This story was originally published by Global Press Journal.
By Gabriela Meléndez Rivera, Global Press Puerto Rico
Vega Baja, Puerto Rico — Ricardo Laureano suspected that the elkhorn corals of the El Eco reef, north of Puerto Rico, had something special. In his 16 years of protecting and monitoring his growth, this coral worker —as he defines himself— has seen few cases of bleaching, a problem that is increasingly destroying more corals worldwide. Recent scientific findings prove him right. The reef it protects is key to combating the impacts of climate change on the archipelago.
A 2024 environmental and marine archeology study suggests that the El Eco reef has survived since pre-Hispanic times, potentially due to genetic variation resistant to bleaching. This phenomenon occurs when high ocean temperatures cause corals to expel the algae with which they photosynthesize, leaving reefs discolored. Local scientists think that El Eco's corals can be used to repopulate affected reefs and mitigate the effects of weather events.
“This is the last jewel discovered in Puerto Rico, in terms of coral conservation,” says Edwin Hernández, a senior scientist at the Marine Environment Society (SAM), an organization dedicated to the restoration of reefs in the archipelago.
To the naked eye, the elkhorn coral looks like an underwater hand trying to reach the sky. It is considered one of the most important corals in the Caribbean because it is the habitat of many species; in addition, due to its rapid growth and its location on the reef, it resists the onslaught of waves. The species has been classified as “threatened” by the Endangered Species Act since 2006 and, as the global temperature rises, its populations are more endangered. Although it resists bleaching better than other species and shows signs of reproducing and surviving at higher temperatures, it is not invulnerable to its effects.
2023 recorded the worst mortality from coral bleaching in the Caribbean since 1987. By October, mass bleaching was reported in more than 95% of corals in towns in Puerto Rico, in an “unprecedented” marine heat event, according to SAM technical reports.
All the elk-horn colonies died in Cabo Rojo, in the southwest of the archipelago, Hernández says; in other areas, only sporadic populations survived. In contrast, in Vega Baja, where the El Eco reef is located, coral mortality was only 1.7%, he says.
Ricardo Laureano notes, underwater, the measurements of elk horn corals off the coast of El Eco in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. This species has proven to be more resistant than others to rising sea temperatures. Photos: Gabriela Meléndez Rivera, Global Press Puerto Rico.
Weather anomaly
Mariela Declet, marine biologist and environmental archaeologist, explains the resilience of El Eco's elk horns through their history. Through zooarchaeological analyses, which study the skeletal remains of animals, Declet discovered that, centuries ago, these corals survived in temperatures similar to those of today.
Between 800 and 1300 A.D. there were changes in temperature and a high incidence of hurricanes in the Earth's Northern Hemisphere. There is evidence of a massive coral bleaching event between 900 and 1000 A.D. affecting the north and south coast of Puerto Rico. But, as Declet describes in his doctoral dissertation at the University of California, the corals in El Eco were able to adapt and survive.
Between 2008 and 2019, around 14% of the world's reefs were lost to bleaching. If measures are not taken to protect them, scientists estimate that 99% of these ecosystems could disappear by the end of the century. That would entail the loss of habitat for 25% of known marine species, as well as the collapse of the fishing industry and greater exposure of the coastline to the force of the sea.
Around the world, nearly 200 million people depend on coral reefs to protect themselves from storm surges and waves, as these ecosystems can reduce wave energy by 97% and reduce their height by 84%.
In the United States alone, coral reefs protect an estimated 18,000 people a year from flooding and, as of 2019, they had prevented about 825 million U.S. dollars annually in damage, according to a study published by the United States Geological Survey. The same document points out that the main island of Puerto Rico would face the most extensive flooding in U.S. territory if there were no coral reefs.
For Declet, the resilience of elkhorn corals in El Eco offers “a sense of hope” to conserve and reproduce the species.
In 2023, the Vegabajeño volunteer organization Promoting Sustainable Environmental Development (VIDAS), led by Laureano, transplanted some corals from El Eco on El Escambrón beach, in San Juan. The specimens have started to branch out and show resistance to high temperatures, says Hernández, who has monitored the area.
This exercise could be replicated in other areas of the Puerto Rican capital to prevent flooding. In 2023, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved $3 million under the Risk Mitigation Grant Program for the first phase of reef restoration off the coast of San Juan. Nilda Jiménez, coordinator of the protected species program of the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA), assures that the corals of El Eco are contemplated for this project.
However, given the accelerating rise in sea temperature, there is no guarantee of success, scientists acknowledge. “As we go, we don't know what will survive and what won't,” Declet says.
In October, the reef faced a bleaching event due to high water temperatures, Hernández says. According to their preliminary estimates, about 5% of the coral population has died.
Ricardo Laureano holds a precautionary flag with which divers alert ships to keep their distance in areas where they dive. Photo: Gabriela Meléndez Rivera, Global Press Puerto Rico.
Protect reefs
Even though El Eco's corals are considered resistant, it doesn't mean they always will be, Jiménez warns. For this reason, it considers it necessary to continue identifying resistant coral colonies and to bet on the protection of reefs.
A 2022 study by Rutgers University, the specialized organization Coral Reef Alliance and other institutions concluded that preventing water pollution, avoiding overfishing and eliminating other risk factors will help resistant strains to develop and repopulate other reefs.
In August of this year, the Puerto Rican government signed a law declaring the El Eco reef as part of the Vega Baja and Manati Submarine Gardens Nature Reserve. The measure guarantees annual funding of one million dollars to preserve elkhorn coral, among other species. Laureano, from VIDAS, also aspires to promote genetic variability studies, and monitor water quality and temperature, among other initiatives to prevent reef deterioration.
José Antonio Vargas, senator and petitioner of the law that protects the reef, tells Global Press Journal that the reservation declaration will allow “special care consideration” for elkhorn coral.
Meanwhile, Laureano, along with other volunteers from Vega Baja, are still working to protect the reef. Now that he knows why the corals he has cared for for years are so resilient, he has redoubled his efforts to keep them growing.
“I don't think we have the copyright to the Vega Baja super corals. It would be nice to be able to help more people.”
Mariela Declet, left, and Ricardo Laureano are preparing for the presentation of the first meeting to draft the Management and Regulation Plan for the Vega Baja and Manati Submarine Gardens Nature Reserve in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. Photo: Gabriela Meléndez Rivera, Global Press Puerto Rico.
*Gabriela Meléndez Rivera is an associate reporter for Global Press Journal based in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico.
*Global Press Journal is an award-winning international news publication with more than 40 independent news offices in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
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