growing thousands of corals at a time. Despite these efforts, the underlying issue of global greenhouse gas emissions, especially CO₂, remains the primary cause of the planet's warming. 🌍