Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: Coral Sick from Climate Change

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CARACAS, Mar 23 2009 (IPS) - More than 800 kilometers of coral reefs of Los Roques archipelago, a Caribbean paradise covering 225,00 hectares just 180 km north of Caracas, are at risk due to the warming of their marine environment. It will lead to “bleaching, which affects its cells, hinder reproduction and make them more vulnerable to diseases, like white-, yellow-, black-, and red-band, dark-spot disease and white pox,” Juan Carlos Fernández, director of Los Roques Scientific Foundation, told Tierramérica.

“Monitoring in the area should be maximized. Tourist who go diving are tempted to touch it or take a piece of coral as a souvenir,” he added.

The reefs of Los Roques and other archipelagos are essential as habitat and reproduction sites for marine species like grouper (Serranidae), snapper (Lutjanidae), grunt (Haemulon plumierii) or Atlantic mackerel (Scomberomorus).