Assessing Reef Health and Plotting the Path Forward
Coral reefs in The Bahamas underpin biodiversity, tourism, fisheries, and coastal protection. This report card scores reef health across islands using six indicators and a combined Bahamian Reef Health Index (BRHI).
At A Glance
- Overall status: Mixed. Only ~3% of sites rated “Poor,” but many are Impaired.
- Healthiest areas: Conception Island & Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park (ECLSP)—remote and/or well-enforced MPAs.
- Lowest scores: Western Bahamas (historic dredging) and developed hubs near New Providence & Grand Bahama.
Key Findings by Indicator
1) Benthic Index
- Average coral cover ~11% vs. macroalgae ~46%.
- MPAs generally show higher coral and lower seaweed.
2) Coral Condition
- Most reefs had >60% live tissue per colony on average.
- Grand Bahama & New Providence showed higher partial mortality.
3) Coral Disease
- Low overall prevalence (~1.2% of corals showed disease).
- Dark Spot & Black Band noted; localized outbreaks occurred.
4) Coral Recruitment
- 40% of surveys found no recruits.
- Most recruits were small brooding species; few major reef-builders.
5) Large Parrotfish
- Key grazers declining near population centers (e.g., ~40% drop around New Providence since 2011).
- Grazing keeps space open for coral settlement.
6) Grouper Index
- Nassau grouper is critically endangered; healthier populations inside MPAs.
Major Threats
- Hurricanes: Dorian (2019) caused severe damage in Abaco & Grand Bahama; broken corals and sediment burial common.
- Bleaching: Major event in 2015; some sites recorded 70–100% bleaching. Recovery increases later disease vulnerability.
- Coastal development & pollution: Sediment, nutrients, and chemicals reduce coral cover. Chronic petroleum leaks near Clifton Pier linked to large declines.
- Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD): Confirmed 2020; rapid spread with very high mortality in several species.
- Unregulated fishing (esp. parrotfish): Reduces grazing, boosts seaweed, lowers resilience.
What’s Working
- Marine Protected Areas: In Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park (ECLSP), coral cover ~76% higher than elsewhere; recruitment ~2×; grouper density/biomass significantly higher.
- Coral Restoration: ~25 nurseries growing 6,000+ fragments; documented staghorn/elkhorn increases at Abaco restoration sites.
Recommendations
National Actions
- Expand & enforce MPAs (target: ~20% nearshore waters).
- Manage more reef fish species (include parrotfish); improve compliance & enforcement.
- Sustainable coastal development: mitigation, wastewater treatment, invasive Casuarina removal.
Community Actions
- Choose sustainable seafood; avoid key reef-health species (e.g., parrotfish).
- Reduce pollution; dispose of waste properly; keep chemicals out of waterways.
- Restore habitats (e.g., mangroves) and replace invasives with native plants.
- Conserve energy to curb climate impacts.
Bottom Line
Reefs thrive where protection and enforcement are strong (remote MPAs) and struggle near development
and heavy fishing pressure. Recovery demands tighter protection, smarter coastal management, active
restoration, and safeguarding key grazers like parrotfish.
Report card data window: 2015–2019. Publication year: 2020.
PIMS & RRN Partner with Erica Lush in La Solitaire du Figaro
Racing for Resilience: PIMS & RRN Partner with Erica Lush in La Solitaire du Figaro From coral nurseries to Europe’s hardest solo offshore race; why our science belongs at sea.
Building Ocean Leaders in South Eleuthera
Bahamas Coral Innovation Hub • Education & Training Diving into Conservation: Building Ocean Leaders in South Eleuthera By Silia Woodside1,2, Natalia Hurtado, MSc.1,2,3, & Elizabeth Mao11 Cape Eleuthera Island School
Farewell to Our 2025 PIMS Interns | Rising Tides & Marine Conservation
Reflections on a Summer of Marine Science, Coral Restoration, and Ocean Education As summer comes to a close, our incredible interns share their experiences with the Perry Institute for Marine
The Secret Life of Viruses
The Secret Life of Viruses: How Microscopic Predators Could Save Coral Reefs At 25 feet below the surface, just off the coast of Vieques, Puerto Rico, something strange was happening.
New Reef Rescue Sites Take Root in Barbados and Grenada
Barbados Blue and Eco Dive Grenada dive shop owners Andre Miller and Christine Finney (Credit: Eco Dive) Reef Rescue Network Expands to Barbados and Grenada The Perry Institute for Marine
Summer love: how corals find mates and why it matters
Written by:
