Turks and Caicos Islands
The Bahamian Banks underpin an extensive archipelago of islands, cays, and sandbank separated by deep ocean channels, and extending over 800 km from Southern Florida to Hispaniola. The politically separate Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) lie at the southern end and consist of the Caicos Bank and the Turks Bank. [1] There are eight coralline islands and 40 small cays [2] providing a total land area of about 430 sq km.
Reef areas are extensive, with an estimated area of almost 1,200 sq km. The four largest islands (Providenciales, North Caicos, Middle Caicos, and East Caicos) have offshore fringing reefs along their entire northern coasts. The three larger islands in the eastern portion of the chain have fringing reefs along their eastern coasts, and reefs are also found along the western coast of West Caicos. Shallow-water patch reefs are common around all of the islands and cays.
The Turks and Caicos Islands possess some of the least threatened coral reefs in the Caribbean region. The majority of these reefs are still healthy, with diverse (about 30 species) and abundant corals. [3] According to the Reefs at Risk analysis, about 50 percent of the region’s coral reefs are under a medium threat from overfishing, and this is the only threat identified in most areas. Coastal development threatens an estimated 13 percent of coral reefs, pollution from marine-based sources is low, and watershed-based threats are negligible, owing to the narrow and flat topography of most of the islands.
The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, fishing, and, offshore financial services. The archipelago has a sparse resident population (17,000 in 2000), but this is greatly influenced annually by tourists, mainly concentrating on resort islands and cays. [4] The pressure from tourism is increasing. Major threats include sewage pollution, anti-fouling paints in marinas, coral breakage by divers and anchors, ship groundings, and construction of tourism infrastructure. [5] Massive construction on East and South Caicos, with direct destruction of reef habitat and increased sedimentation, threatens the reefs. Several large developments and the likely introduction of cruise ships to Providenciales, Grand Turk, West Caicos, East Caicos and South Caicos threaten the viability of the national parks, nature reserves and sanctuaries adjacent to these areas.
There is little overexploitation of reef fishes, although there are concerns over poaching by foreign fishermen, mostly from Haiti and the Dominican Republic, using illegal methods. Hotels and restaurants are increasing the demand for fish. [6] The Caicos Bank is an important nursery ground for conch and lobster, which generate the only national exports, but declines in lobster and conch populations are causing some fishermen to turn to reef fish as an alternative resource, which may change the fishery situation. [7]
There is no monitoring of coral reef benthos and fishes in the TCI (even within existing MPAs) because of lack of human capacity and material resources, and there is no active management of most of the protected areas outside of Providenciales. [8] The government is taking steps to reduce the potential danger to coastal habitats from unregulated development, and significant steps have been taken to build capacity within the government sector to increase enforcement of fisheries and National Parks legislation-and improve maintenance of MPAs-but t here is no specific marine conservation policy. [9] Most dive operators now install moorings to prevent anchor damage, and enforcement has improved dramatically since 2000 with regular prosecutions. [10] A Conservation Fund was recently established to provide monetary support for management, financed by a 1 percent share of all tourist and accommodations taxes.
[1] G. Gaufdian and P. Medley, “The Turks and Caicos,” 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), p. 589
[2] F. Homer & D. Shim. 2000. Status of Coral Reefs in the Turks and Caicos Islands: An Overview for the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network. Available online at: http://www.sustrust.org
[3] D. Linton et al., “Status of Coral Reefs in the Northern Caribbean and Atlantic Node of the GCRMN,” in Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2002 . C. Wilkinson, ed. (Townsville: Australian Institute of Marine Science, 2002), p. 284
[4] G. Gaufdian and P. Medley, “The Turks and Caicos,” 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), p. 591.
[5] D. Linton et al., “Status of Coral Reefs in the Northern Caribbean and Atlantic Node of the GCRMN,” in Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2002 . C. Wilkinson, ed. (Townsville: Australian Institute of Marine Science, 2002), p. 288
[6] D. Linton et al., “Status of Coral Reefs in the Northern Caribbean and Atlantic Node of the GCRMN,” in Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2002 . C. Wilkinson, ed. (Townsville: Australian Institute of Marine Science, 2002), p. 288
[7] D. Linton et al., “Status of Coral Reefs in the Northern Caribbean and Atlantic Node of the GCRMN,” in Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2002 . C. Wilkinson, ed. (Townsville: Australian Institute of Marine Science, 2002), p. 287
[8] F. Homer & D. Shim. 2000. Status of Coral Reefs in the Turks and Caicos Islands: An Overview for the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network. Available online at: http://www.sustrust.org
[9] D. Linton et al., “Status of Coral Reefs in the Northern Caribbean and Atlantic Node of the GCRMN,” in Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2002 . C. Wilkinson, ed. (Townsville: Australian Institute of Marine Science, 2002), p. 292
[10] D. Linton et al., “Status of Coral Reefs in the Northern Caribbean and Atlantic Node of the GCRMN,” in Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2002 . C. Wilkinson, ed. (Townsville: Australian Institute of Marine Science, 2002), p. 292
