Status and trends of Caribbean coral reefs

In collaboration with coral reef managers and scientists representing all reef-adjacent countries within the Caribbean, Katie Cramer helped to create and analyze a reef survey database to produce the most comprehensive picture of the long-term status and trends of Caribbean coral reef ecosystems to date. This report generated extensive interest within local management agencies and directly contributed to the special protection of parrotfish in several countries.

Two additional publications were produced from the analysis of this extensive database:

• Widespread loss of Caribbean acroporid corals was underway before coral bleaching and disease outbreaks  (Science Advances)

• The transformation of Caribbean coral communities since humans (Ecology and Evolution).