How Coral Bleaching Threatens Caribbean Communities

University of California-Berkeley. “How Coral Bleaching Threatens Caribbean Communities.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 21 Feb. 2019,

Coral Bleaching in the Caribbean is caused by warming ocean temperatures.
- Coral polyps expel zooxanthellae bacteria when temperatures rise causing animal starvation
Bad news for the reef ecosystem and communities that depend on them
Bleaching events have become more common and will only worsen
Independent Island Nations are less vulnerable to the effects of bleaching events because they are less economically dependent on the reefs.
- Better equipped to adapt to environmental changes
Island territories have high economic dependence on the reefs due to reef tourism, so vulnerability is higher
Findings of the study will help decision makers and resource managers take action to reduce the negative impacts of bleaching events on island communities
Actions could include implementing fishing regulations (protect fish species), enacting land use policies and farm practices (improves water quality), establishing environmental monitoring programs, and promoting economic diversification
This article combines environmental problems with economic and sustainability problems in the Caribbean.

Introduction to Environmental and Sustainability Studies