Nicaragua
Little is known of the extensive reefs and coral communities that grow along the Caribbean coastline of Nicaragua. [1] The continental shelf, the broadest shelf in the wider Caribbean, can be roughly divided into three zones, in which approximately 870 sq km of coral reef are found. These are the nearshore shelf (from the coast to 25 km), the central shelf (from 25 km offshore to the edge of the shelf), and the shelf edge. [2] Reef development is relatively poor in waters less than 10 km from the coastline. Ninety percent of Nicaragua’s watersheds drain towards the east coast through 11 major rivers. The Rio San Juan, Rio Escondid, Rio Grande de Matagalpa, and Rio Coco discharge high volumes of fresh water and sediment during the rainy season. Beyond 10 km in the nearshore shelf exist a number of small cays - Pearl Cays, the largest, and the Man O’War, Tara, and Kings Cays. The central shelf has the largest reef formations, located in the Miskito Cays and the Corn Islands, which are also the best studied; they are well developed compared to those of the nearshore. On the outer continental shelf, there is little information that is not anecdotal regarding the coral distribution patterns, and no information is available on human impacts on reefs there.
The Reefs at Risk analysis rates about 15 percent of Nicaragua’s reefs to be threatened by human activities. With the majority of reefs being far away from the continental coastline, the analysis found low threat for coastal development, sedimentation and marine-based pollution (4 percent, 1 percent and 1 percent respectively). In addition, because of its remoteness from the rest of the country and because of its long history of civil war, Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast has remained relatively undeveloped. Less than 10 percent of the population live on the coast, and population densities are low. [3] However, untreated sewage, fish processing, and industrial activities have resulted in poor water quality around coastal communities and inhabited cays. About 15 percent of Nicaragua’s reefs were threatened by overfishing. Threat levels are typically higher on nearshore reefs.
Increased deforestation has led to high erosion in many of the watersheds. Sedimentation and eutrophication from deforestation in neighboring Honduras are damaging the Miskito Coast Marine Reserve. [4] Until recently, the primary threat to coral has been the periodic tropical storms and seawater warming events. Several particularly strong hurricanes have hit the shelf in the last 35 years.
National legislation and institutional framework to conserve coral reefs are lacking. [5] There is poor coordination and data sharing among monitoring programs, with few successes in using the data for conservation decision-making. Most government agencies lack the funds and capacity for extensive monitoring programs. [6]
[1] P. Almada-Villela et al., “Status of Coral Reefs of Mesoamerica,” in Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2002. C. Wilkinson, ed. (Townsville: Australian Institute of Marine Science, 2002), p. 306
[2] S.C. Jameson et al., “Nicaragua: Caribbean Coast” in Seas at the Millennium: An Environmental Evaluation. Vol 1 Regional Chapters: Europe, The Americas and West Africa. C.R.C. Sheppard, ed. (Oxford, UK: Elsevier Press, 2000).
[3] UNESCO, CARICOMP - Caribbean Coral Reef, Seagrass and Mangrove Sites (Paris: UNESCO, 1998), p. 96.
[4] P. Almada-Villela et al., “Status of Coral Reefs of Mesoamerica,” in Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2002. C. Wilkinson, ed. (Townsville: Australian Institute of Marine Science, 2002), p. 313
[5] P. Almada-Villela et al., “Status of Coral Reefs of Mesoamerica,” in Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2002. C. Wilkinson, ed. (Townsville: Australian Institute of Marine Science, 2002), p. 317
[6] P. Almada-Villela et al., “Status of Coral Reefs of Mesoamerica,” in Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2002. C. Wilkinson, ed. (Townsville: Australian Institute of Marine Science, 2002), p. 315
