Coral reefs
Many of Cuba’s coral reefs appear to be healthier than those elsewhere in the Caribbean, and for the most part, do not exhibit the widespread disease and mortality seen throughout the region, such as around the Florida Keys, Jamaica, and Mexico. There is great interest in better assessing the health of Cuba’s reefs, along with biotic and abiotic factors and human impacts, to provide insights that could be helpful for coral reef conservation policies throughout the region.
Photo credit: Florida Aquarium
On May 4th and 5th, 2016, CubaMar, in collaboration with Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) and HRI, organized a workshop that brought together members of the Coral Reef Working Group of the Trinational Initiative. Twenty-eight participants from the U.S., México, and Cuba representing 14 different government agencies, NGOs, and academic institutions met to define coral reef research priorities for the Gulf of Mexico and Western Caribbean region. For a copy of the workshop report, click here.
2018 coral reefs working group
2018 Coral Reefs Group Presentation