Proceedings of the Caribbean Acropora Workshop: Potential Application of the US Endangered Species Act as a Conservation Strategy

The widespread degradation and loss of the main reef-building corals, elkhorn coral and staghorn coral, on coral reefs in Florida and throughout the Caribbean was the focus of a three-day workshop held at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS). The workshop was sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA Fisheries) to obtain status reports about the distribution and abundance of these corals in the Caribbean, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Workshop participants included coral reef biologists, ecologists and geologists, resource managers and policy experts from the U.S. and wider Caribbean, with representation by Federal, State, Territorial governments, universities and non-government organizations. Elkhorn and staghorn corals are the two major reef building corals in Florida and throughout the Caribbean that once formed dense thickets at shallow and intermediate depths, contributing significantly to reef growth, island formation, coastal protection, fisheries habitat and biodiversity of Caribbean reefs. Their decline has changed many coral reefs from spectacular three-dimensional living structures to flat “parking lot” stretches of seascape. Reports heard at the workshop added to the building body of evidence that elkhorn and staghorn corals have declined significantly in abundance from their historical levels and throughout their range across the Caribbean region. Disease outbreaks were identified as a major cause of coral loss, but habitat degradation, storm damage, coral bleaching, outbreaks of predators, competition by encrusting and bioeroding organisms, physical damage from anchoring and ship groundings, and other human impacts have also killed large amounts of coral. As recently as the 1980s these corals were a common feature of many reef environments, where they formed dense thickets and extensive stands of healthy, fast-growing coral. The loss of these species will result in a major loss of reef function and structure, and may contribute to accelerated coastal erosion. Elkhorn (Acropora palmata) and staghorn (Acropora cervicornis) corals were added to the Candidate Species List of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1999 by NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The main intent of the workshop was to gather additional information on the status of these corals, how effective existing measures are at protecting these species, and additional conservation strategies that need to implemented to restore these species. Four working groups were established and charged with evaluating the: 1) status and trends of elkhorn and staghorn coral populations and threats affecting surviving corals; 2) biology and ecology of the species as it affects future trends and potential rebuilding of the species; 3) management options to conserve the species; and 4) information needs to aid in their conservation. In addition to the specific recommendations developed by the working groups, all participants agree that a major, well-organized effort is needed to systematically identify the causes of the decline, pull together what’s been done, and determine exactly what needs to be done to halt the loss of these species; improve the ecological and physical conditions of these reefs so they can once again support elkhorn coral and staghorn coral populations; and develop strategies to promote coral recruitment and restore degraded coral populations.

Proceedings of the Caribbean Acropora Workshop: Potential Application of the US Endangered Species Act as a Conservation Strategy

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