140
WORLD ATLAS OF CORAL REEFS
Protected areas with coral reefs
Site name
Jamaica
Designation
Abbreviation
lUCN cat.
Size ikm'i
Year
Bogue
Fisheries Sanctuary
FS
IV
na
1979
Middle Morant Cay
Nature Reserve
NR
na
na
na
Montego Bay
Marine Park
MP
1!
15.30
1991
Negril
Marine Park
MP
na
na
1998
Ocho Rios
Protected Area
PA
V
na
1966
Portland Bight
Protected Area
PA
V
1 876.15
1999
The combined effects of hurricanes and the regional
die-off of Diadema are particularly well understood in
Jamaica. Here, as elsewhere, the urchin was a major
herbivore on reefs before 1983. and its disappearance,
combined with severe hurricanes and white band disease,
has resulted in a dramatic shift in Jamaica's reef from
coral-dominated communities to those dominated by
algae. Hurricane Allen, in 1980, caused the destruction
of most of the dominant shallow reef-building colonies of
Acropora patmata and A. cervicornis, which led to the
temporary abundance of species such as Agaricia
agaricites, with smaller encrusting and plate-like growth
forms. There was a partial recovery from the impacts of
this hurricane and new coral growth was recorded.
However, the Diadema die-off led to considerable algal
growth, with small ephemeral species being replaced by
large macroalgae. leading to mortality amongst the
Agaricia species and preventing further recruitment by
juvenile corals. Hurricane Gilbert did destroy large
amounts of algae but the bare spaces created were more
rapidly reeolonized by algae than by the slow-growing
corals, suggesting that a new stable ecosystem had been
created which is algal rather than coral-dominated. White
band disease has further decimated Acropora populations
and, over the last ten years, black band and yellow band
disease have impacted some areas. Live coral cover at
multiple sites along the coastline declined from over 50
percent in the late 1970s to less than 5 percent in the early
1990s. By the late 1990s, coral cover increased again to
10-15 percent at depths of 5-15 meters, partly due to
increases in the abundance of Diadema in these shallow
waters. Deeper reefs have been less severely impacted by
these various events, particularly on the southern shelf
edge where some active Acropora growth continues. It is
postulated that increased herbivory could bring back the
former high cover of coral, but herbivorous fish remain
chronically overfished.
Jamaica's reefs have been well studied by scientists
for several decades, notably through the work undertaken
from the Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory. Efforts to
reverse some of the many problems facing the country
are beginning in some areas, and a number of marine
protected areas have been declared. Active management,
with full community involvement, .s being pursued in a
number of these, notably Montego Bay. Negril and the
recently declared Portland Bight Protected Area.
^^^^B
'-^
9 ^^^^U^^^
General Data
Population (thousands)
2 653
GDP (million US$1
/i383
Land area (km^j
11 OAA
Marine area (thousand km^l
251
Per capita fish consumption (kg/year)
17
Status and Threats
Reefs at risk 1%)
99
Recorded coral diseases
5
Biodiversity
Reef area (km^l
1 2i0
Coral diversity
36/57
Mangrove area (km^j
106
No. of mangrove species
5
No. of seagrass species
3
WORLD ATLAS OF CORAL REEFS
Protected areas with coral reefs
Site name
Jamaica
Designation
Abbreviation
lUCN cat.
Size ikm'i
Year
Bogue
Fisheries Sanctuary
FS
IV
na
1979
Middle Morant Cay
Nature Reserve
NR
na
na
na
Montego Bay
Marine Park
MP
1!
15.30
1991
Negril
Marine Park
MP
na
na
1998
Ocho Rios
Protected Area
PA
V
na
1966
Portland Bight
Protected Area
PA
V
1 876.15
1999
The combined effects of hurricanes and the regional
die-off of Diadema are particularly well understood in
Jamaica. Here, as elsewhere, the urchin was a major
herbivore on reefs before 1983. and its disappearance,
combined with severe hurricanes and white band disease,
has resulted in a dramatic shift in Jamaica's reef from
coral-dominated communities to those dominated by
algae. Hurricane Allen, in 1980, caused the destruction
of most of the dominant shallow reef-building colonies of
Acropora patmata and A. cervicornis, which led to the
temporary abundance of species such as Agaricia
agaricites, with smaller encrusting and plate-like growth
forms. There was a partial recovery from the impacts of
this hurricane and new coral growth was recorded.
However, the Diadema die-off led to considerable algal
growth, with small ephemeral species being replaced by
large macroalgae. leading to mortality amongst the
Agaricia species and preventing further recruitment by
juvenile corals. Hurricane Gilbert did destroy large
amounts of algae but the bare spaces created were more
rapidly reeolonized by algae than by the slow-growing
corals, suggesting that a new stable ecosystem had been
created which is algal rather than coral-dominated. White
band disease has further decimated Acropora populations
and, over the last ten years, black band and yellow band
disease have impacted some areas. Live coral cover at
multiple sites along the coastline declined from over 50
percent in the late 1970s to less than 5 percent in the early
1990s. By the late 1990s, coral cover increased again to
10-15 percent at depths of 5-15 meters, partly due to
increases in the abundance of Diadema in these shallow
waters. Deeper reefs have been less severely impacted by
these various events, particularly on the southern shelf
edge where some active Acropora growth continues. It is
postulated that increased herbivory could bring back the
former high cover of coral, but herbivorous fish remain
chronically overfished.
Jamaica's reefs have been well studied by scientists
for several decades, notably through the work undertaken
from the Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory. Efforts to
reverse some of the many problems facing the country
are beginning in some areas, and a number of marine
protected areas have been declared. Active management,
with full community involvement, .s being pursued in a
number of these, notably Montego Bay. Negril and the
recently declared Portland Bight Protected Area.
^^^^B
'-^
9 ^^^^U^^^
General Data
Population (thousands)
2 653
GDP (million US$1
/i383
Land area (km^j
11 OAA
Marine area (thousand km^l
251
Per capita fish consumption (kg/year)
17
Status and Threats
Reefs at risk 1%)
99
Recorded coral diseases
5
Biodiversity
Reef area (km^l
1 2i0
Coral diversity
36/57
Mangrove area (km^j
106
No. of mangrove species
5
No. of seagrass species
3