The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

and FAY SIMMONS

Tribune Business Reporters

The Bahamas’ July water temperature had “a devastating effect” on coral reef ecosystems after being heated to a level 27 percent higher than the monthly average, an international tribunal has been told.

This was cited to the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) as one example of how global warming, fuelled by greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants, is undermining the ocean and marine environment of small island states such as The Bahamas.  

Payam Akhavan, professor of international law and senior fellow at the University of Toronto’s Massey College, who is representing The Bahamas and other members of the Commission of Small Island Developing States in the action, said: “For example, this July, the water temperature around The Bahamas was above 38 degrees celsius – 38 degrees celsius – for several consecutive days, up from a monthly average of around 30 degrees celsius.

“This has had a devastating effect on corals, bleaching and killing them, on such an extensive scale that these fragile ecosystems may be wiped out entirely.” The Bahamas and other Commission members, including Antigua and Barbuda, Vanuatu and Tuvalu, are seeking the Tribunal’s affirmation that greenhouse gas emissions are a form of ocean pollution given their impact on global warming, rising sea levels and other climate change-related effects.

The aim is to hold major developed country emitters accountable for their actions, and to remind them of their obligations to clean-up their act and meet climate change related commitments. The Bahamas’ coral reef ecosystems, which form a critical foundation for the tourism and fisheries industries, face multiple threats as illustrated by the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Sandals proposed Fowl Cay development in the Exumas.

“Coral species show some sign of disease, with approximately 15 percent to 25 percent exhibiting signs of a white fleshy film on the surface of the coral, which appears to be stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD). This needs to be identified before they are relocated and isolated from other corals for further treatment,” the EIA said.

“The coral communities were videotaped using a Go Pro camera in all survey areas. The initial indication was that the whole area appeared typical. However, on closer inspection there was live coral exhibiting white sections or what appeared to be sand covering sections of the coral. The coral species observed close to the proposed overwater structures showed similar white sandy patches and was also considered ‘suspicious’ for SCTLD.

“Upon further detailed investigation, it appears that Stony Coral Loss Disease (SCLD) is present in the offshore coral communities on small, isolated coral heads, in about approximately 15 percent of the corals. This needs to be continued to be monitored with an action plan developed to mitigate the spread of the disease.”

Rebecca Lightbourn, manager at Exuma Water Sports (EWS), yesterday said the corals reefs around Exuma are not as vibrant as they once were and warned that the negative effects of climate change will impact the entire country.

She said: “There are still some spectacular reefs, but definitely even the last time I went out, I did notice that it’s not as beautiful. It’s not as tropical, it’s not as bright as it used to be. And, unfortunately, this is something that is going to be a long-term effect of climate change. It’s got to be something that people start believing in because this is going to affect not just the tour companies; it’s going to affect all of us.”

The Perry Institute for Marine Science (PIMS) and The Bahamas National Trust (BNT) said the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park (ECLSP) is experiencing one of the most drastic coral bleaching events in recorded history after completing an exploration of the area.

Their findings showed that up to 100 percent of corals are bleached in certain areas, while even the most resilient reefs show a 50 percent bleaching rate. They indicated that the ecological and economic implications of coral bleaching were “profound” as global coral reefs contribute $2.7trn annually, with the reefs of The Bahamas alone potentially contributing up to $135m per square kilometre.

Ms Lightbourn said that for the past 17 years EWS has been offering tours around the Exuma cays and, while some reefs are still “absolutely spectacular”, others have lost their lustre. She added that many visitors are aware that other jurisdictions provide a better snorkelling experience so they no longer visit Exuma just to see the reefs.

She said: “We snorkel in the lower cays, just north of Great Exuma. There are still some reefs that are absolutely spectacular and better than I’ve seen in other places, but definitely there are others where you can just see that it’s not nearly as vibrant as it used to be.

“Snorkelling is always a nice bonus. It’s sad to say that people don’t necessarily come to Exuma for the snorkelling. People are almost well aware that there are other countries that are better for that now.”

Ms Lightbourn added that although visitors are becoming increasingly interested in eco-tours, during which they can explore the beaches and interact with animals, there are still people who want to snorkel the area and are sometimes disappointed by the reality of the coral’s health.

She said: “People are much more into eco tours now and they really want to see wildlife. They’re interested in the sharks, and in the fish and the dolphins, and we’re fortunate that we use those things currently. We’re lucky that we have so many beautiful beaches and that really is the focus of our tours

“But there’s always people who are on their honeymoon or this is their first beach vacation, and this is their first-time snorkelling. It’s something that people want to do and so they go in expecting that they’re going to be swimming in the tank at Atlantis, and it’s not always like that any more.”

A manager of a water tour company in Exuma, which offers snorkel and diving packages, said coral bleaching is the worst he has seen in 12 years. Speaking to Tribune Business anonymously, he said visitors come to The Bahamas to see the corals and the animals that thrive off them, and their demise would be a blow to the tourism industry.

He said: “I’ve seen an astounding amount of bleaching in shallow corals, even in some deeper areas. It’s the worst I’ve seen in 12 years or so. If we continue to see these adverse effects of climate change on the coral it would be a direct hit to business because a huge chunk of industry is tourism.

“People are coming to see those beautiful coral reefs and, subsequently, the aquatic life that inhabit them and frequent them. So if there’s no coral reefs, no fish, nothing pretty to see, it makes it not as worthwhile to come. It would cause a plummet in visitors subsequently, as well income for operators like myself and others.”

He added that bleached coral can regenerate once conditions improve, and is hopeful this year’s high summer temperatures will not reoccur. “Bleaching is not necessarily the death of coral. It’s just a chemical reaction in the coral trying to bring itself to a recessive state to hopefully regenerate once conditions are better,” he said.

“So hopefully conditions better themselves to where the water temperature drops enough for the corals to regenerate themselves and we hopefully don’t have another spell like this for the foreseeable future.”