“In late 2023, Jamaica’s reefs were subjected to the deadliest coral bleaching event in history due to the longest and most severe heat spike on record as a result of the combined effect of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and anthropogenic global warming, with sea surface temperatures around the island lingering consistently above 29°C (which is the bleaching threshold) over the course of September, October and November. This resulted in a near-mass extinction event and the reversal of more than fifteen years worth of restoration efforts in the country. Recent analysis from Climate Central ranked Jamaica as highest of all 175 countries assessed in its Climate Shift Index, suggesting the island suffered more than any other in 2023. While coral bleaching is a stress response from which the corals can still recover, by the first week of October it was too late and almost all of Jamaica’s iconic, golden “elkhorn” and “staghorn” branching corals of the Acropora coral genus which are critical to ecosystem function, providing habitat for countless fish and crustacea, as well as shoreline protection and recreational diving and snorkelling, were dead.
“Citizens must urge their governments to keep fossil fuels in the ground and invest in wartime scale efforts to halve humanity’s footprint: an overwhelmingly exciting opportunity for circular economics, public transportation and careers in sustainable agriculture.” - @felixtheprotector

Artwork entitled Coral Duppy. Created in 2023.
A photo collage by @[email protected]

#savejamaicasreefs #climateactionnow #coralconservation #art #photomanipulation #collage