Human activities, primarily the burning of fossil fuels, have increased atmospheric CO2 levels by 50% since pre-industrial times. With about one-third of this CO2 absorbed by the ocean, the ocean is acidifying, compromising the health of coral reefs and disrupting the entire marine ecosystem. Scientists estimate that 90% of all coral reefs could be lost by 2050.
In the Caribbean, a region of 13 independent island nations and more than a dozen coastal countries and territories, ocean acidification is having a profound, cascading effect on the environment and economy of this uniquely biodiverse region, one of the world’s 36 biodiversity hotspots. As coral reefs die, delicate marine ecosystems are thrown out of balance, affecting not only the animals and plants that call the ocean home, but also the human populations that depend on them. Industries such as fishing and tourism — economic lifelines for Caribbean countries — are facing unprecedented challenges. At the community level, people are struggling with new strains on resources and their way of life, complicating efforts to adapt to these changes.
As a result of carbon emissions, the ocean is getting more acidic, impacting marine ecosystems in the Caribbean and around the world.
Human activities have increased atmospheric CO2 levels by 50% since pre-industrial levels, leading to ocean acidification as the ocean absorbs about a third of this CO2.
As the ocean absorbs more CO2, it reacts with water to form carbonic acid, which breaks down into bicarbonate and hydrogen ions. This influx of hydrogen ions increases the ocean’s acidity, reducing the concentration of carbonate ions — the primary building block of shells and coral skeletons — available for shellfish and coral to use to grow and maintain their structures.
The Caribbean Sea is a haven of unique biodiversity, home to more than 10% of the world’s coral reefs, and a complex and vibrant array of marine life, from the endangered hawksbill turtle to several species of manatee.
The impacts of ocean acidification on coral reefs, shellfish, fish, and marine mammals go beyond the biological, with cascading effects on entire marine ecosystems — from sea snails to whales — through interconnected food webs, taking an economic toll on fisheries, coastal protection, and tourism in Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Most coral reefs may be lost by 2050, severely threatening regional biodiversity and economies in the Caribbean.
It's not just remote ocean areas that are at risk. Coral reefs in Caribbean SIDS are particularly important because of their role in supplying sand to island shores, reducing the potential for coastal erosion, providing habitat for commercially important marine species, and supporting beach and reef-based tourism and economic activity.
With most of the islands’ major cities and economic centers located less than 10 miles from the coast, the estimated value of shoreline protection services provided by Caribbean reefs is between $700 million and $2.2 billion per year.
Within the next 50 years, coral degradation and loss could lead to losses totalling $140 million to $420 million annually.
Despite the over 285 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Caribbean designed to protect coral reefs, they remain vulnerable to industrial damage, with only 6% rated as effectively managed according to the Reefs at Risk Project.
Islands like Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago are experiencing significant economic setbacks due to ocean acidification. The degradation of coral reefs is leading to declining fish populations and reduced catches, jeopardizing the livelihoods of fishermen. Meanwhile, the loss of vibrant coral reefs and marine biodiversity diminishes the appeal for scuba diving and snorkeling, two major tourist activities, affecting the tourism revenues on which these islands are heavily dependent.
Reports already indicate that fishing zones in the Caribbean are expanding, due in part to the degradation of critical natural habitats like coral reefs.
5% of the Caribbean's primary coastal fish species are threatened, primarily due to overfishing caused by reef degradation.
Overfishing in the Caribbean further accelerates reef decline by targeting already vulnerable species such as red snapper and parrotfish, which feed on coral algae and support reef growth by keeping these competing organisms in check.
Overfishing of delicacies like conch threatens local livelihoods as well as tourism and trade.
Through tourism, coral reefs are estimated to contribute over $7.9 billion annually to Caribbean economies.
Tourism is the economic backbone of the Caribbean, making up 50% of the regional GDP and 40% of employment within the Eastern Caribbean.
The tourism industry accounts for over 10% of total employment in the broader Caribbean region, or approximately 1.9 million jobs. The World Travel & Tourism Council ranks the Caribbean as the region most economically dependent on travel and tourism.
In 2006, coral reef tourism directly contributed 15% to Tobago’s GDP. When accounting for indirect income from related sectors like dining and souvenir revenue, the total impact surges to 30% of the total GDP of the Eastern Caribbean.
Similarly, Barbados, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands boast a high proportion of high-value reefs, each with an average expenditure value of more than $3 million per square kilometer per year. These figures underscore the extent to which economies and employment throughout the Caribbean depend on the health of their coral reefs.
The Caribbean needs the Loss and Damage Fund to support effective management of reefs and coastal resources.
The Caribbean is working to respond to this coastal climate crisis. Through the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Resilient Ecosystems Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan, Eastern Caribbean countries are coming together to develop and implement solutions to ocean acidification, such as the establishment of MPAs and integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) practices.
Crispin d'Auvergne, Program Director for Climate and Disaster Resilience at the OECS, emphasizes the need for new recovery programs, noting that they “have undertaken several initiatives to protect marine ecosystems in the ocean, including mangrove restoration in some communities and the development of marine spatial plans through the World Bank Caribbean Regional Oceanscape Project.”
Despite these efforts, the Caribbean continues to be disproportionately impacted by global warming, revealing the urgent need for a well-funded Loss and Damage Fund — a new financial mechanism through which developed countries can support small islands and developing countries in their fight against climate change. Ocean acidification is just one of the many ramifications of climate change currently devastating the Caribbean and other small island nations. Every year, the degradation of marine ecosystems, rising sea levels and temperatures, and intensifying extreme weather events increase the burden on small island states and their communities.
A Caribbean deprived of its coral ecosystems would be a loss to the world. The Loss and Damage Fund will be key to scaling up efforts already underway to help the region recover from climate-induced costs and adapt to new environmental realities, supporting coordinated efforts to combat the consequences of ocean acidification and other losses caused by the climate crisis, financing local solutions, and building regional resilience. Tell World Leaders to Support the Loss and Damage Fund.
