Nearshore coral growth declining on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System

Nearshore coral growth rates have significantly declined over the past century on the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System (MBRS), while offshore corals remained relatively stable. This decline has caused nearshore coral extension rates to converge with those of slower-growing offshore species. The study, conducted by Baumann et al. (2019), analyzed skeletal extension rates of two common Caribbean corals, Siderastrea siderea and Pseudodiploria strigosa, using historical data. The decline is attributed primarily to long-term ocean warming and increased exposure to land-based anthropogenic stressors, with acute bleaching events playing a lesser role. If this trend continues, the structure and function of critical nearshore coral reef systems in the MBRS could be severely impaired.

Baumann, J. H., Ries, J. B., Rippe, J. P., Courtney, T. A., Aichelman, H. E., Westfield, I., & Castillo, K. D. (2019). Nearshore coral growth declining on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System. Global Change Biology, 25(11), 3932–3945. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14784