RESEARCH STATEMENT

At the Little Cayman Research Center, we are working to better understand what is causing the decline in the health of our reefs and what could contribute to a more resilient reef. Our goal is to establish the best protective strategies and to promote realistic solutions that will reduce the major threats by humans, so that reefs may be more resilient to the stresses caused by global warming and climate change. In addition, our goal is to communicate the knowledge we have gained to public and private entities and help make the changes that will reduce the reef's decline.

In 1999, CCMI completed a first regional survey of the reefs around all three Cayman islands. Drs. Carrie Manfrino and Bernhard Reigl led a team of 11 scientists and students in this survey of 49 different reefs sites around Little Cayman, Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac (see Manfrino, Reigl,et al, 2003).

Since then, surveys have continued around Little Cayman (see Marine Reserves or Coelho and Manfrino 2007, Marine Protected Areas are Not Enough). Ongoing research has shown major changes in the community structure. This has led to new studies to understand diseases impacting the reefs (see Coral Disease by Marilyn Brandt) and on the juvenile coral community to better understand reef resiliency (see Resilience & Recruitment by Carrie Manfrino).

Publications on bleaching events and effects in the Cayman Islands (see Coral Bleaching) and a new study on deep reefs (see Deep/Shallow Reef Connectivity) also provide a more complete understanding of the state of the reefs. Installation of the CCMI-NOAA ICON station, will add an important ocean observatory to Little Cayman’s reefs for scientists working on the reefs to gain a clearer understanding of natural variability and changing environmental conditions (see ICON).

Unfortunately, in 10 years, we have lost 60% of our reefs globally. In the Cayman Islands, we (CCMI) are attempting to address two of the greatest regional challenges, namely:

1) How will reefs survive rising ocean temperatures and climate change?
2) How can we protect what is left?

Numerous visiting scientists have been working on Little Cayman reefs, including Dr. Roger Hanlon who is working to understand the universal mechanisms of camouflage in marine environments (see Camouflage) and Dr. David Bellwood who has visited all the way from Australia to document herbivorous fish behavior (see Herbivorous Fish). He has recently shown that parrotfish are not the primary culprits in maintaining the balance of algae on the Great Barrier reef. Surprisingly, a batfish was doing the major work. Dr. Elizabeth Whiteman and Dr. Isabel Cote has explored sex selection and speciation among hamlet fish, and Drs. Marc Slattery and Michael Lesser have worked to understand deep reef biogeography.

For more details, see our full list of work, researchers and research projects.