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Nature Foundation's first in-depth reef assessment found Sint Maarten's coral in poor but stable health
The Nature Foundation's first full analysis of its reef data since 2016 found Sint Maarten's coral reefs in poor condition but not significantly worse over seven years, with healthier reefs inside the Man of War Shoal Marine Park, according to the Foundation.
By SXM Daily ·
Reported 8 May 2024.
Sint Maarten's coral reefs were in poor condition but had not worsened significantly over the previous seven years, according to the Nature Foundation Sint Maarten's first in-depth analysis of reef health, released on 8 May 2024. The study used monitoring data the Foundation had collected since 2016.
Illustrative: elkhorn coral off Curaçao. Photo: Matthew T Rader / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
According to the Foundation, its staff survey seven reef sites every year, four inside the Man of War Shoal Marine Park and three outside it, following Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network guidelines. Detailed statistical analysis only became possible after it hired marine ecologist Dr. Laëtitia Mathon for its CORENA coastal resilience project. The work was funded through a RESEMBID grant facilitated by the Ministry of VROMI.
Key findings
According to the Nature Foundation:
- Coral bleaching frequency from August to November 2023 was 230% higher than in all previous years, after sustained high sea temperatures.
- More than 85% of surveyed reefs had critically low live coral cover in 2023.
- The weight of predator fish such as sharks, groupers and snappers was 231% higher inside the marine park than outside it across all years, though very few groupers were seen anywhere.
- Herbivorous fish such as parrotfish and surgeonfish were at critically low levels, and macroalgae cover was 76% higher outside the park than inside.
- Rates of coral diseases, including stony coral tissue loss disease, had stayed stable since the disease was first reported on Sint Maarten in 2018.
The Foundation said the marine park off Philipsburg had significantly more corals, gorgonians and sponges and healthier coral reproduction than the unprotected sites.
Why it mattered
According to the Foundation, the analysis was the first to use its full monitoring record since 2016. The difference between protected and unprotected sites was one of its clearest results.