Central Caribbean Marine Institute,

Enhancing Capacity for Coral Reef Resilience Management in the Cayman Islands

2014

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

"A vulnerability assessment framework was used to compare reef sites in the Cayman Islands. The framework combined both exposure and resilience to assess relative vulnerability. Remote sensing data and climate models were used to map historic and projected future exposure to disturbances in the Cayman Islands. These analyses suggest that of the three Cayman Islands, Little Cayman has been the least exposed to temperature stress (last 30 years) and is projected to have the latest exposure to annual bleaching conditions in the future. We conducted in-water surveys of sessile, benthic reef organisms (e.g. corals, algae, sponges) and of fish at 16 sites around Little Cayman. These extensive surveys detailed the distribution of five Ecologically Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE)coral species, two IUCN Red Listed coral species, and their surrounding community structures. The remote sensing and in-water data were incorporated into our ecological assessment which identified those habitats that may be more capable of buffering the potential impacts of climate change. Sites with greater resilience are higher priorities for conservation, are more suitable for bleaching monitoring and recovery surveys, and are expected to have higher survivorship during reef restoration/coral translocation. Our results were discussed in a workshop setting with Cayman Islands Department of Environment staff and are being used to defend their proposed MPA boundary expansions."

FY2014 NFWF Project ID 0302.14.043142; Project Title: Enhancing Capacity for Coral Reef Resilience Management in the Cayman Islands;