Megatourism, intensive fishing, and sewage, sewage, sewage

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Asociacion Oceanica de Panama

Coral Forest

Hammer Time: Panamanian grad student Juan Maté installs a survey stake at a reef off the Islas Secas, Gulf of Chiriqui. Photo: C. Mark Eakin

Tourist-driven coastal development has depleted Panamanian mangroves and threatens coral reefs here as well. Spearfishing, overfishing, silt from deforestation, sewage, oil pollution, and herbicide and fertilizer runoff are additional stresses on reef ecosystems. Eighty percent of Taboga Island reefs are affected by coastal development, mechanical damage by fishermen, and severe siltation, ranging from 50 percent coverage to complete burial. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration researchers say that ocean warming due to the 1997-98 El Niño caused widespread bleaching of Panamanian corals, particularly in the Gulf of Chiriqui where 50 to 90 percent of corals were affected.