The Belize Barrier Reef System is the largest continuous reef system in the Western Atlantic, spreading over 250 kilometers along the coast of Belize. The reef encloses about 6,000 square kilometers of lagoon, and is home to a tremendous amount of plant and animal diversity; there are over 500 species of fish, 100 different types of coral species, and hundreds of invertebrate species (Maidens & Burke, 2005).
Historical State of the Ecosystem: Coral Bleaching
Historically,
the Belize Barrier Reef System has been greatly impacted by two incidents of widespread
coral bleaching. According to Gonzalez (2004), coral bleaching is a reaction of
the coral to environmental stress, and occurs when the coral lose their
symbiont algae (zooxanthellae) and turn white. This whitening is problematic
because the photosynthetic zooxanthellae provide energy and oxygen for the formation
of the calcium carbonate skeleton that shapes the coral colony (Gonzalez, 2004).
Scientists believe that global climate change is responsible for most
incidences of coral bleaching, and evidence from the mass bleaching events in
Belize during the 1990s supports this claim; the 1990s were the warmest decade
on record with a series of major El Nino events (Aronson, Precht, Toscano &
Koltes, 2002).
The
first coral bleaching incident occurred in 1995, and resulted in an estimated
10% mortality of the coral colonies, according to a report by the Coastal Zone
Management Institute of Belize (Handwerk & Hafvenstein, 2003). The second
coral bleaching incident occurred in 1998, resulting in a 48% reduction in live
coral cover in the Belize Barrier Reef System (Handwerk & Hafvenstein,
2003). This damage to the reef in 1998 correlated with warmer temperatures,
especially in Channel Cay where most of the bleaching took place (Aronson et.
al., 2002). Further, a greater percentage of coral was destructed in 1998 than
in 1995 because of Hurricane Mitch, a Category 5 storm. Three other
hurricanes—in 2000, 2001, and 2009—also damaged the Belize coral reefs, but the
damage was not as significant as in 1998; since early 1999, the coral cover has
remained relatively stable with slow recovery (Gonzalez, 2004).
Current Human Impacts on the Ecosystem: Ugly!
Although rising ocean temperatures and hurricanes are arguably to blame for most damage to the Belize Barrier Reef ecosystem, humans also impact the ecosystem in numerous negative ways. According to Maidens & Burke (2005), some of these impacts include marine-based pollution and tourism. Marine-based activities damage coral reefs via anchor damage; pollution from ports, including oil spills; and the dumping of waste (Maidens & Burke, 2005). While tourism is one of Belize’s greatest sources of income, cruise ships pose a threat to reefs by crushing reefs with their anchors and propellers, polluting the water with oily bilge water, and polluting the air with exhaust (Gonzalez, 2004).  |
| Mangroves being bulldozed in Belize |
Then
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Now
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Marine based pollution
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In the 1980s, the reef’s main
source of damage was hurricanes.
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Divers and boats have damaged the
reefs; marine based pollution has resulted in increased algae growth, as well
as decreases in fish, bird, and sea turtle populations.
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Tourism
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Enacted Belize Cruise Tourism
Policy in 1997; allowed a set number of cruise ship tourists to arrive by
cruise per day.
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By 2001, 5x as many tourists were
arriving by cruise (as was permitted by policy). Policy was revised in 2003,
but is still not being strongly enforced and regulated.
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Overfishing
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In 2002, regulations were put in
place to protect 11 spawning sites and created a 4 month closed season for
grouper fishing.
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Spawning sites are still at risk
due to lack of enforcement & awareness of the regulations. Many of the
spawning sites have become inactive or reduced.
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Coastal Development
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Mangroves flourished and there
was clean water along the coast.
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In order to build housing and
tourist development projects, mangroves have been bulldozed. As a result, the
coastline has reduced protection from hurricanes, and the water has been
polluted by sediment runoff, among numerous other issues.
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The following maps, taken from the Belize Coastal Threat Atlas (Maidens & Burke, 2005), model a few of the human impacts on the ecosystem:
Fishing in Belize:
Coastal Development in Belize
Fishing in Belize:
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Research indicates that the future prospects for the Belize Barrier Reef ecosystem are grim. Future prospects seem bleak because data indicates that increased ocean temperatures—which are projected to rise in the future—are the root cause for coral bleaching (Handwerk & Hafvenstein, 2003). Gonzalez (2004) asserts that computer models for the next 100 years indicate that unless global warming is stopped, coral bleaching will become more severe and recurrent, potentially resulting in “a complete global loss of corals in most areas by 2100… however the Caribbean reefs could be one of the first regions to experience annual bleaching events by the year 2020” (p.18). Additionally, further damage to the corals is predicted to increase with the frequency and intensity of hurricanes, which are also positively correlated with global warming (Gonzalez, 2004). In addition to natural impacts on the ecosystem, the prospects of the ecosystem appear unpromising because many of the human impacts like tourism, pollution, and coastal development are not being well regulated, thereby not only affecting the Belize Barrier Reef, but also contributing to global warming (through GHG byproducts).
Improving & Maintaining Human Impacts on the Ecosystem
To maintain and improve the human impacts on the ecosystem, the protected areas of the ecosystem should continue to be effectively managed and reinforced. In the Belize Barrier Reef ecosystem, there is a system of 13 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which are managed by both governmental and non-governmental organizations. In addition to the MPAs, there is also a system of 11 Species Aggregation Sites (SPAGS) that have been declared as marine reserves, 7 of which have been declared as World Heritage Sites (Maidens & Burke, 2005). Moving forward, it is important to protect the existing MPAs and SPAGs from human impacts (like tourism, pollution, overfishing, and coastal development) so that the corals will be resilient to climate change and have a greater likelihood of recovering from bleaching events. Further, since reinforcement of the protected areas is largely dependent on foreign aid, it is crucial to find a way to ensure that these areas will be protected in the future (Gonzalez, 2004). Finally, to improve human impacts on the ecosystem, it is crucial to educate people about coral bleaching and to raise people’s awareness of the affects they have on their ecosystem.
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| Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Belize Barrier Reef System |
References
Belize barrier reef reserve system. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/764
Wells, S. (n.d.). Case study 3: Belize. Retrieved from http://www.westminster.edu/staff/athrock/BELIZE/Reef.html
Gonzalez, C. Belize Institute of Environmental Law and Policy, (2004). Petition to the
world heritage committee requesting inclusion of the Belize barrier reef reserve system in the list of world heritage in danger as a result of climate change and for protective measures & actions. Retrieved from website: http://www.law.ufl.edu/_pdf/academics/centers-clinics/clinics/conservation/resources/belize.pdf
Handwerk, B., & Hafvenstein, L. (2003, March 25). Belize reef die-off due to climate
change?. Retrieved from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/03/0325_030325_belizereefs.html
Koltes, K. H. (2002). The 1998 bleaching event and its aftermath on a coral reef in Belize.
Marine Biology, (141), 435-447. doi: 10.1007/s00227-002-0842-5
Maidens, J., & Burke, L. (2005). Belize coastal threat atlas. Retrieved from
Young, C. (2008, March 03). Belize's ecosystems: Threats and challenges to conservation in belize. Retrieved from http://tropicalconservationscience.mongabay.com/content/v1/08-03-03-Young.htm
