User:Alexdabuet/sandbox

Background
Jamaica is home to 479 square miles of coral reefs. Jamaica's coral reefs are a main attraction for tourism which accounts for 27 percent of its GDP. The reefs play host to 60 different species of coral. Due to Jamaica's economic reliance on its coastal reserves, the degradation of the coral reefs is much higher because of continuous habitat destruction.

Environmental Issues
The coral reefs are under threat due to environmental issues such as, overfishing, pollution, hurricanes, and disease. Since the 1970's, Jamaica's coral reef cover has declined more than 50 percent. In 2005, up to 95 percent of the coral was bleached in some locations.

Overfishing
Jamaica's coral reefs house 135 different species of fish. Between 1995 and 1998, fishing licenses increased by 68 percent for the Montego Bay Marine Park where 69 percent of fishers rely on fishing as their full-time income. In 1970 on Jamaica's north coast, trap fishermen set 1800 traps which was at least two times above sustainability levels. Fish density dwindled to 9.8 fish per 100 m2 between 2001 and 2006. Overfishing has reduced the herbivorous fish that keep algae populations in check and it has caused a phase shift from coral reefs to algae reefs. Today, algae covers 24 percent of the reefs where corals once stood. By 1960, fish biomass was reduced by 80 percent due to overfishing. Fish that are vital to coral reef survival, such as the Parrot fish, have been driven to near extinction. In addition, overfishing has also been linked to the disappearance of the black sea urchin, Diadema antillarum, which also helped to reduce microalgal presence.

Pollution
Sewage pollution has lead to eutrophication which results in an abundance of nutrients for microalgal populations to bloom The United Nations Environmental Program determined that 85 percent of the sewage entering the Caribbean ocean is untreated. This raw sewage contains dissolved inorganic nutrients, pathogens, heavy metals, and toxins that can cause coral bleaching, disease, increased mortality, and decreased coral growth. A study concluded that increased nutrients such as, inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus, doubled the probability of coral diseases and tripled the probability of bleaching. An increase of inorganic nitrogen was also linked to the presence of pathogens which can lead to coral mortality. The heavy metals prevent respiration and nerve communication within the coral which also leads to coral mortality.

Hurricanes
Major hurricane events include Hurricane Allen in 1980, Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, and Hurricane Ivan in 2004. In 2005, there were a record breaking 26 storms recorded that caused 26 events of bleaching in 16 of Jamaica's coral reef sites The hurricanes affected 68 percent of Jamaica's coral reefs and 38 percent of those corals later died. In September of 2005, up to 95 percent of Jamaica's corals had bleached, but only 50 percent recovered later on. As a result of the 2005 hurricane, microalgal blooms took over where the corals once were.

Disease
The Caribbean's coral reefs have been increasingly becoming diseased by 20 percent. Coral diseases can cause tissue damage or it could even destroy the entire colony. In 1980, white-band disease killed 95 percent of the Acroporid palmata and Acroporid cervicornis colonies which placed them on the Endangered Species Act. A 2010 study concluded that sewage runoff in was correlated to the white pox coral disease that destroyed the Acroporid palmata species.