Click here for a short description of causes of natural and unnatural forms of physical habitat destruction. This description is provided by the Caribbean Coral Reef Institute.
Sedimentation
Click here for a short description about sedimentation and increased water column turbidity that can lead to the demise of coral reefs in affected areas. The description is provided by the Caribbean Coral Reef Institute.
Eutrophication
Click here for a short description about increased concentrations of organic material and nutrients that can also lead to the demise of coral reefs in affected areas. The description is provided by the Caribbean Coral Reef Institute.
Pollution
Click here for a short description about how pollution can contribute to the destruction of coral reefs in affected areas. The description is provided by the Caribbean Coral Reef Institute.
Invasive Species
Click here for a short description about how alien species can devastate coral reefs. The description is provided by the Caribbean Coral Reef Institute.
Lionfish (Pterois volitans) have been inundating coastal and the outer islands around Puerto Rico as they continue to spread throughout the Caribbean basin. The outbreak of these invasive fish in the Caribbean has been traced back to an aquarium that was damaged during Hurricane Andrew in Florida in 1992 accidentally releasing 6 individuals into the ocean. Since then, they have spread like wildfire. Below is the cover of a recent evaluation of the species within the first marine reserve on the mainland of Puerto Rico, the Tres Palmas Marine Reserve.
Click here to read the complete evaluation conducted in the Tres Palmas Marine Reserve.
Diseases
Click here for a short description about coral reef diseases affecting the Caribbean region. The description is provided by the Caribbean Coral Reef Institute.
