Coral reefs off St. John are in shambles after Hurricanes Maria and Irma tore through the Caribbean earlier this year, according to scientists.
Researchers from the University at Buffalo and California State University, Northridge, traveled to the US Virgin Islands in November to evaluate the hurricanes’ aftermath. They found that coral colonies are missing branches and are infected with bacteria.
“Hurricanes generate huge waves,” Howard Lasker, a professor of geology at the University at Buffalo, writes in a press release. “The effect is like sandblasting — the waves carry sand and debris, such as bits of broken coral, onto the reefs, striking them over and over again.”
But Peter Edmunds, a biology professor at Cal State and leader of the research trip, says not all hope is lost.
“In shallow waters, what we found certainly lived up to our expectations — holy moly this was bad news,” Edmunds writes in a press release. “But when we went deeper, it became more nuanced. It was still beautiful. There were corals, sea fans and some fish swimming around.
“There were changes, but there certainly was a tremendous amount still there. I think it’s very encouraging,” he says.