Jamaican coral reefs
Main Contributors:
Albert Norström
Other Contributors:
Summary
The archetypical example of a coral reef regime shift is the dramatic transition from coral dominance (52% coral cover, 4% algal cover) to macroalgal dominance (2% coral cover, 92% algal cover) which occurred on Jamaican reefs in the 1980s as a result of the synergistic impacts of overfishing, hurricane damage and disease. Similar examples of coral-macroalgae shifts have been observed across the Caribbean region, throughout the Eastern-Pacific, Indian Ocean and on the Great Barrier Reef.
Type of regime shift
Ecosystem type
- Marine & coastal
Land uses
- Large-scale commercial crop cultivation
- Fisheries
- Mining
- Tourism
Spatial scale of the case study
- Local/landscape (e.g. lake, catchment, community)
Continent or Ocean
- North America
Region
- Caribbean
Countries
- Jamaica
Locate with Google Map
Key References
-
Hughes TP. 1994. Catastrophes, phase-shifts, and large-scale degradation of a Caribbean coral reef. Science 265, 1547-1551.
Citation
Albert Norström.
Jamaican coral reefs.
In: Regime Shifts Database, www.regimeshifts.org.
Last revised 2011-03-03 10:08:25 GMT.
