The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

ENVIRONMENTALISTS are scrambling to save corals at a renowned scuba diving spot in Abaco that has contracted the deadly Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD).

The Perry Institute for Marine Science described the development as a “crushing blow to marine conservation in The Bahamas”, calling the site in Abaco one of the country’s “most treasured and vibrant dive sites”.

In a statement yesterday, Perry Institute said Sandy Cay Reef, a spot within the Pelican Cays Land and Sea Park in Abaco, is the latest victim of the coral pandemic.

Marine scientists discovered that the disease infiltrated the reef in March, “wreaking havoc on its families diverse array of corals, including the colossal pillar and mountainous star colonies that have flourished there for centuries.”

The Perry Institute previously revealed that the Sandy Cay Reef has the highest living coral cover of any reef surveyed in The Bahamas.

Dr Valeria Pizarro, a senior scientist at the Institute leading the battle against SCTLD in The Bahamas, emphasized the gravity of the development, saying: “The discovery of SCTLD on Sandy Cay Reef is a significant setback to conservation efforts in The Bahamas. This is a rare and breathtaking reef, one that is beloved by locals and tourists alike. Its loss would be devastating to the entire community’.”

“Just weeks after the alarming discovery, Dr Pizarro’s team went back to Sandy Cay to administer life-saving antibiotics to hundreds of disease-stricken corals.

“They partnered with SeaKeepers International and Barton & Gray Mariners Club to operate from a liveaboard, affording them the time to conduct vital damage-assessment surveys as well. The fight continues as PIMS returns to Nassau to gather more resources for treating corals in the remote location.”

Dr Pizarro previously identified Grand Bahama, Abaco, New Providence, San Salvador, Cat Island and Andros as the islands most affected by SCLTD.

SCTLD is a bacterium first found in corals off Miami in 2014 which has since decimated coral reefs throughout the Caribbean. Within The Bahamas alone, the disease has spread to ten major islands.

Cha Boyce, executive director of Friends of the Environment, said: “As someone who has been diving on Sandy Cay Reef for over 50 years, it’s heartbreaking to imagine these once vibrant and kaleidoscopic corals becoming barren and lifeless. We need to do everything in our power to stop the spread of this disease and protect the future of our ocean.”