After Months Of Record Sea Temperatures In Tobago, "Nearly All Coral Species There Are Fully Bleached"

TOBAGO's coral reefs, including the world-famous Buccoo Reef, are in "crisis", as bleaching of the coral has reached "level five" - the highest level of concern. This according to the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA), which will today host a forum at the Buccoo Community Centre, Tobago, looking at “The Status of the 2024 Mass Coral Bleaching Event and its Implications for Tobago”.

Tobago's coral reefs have for years been under watch for bleaching, with the IMA stating via Facebook on Tuesday that it was "saddened to report that nearly all coral species there are fully bleached". The IMA's ongoing assessments have shown that "key sites like Buccoo Reef, Castara, Culloden, and Mount Irvine have over 80% coral bleaching, with some critical species showing up to 95–100% impact".

The Institute said this was "due to record-breaking sea temperatures since August 2024".

In a social media post promoting today's forum, the IMA said "Tobago is at Bleaching Alert Level 5 - the highest level of concern".

EDIT

https://trinidadexpress.com/newsextra/alarm-over-state-of-tobagos-coral-reefs/article_1dcc6e12-a8b5-11ef-b99d-eb567445dd20.html