SSI x Edges of Earth: Tackling The Coral Crisis at Roatan Marine Park
September 18, 2024
If you asked the average person to do a word association between "disease" and the year "2020," one very obvious answer comes to mind. However, there was another culprit at play during this tumultuous time – Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD). This pathogen coral disease, often likened to the pandemic for its rapid and widespread impact, has wreaked havoc on coral reefs from Florida to Central America and the Caribbean islands.
This coral disease has decimated coral populations, leading to what many divers and marine biologists describe as a gut-wrenching loss of biodiversity.
The outbreak of this disease in Honduras beginning in tandem with the land-based global pandemic, went somewhat unnoticed in the mainstream media but had catastrophic effects on marine ecosystems. However, it was back in 2014 when SCTLD was first observed in Florida, and it has been present in the wider Caribbean ever since.
This coral disease leads to extensive live coral tissue loss and mortality, affecting over 30 different species of hard corals in the Caribbean, especially brain, maze, and pillar corals. Areas once teeming with vibrant marine life transformed into coral graveyards, covered with algae and devoid of the colorful corals that once thrived. The Caribbean’s reefs, integral to both ecological balance and the local economy, faced unprecedented challenges as the disease spread unchecked.
SCTLD is a highly lethal and fast-spreading disease affecting over 20 species of stony corals, including brain, star, pillar, and starlet corals. It is characterized by the rapid deterioration of coral tissue, often leading to the death of entire coral colonies within weeks or months. The disease presents as white lesions on the coral, which ultimately leads to the coral’s tissue being completely stripped away until only the white skeleton is left behind. SCTLD can spread through direct contact and water circulation, making it extremely contagious, according to NOAA.
The worst part about this disease is that it is incredibly hard to cure at scale. Currently, there are no widely effective treatments that can be applied across entire reefs. The most promising methods involve the application of antibiotics and probiotics directly to the affected corals, but these treatments are labor-intensive and not feasible for large-scale application.
For instance, researchers have found that probiotics can slow down or halt the progression of active lesions when applied to individual corals. Other strategies include removing infected corals altogether to prevent the disease from spreading further or using physical barriers to isolate diseased areas. However, these methods are time-consuming and require significant resources, making it challenging to implement them on a broader scale. Divers have been tasked in some of the most heavily afflicted areas to deploy this method, but many accounts have left teams feeling defeated as this is not a feasible long-term solution.
In one corner of Honduras, there is a team dedicated to finding real solutions for this coral disease crisis.
Roatan Marine Park (RMP) is tirelessly working to combat SCTLD through both asexual and sexual coral restoration techniques that they have been trailing and testing ever since Roatan Marine Park was established back in 2005.
Roatan Marine Park is an organization that co-manages a critical conservation area dedicated to protecting the diverse marine ecosystems around Roatan, Honduras. Established with the primary goal of preserving the region’s rich biodiversity, Roatan Marine Park focuses on several key priorities, including coral restoration, addressing the impacts of climate change, and promoting social responsibility within the business value chain.
The Importance of the Roatan Marine Park
The park covers an extensive area, divided into three primary zones: the coastal zone (high tide line to 10 meters), the special marine zone (high tide line to 60 meters depth), and the buffer zone (12 nautical miles). Each zone plays a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance of the region:
- The coastal zone is vital for mangroves and bird species.
- The special marine zone supports a diverse array of corals, fish, crustaceans, and sponges.
- The buffer zone is essential for the conservation of sharks, marine mammals, and pelagic fish.
The Bay Islands National Marine Park (BINMP), encompassing 645,153 hectares, is the largest marine park in Honduras and contains a significant part of the Mesoamerican Reef (MAR), the second-largest barrier reef in the world. This park’s habitats are not only the foundation of local tourism and fishing economies but also crucial for the social well-being of the communities that depend on them.
The conservation of these ecosystems ensures the continued economic and ecological vitality of the region, benefiting both residents and visitors alike.
Because of how much damage has been done to the reef system here, Roatan Marine Park has determined that coral conservation and restoration are top priorities for the organization. Since 2019, the team has been creating coral nurseries where fragments of healthy corals are grown on structures such as PVC trees. These nurseries allow the corals to grow in a controlled environment before being transplanted back into the reef. This method helps to replenish damaged areas quickly and supports the recovery of the reef by introducing healthy coral colonies.
Regular maintenance, including cleaning and monitoring by volunteers and park staff, ensures the nurseries remain productive and effective in restoring coral populations. During coral spawning season, the intensity ramps up, with volunteers and staff diving three days in a row to witness the incredible event. A highlight for many is observing the star coral spawn. These hermaphroditic corals release both sperm and eggs, and each spawning event is truly unique, showcasing the varied behaviors and patterns among the corals!
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Diving around these 45 trees was like navigating a newly formed underwater forest. This area has become a site on the dive map, as it attracts squadrons of squid, cleaner fish of all kinds, sea turtles, conches, and even the occasional shark. It reminds us that there is potential for rebirth even where there has been a devastating loss.
