The Quantitative Assessment Of Reef Communities And Potential Sport Diver Effects On Selected Sites On Cayman Brac And Little Cayman
Miller J. 1993. The Quantitative Assessment Of Reef Communities And Potential Sport Diver Effects On Selected Sites On Cayman Brac And Little Cayman
The Sister Islands, Cayman Brae and Little Cayman (Fig. 1) have been the unspoiled jewels of the Cayman Islands for nearly 15 years. The variety and .abundance of live-animal cover make these reefs a popular location for sport divers; in fact, the percent live-animal cover at most of the sites in this study is among the highest in the Caribbean. These islands' remote .locations and controlled development have limited man-induced disturbance to their surrounding reef systems. Yet, as development and tourism increase, so too, will the pressures placed on these limited natural resources. The establishment of a quantitative baseline that describes the reef communities on these islands is an important first step in the proper management of these valuable resources. The objectives of this study were to: 1) Gather data on the species composition of reef/ dive sites on Cayman Brae and Little Cayman to establish a baseline of reef health. 2) Design and implement a system to evaluate and monitor the impact of divers visiting those reef/dive sites.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Miller, Jeff
- Date of Issue
- 1993-05
- Units
- BUIS
- Keywords
- Adverse impact, Cayman, Communities, Coral Reefs, Dive, Ecology, Ecosystems, Habitat, Human Impact, Impact Assessment, Management, Natural Resource Management, Planning