All posts tagged: coral bleaching

Sea of Life: We Have The Power To Restore Balance

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It is a huge honor to share with you our feature on Sea of Life documentary, a film debut by Julia Barnes.  Her documentary has won prestiges awards from International Film Festivals including: Winner Award of Merit Impact Doc Awards, Winner of Emerging Filmmakers Ontario 150 Film Challenge Water Docs, and the Cayman Islands very own Cayfilm. Filmmaker Julia Barnes spent over 3 years and visited seven countries to film her documentary.  The driving force that inspired Julia Barnes to make this documentary was from watching Rob Stewart’s documentary Revolution.  At 16 years old, Julia’s journey of filming her first documentary began and is a true inspiration.  Her bravery and tenacity is admirable.  She is a hero for committing to her passion for conservation, raising awareness about environmental issues and sharing what she learned through her documentary.  At the heart of her film, Sea of Life “dives into some of the most spectacular ecosystems on the planet, exposing both the destruction that’s happening in the ocean and the efforts underway to stop it,” says Julia …

Cayman Islands Coral Watch Programme

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On 23rd September 2017, the Cayman Islands Department of Environment (DOE) documented the first reports of a new coral bleaching event in the Cayman Islands.  Scientists have been investigating how widespread and intense the bleaching is across all three islands: Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.  A particularly striking find was on Andes Reef, north coast of Grand Cayman, where there were sightings of coral bleaching happening up to depths of 50 meters.  This year’s coral bleaching event has been meticulously monitored and documented by the DOE and they continue to gather data, photos, videos and conduct surveys to fully assess the impact.  As the DOE documents this stress response, they are paying close attention to 3 particular factors: 1.       Which locations of coral reefs are affected by the bleaching 2.       What species of coral are affected and which are remaining healthy 3.       What depths are bleached corals found For instance, some coral reefs on the west side of the island in shallow depths currently …

Project: Coral Tree Nursery

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“Over the past 30 years, coral reefs have faced major decline.” – Coral Restoration Foundation Some view the coral reefs as the underwater equivalent of a “rainforest” so to speak. Coral reefs serve to keep the balance of the ocean in check, act as both a haven and food source for marine life and a means of coastal protection during hurricanes. Additionally, the immense biodiversity of coral reefs is greatly beneficial to mankind, as it has intrinsic value not only to the environment but for tourism. Cayman’s dive industry recognizes the economic value our coral reefs bring to our islands and are keen to ensure the protection of our coral reefs to continue benefiting not only tourists but locals as well. In order to maintain a thriving economic value from our coral reefs, one must consider that negative environmental impacts can cause the economic value to depreciate. It is vital to maintain healthy coral reefs, not just from an environmental standpoint but also an economic one. Unfortunately, coral reefs are faced by multiple threats such …

Coral Reefs In Hot Water

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Photo Credit: World Wildlife Fund Australia   Brace yourself, for the third time a worldwide coral bleaching event is taking place.  A ripple effect has been set in motion.  Climate Change is causing the temperature of the ocean to rise and coral reefs are heating up and stressing out.  As a result, coral reefs are turning white.  Essentially, the coral bleaching is causing the coral’s white skeleton to be exposed.  The distressed coral reefs will have a negative impact on the eco-system and oceanic wildlife that depend on them. When corals are stressed by changes in conditions such as temperature, light, or nutrients, they expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissues, causing them to turn completely white. – NOAA Coral reefs are a life support system of the ocean.  They play a crucial role in keeping the balance of the ocean in check.  Coral reefs are a fragile eco-system and oceanic wildlife depend on them for their survival.  Reportedly, “This bleaching event could kill over 12,000 square kilometers (about 4,600 square miles) of reefs by the end …