In collaboration with partners like SECORE, Roatan Marine Park is also pioneering sexual coral restoration methods. This involves collecting and fertilizing coral gametes to produce genetically diverse coral offspring. By enhancing genetic diversity, this approach aims to increase the resilience of coral populations against diseases like SCTLD. During the coral spawning season, Roatan Marine Park teams conduct intensive monitoring and collection efforts, working three days in a row to maximize the success of fertilization and larval settlement.
Roatan Marine Park’s efforts extend beyond scientific techniques to include significant community involvement.
They engage residents, volunteers, and scuba partners such as Blue Island Divers, an SSI center, to assist with coral restoration projects. Recently, Roatan Marine Park certified 20 Advanced Open Water Divers through a grant aimed at enhancing the skills of local authorities and stakeholders. This initiative ensures that the community is well-equipped to contribute to conservation efforts, such as the aforementioned coral restoration, fostering a collective responsibility towards protecting and restoring the reef that has been hit hard by not only this but also by other human and environmental factors.
Considering Roatan Marine Park itself was established by dive operators who wanted to see this reef system protected for years to come, it is no wonder that the community continues to band together to work at these solutions day in and day out.
There was one site that Roatan Marine Park wanted to show us - a site surrounded with hope and optimism, amidst a lot of damage to a highly valuable system.
Cordelia Banks, once a thriving dive location, now serves as a critical research and restoration area. This area, which suffered severe bleaching, is not open to the public and is reserved for scientific studies. NGOs and volunteers work tirelessly to monitor and maintain coral tables constructed with PVC structures, fostering new coral growth. The efforts at Cordelia Banks are proving to be effective though, as this site has been identified as resilient and pivotal for coral restoration. And that is all because of the staghorns.
At Cordelia Banks, staghorn corals have shown a remarkable resilience and vitality that has drawn the attention of conservation organizations.
Staghorn corals, known scientifically as Acropora cervicornis, are crucial reef builders within the MAR. Their unique structure not only provides shelter for juvenile fish but also serves as a natural barrier, protecting coastal communities from strong waves. Unfortunately, the populations of these vital corals have dramatically declined across the Caribbean due to a massive die-off in the 1980s and subsequent bleaching events. However, one notable exception is the Cordelia Banks Wildlife Site in southwest Roatan, where staghorn corals have shown remarkable resilience. This site is home to an impressive number of these corals.
The Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL), a partner of the marine park, has recognized the site’s potential as a source for coral larvae to repopulate other areas of the MAR and has sponsored a genetic diversity study. Conducted by marine biologist Steve Canty and his team, this study aimed to understand the genetic makeup of the staghorn corals at Cordelia Banks. The findings revealed a higher-than-expected genetic diversity, crucial for the long-term survival and adaptability of these corals. This genetic diversity ensures that the corals can better withstand environmental changes and diseases.
The high genetic diversity of these corals makes them ideal candidates for restoration projects across the Mesoamerican Reef region.
Today, CORAL’s nurseries are meticulously maintained, with volunteers and staff regularly cleaning and monitoring the growing creatures. By providing a stable environment for the fragments to develop, the team ensures that the corals reach a healthy size before being transplanted back onto the reef.
Since 2023, Roatan Marine Park has introduced 36 new genotypes into their coral trees and out-planted 687 coral fragments, significantly restoring the reef.
The same methods are being deployed all around the world, from the Great Barrier Reef in Australia to the Florida Keys in the United States. For example, projects in Australia are focusing on creating coral nurseries and using advanced techniques like micro-fragmentation to rapidly grow coral fragments. In the Florida Keys, scientists and volunteers are working to restore coral populations by out-planting nursery-grown corals onto degraded reefs.
The decline of coral reefs is not just due to this "underwater Covid" though. It is directly linked to climate change, pollution, and overfishing, which has prompted a global response to restore these crucial ecosystems. Organizations such as the Roatan Marine Park, CORAL, and SECORE are at the forefront of these initiatives, employing methods and engaging local communities in conservation efforts.
By sharing knowledge and techniques across borders, global restoration projects aim to enhance the resilience of coral reefs, ensuring their survival for future generations.
As divers, the best thing we can do is contribute to these efforts. If we are exploring some of the world’s last remaining reef systems, we must contribute our time and passion to these projects whenever we can.
If you are planning a trip to Roatan, reach out to Roatan Marine Park to participate in their restoration efforts or work with SSI Training Centers who will take you to see the coral nurseries. As any diver knows, there is a huge difference between reading the facts and taking in the sights underwater in real-time.
Witnessing reef damage firsthand is startling. However, witnessing the work done by establishments like Roatan Mark Park is truly inspiring. By actively participating in these initiatives, we can help ensure that coral reefs continue to thrive while also gaining a deeper understanding of what is truly at stake.
Keen to visit Roatan?
Check out SSI’s guide to diving in Roatan to find the perfect, eco-conscious getaway for you:
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Andi Cross is an SSI Ambassador and lead of the Edges of Earth expedition, highlighting stories of positive ocean progress and how to explore the world more consciously. To keep up with the expedition, follow the team on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, and their website.