- Thread starter CDNBear
- Start date
The Future of Sosua Coral Reef
There are coral nurseries in numerous locations in the bay and at 3 Rocks that are doing very well.
Similar projects like the one in Punta Cana have yielded good results but we still have to tackle the root causes.
Whatever killed the coral in the first place will kill the newly attached coral too. Nothing in the environment has changed.
The regeneration works well off the east coast of the USA..... old subway cars..... and in the Maldives
Regeneration seems a possibility
Oftentimes, the killer is a hurricane...
It's interesting reading - if it interests you
Regeneration seems a possibility
Oftentimes, the killer is a hurricane...
It's interesting reading - if it interests you
That was my thought as well.
Except that in addition the water was allegedly getting warmer, which also kills off corals. Really bad at the Great Barrier Reef, so they say.
But good luck to Sosua.
This is what they try,
Sosua for decades was a popular diving destination with cascading canyons and walls of thriving coral reef. In the last 40 years, the reef health has declined from 60% coral coverage to less than 10%. The region is completely overfished and the pollution from nearby Rio Sosua has put pressure on reef health.
Sosua Bay is now an enforced marine protected area which is allowing fish populations to bounce back. We are working with our regenerative partners to introduce recycling and water purification technology to the region which can improve water quality of the bay.
Mitigating the main causes of reef degradation
Climate change, pollution, overfishing and coastal development has led to a severe decline in coral reefs. We have lost over half of our coral reefs in the last 30 years.
We aim to mitigate the main causes of reef degradation by:
1. Making our sites marine protected areas (no fishing zones).
2. Introducing innovative recycling technology to the region through our partnership with Development Inc.
3. Improving water quality through low-tech solutions such as mud-balls and education, and more advanced water solutions through our partnership with MIGO.
www.globalcoralition.org
Sosua for decades was a popular diving destination with cascading canyons and walls of thriving coral reef. In the last 40 years, the reef health has declined from 60% coral coverage to less than 10%. The region is completely overfished and the pollution from nearby Rio Sosua has put pressure on reef health.
Sosua Bay is now an enforced marine protected area which is allowing fish populations to bounce back. We are working with our regenerative partners to introduce recycling and water purification technology to the region which can improve water quality of the bay.
Mitigating the main causes of reef degradation
Climate change, pollution, overfishing and coastal development has led to a severe decline in coral reefs. We have lost over half of our coral reefs in the last 30 years.
We aim to mitigate the main causes of reef degradation by:
1. Making our sites marine protected areas (no fishing zones).
2. Introducing innovative recycling technology to the region through our partnership with Development Inc.
3. Improving water quality through low-tech solutions such as mud-balls and education, and more advanced water solutions through our partnership with MIGO.
Global Coralition
www.globalcoralition.org
The main cause of dead coral in Sosua is humans...the scuba boats anchor on the coral.. that kills it where something touches it..when the scuba divers touch the coral that place dies.. I have seen a scuba guy walking on the reef.. the only part of coral that is alive is a thin layer on the top.. the main rule should be no contact......Doc.....
I dive here almost every day. The "scuba boats" tie off to buoys that are secured well off the corals. I would be happy to take you out and show this to you. Yes - the policy is do not touch anything. Every respectable dive shop here follows this. Again, I would be happy to take to to any of the dive shops and go over this. i am not sure how much you are on the water here in the bay or at any of the local dive sites but would welcome the opportunity to get together and discuss this. In fact, the majority of the "scuba shops" here are directly involved with coral regeneration.
...Been on those reefs for over 10 years ...as I live here...that coral gets little respect and it shows ..just compare it to 11 years ago...
You are correct that the main cause is humans. It the garbage that is washed into the ocean, it is the clear cutting that pushes the dirt and silt into the ocean, it is the blatant overfishing and lack of enforcement, it the rising water temperature, it is the indiscriminate development on the coast. What it is NOT, is scuba boats anchoring on the reef. The respectable dive shops here are very conservation minded - the corals are what drives the business. Yes, i have photos of the reef over the past 12 years here. Yes, it has deteriorated. However, people are making an effort to change the paradigm and conserve the resources.
The best thing that could be done is clean up Rio Sosua as much as possible.
Make an improvement in the water quality.
And is is something that is direct and can be done if there is a will.
I would hope that coral grow will take but coral needs a level of water quality to grow.
Make an improvement in the water quality.
And is is something that is direct and can be done if there is a will.
I would hope that coral grow will take but coral needs a level of water quality to grow.
The truth is that cleaning the trash from all of the rivers will help greatly. Even with the trash that comes down "Rio Sosua", the Charamicos end of the cove that contains Playa Sosua has the best coral growth.
Tides and currents.
Nothing like floating off Sosua Beach late afternoon into the sunset.
I am hoping the water quality is ok but in all likelihood it varies.
I do try to swim in and not drink it.