World Ocean Day

Corals in a Changing Climate: A Dive into the Future of Coral Reefs

CCMI invites friends of all ages to join us for World Ocean Day 2024 as we look at how climate change is impacting coral reefs and what this means for their future.

CCMI celebrates World Ocean Day every year as part of our Healthy Reefs outreach efforts, and in 2024, we will return to our special World Ocean Day Reefs Go Live event at the Camana Bay Cinema (virtual participation available, too)!

DATE: Friday, 7th June 2024
TIME: 10:00 am – 10:40 am Cayman time (UTC -5h)
LOCATION: Camana Bay Cinema

Join CCMI as one of our virtual dive buddies for our special World Ocean Day 2024 Reefs Go Live broadcast: Corals in a Changing Climate: A Dive into the Future of Coral Reefs.

As we look around us, the impacts of climate change are ever-present and increasing in severity, with 2023 being the hottest year on record. This broadcast takes a deep dive with CCMI’s researchers into how climate change affects our oceans and coral reefs, the impacts of last year’s increased water temperatures on Little Cayman’s reefs, how CCMI is working towards helping corals to survive these pressures, and how you can help too.

The Reefs Go Live programme directly links CCMI’s team of scientists and educators with the audience in Grand Cayman, who see the live footage of coral reefs and listen to the educators – from underwater – in real time. Audience members can also message questions to the team in Little Cayman, with the divers providing answers to the audience during the dive.

** This event is free and open to local schools, tourists, and members of the public. Classes, especially years 4 and 5, are encouraged to participate. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED for both in-person and virtual attendance. Donations are appreciated and support the conservation, education, outreach and restoration projects of CCMI.

2023 Little Cayman Reef Report Cards

Each year, CCMI conducts reef health surveys of select reefs in Little Cayman, adding to long-term data on the coral reefs. In 2023, scientists completed the 25th year of data collection. Results were released in the 2023 Reef Report Card, sharing the findings from the 2023 surveys and the overall trends of the reefs over time. Key results from the latest Little Cayman Reef Report Card (released 2024):

• 2023 surveys show that coral cover in Little Cayman was the highest since CCMI’s surveys began in 1999. This coral cover has increased from the lowest record in CCMI’s data, which was in 2015, as a result of the 2014-2016 coral bleaching event.
• 40% of surveyed sites were recorded as in very good condition in 2023, meaning that percent coral cover was over 31%. This is a marked improvement, compared to only 12% of reefs in very good condition in 2018 and 16% in 1999.
• The data continue to show changes in dominant coral species groups, where species in the families Agariciidae and Poritidae, which are typically smaller, continue to increase in frequency, while larger boulder corals, such as Oribicella spp. and Siderastraea spp. continue to decrease. Overall coral size has also continued to decrease over time, likely due to this shift from large boulder shaped species to smaller species, a trend seen throughout the Caribbean.
• Fish communities maintain a positive trend, showing a continued increase in fish density and biomass over the past 5-6 years.
• Herbivore density has increased exponentially in the past 8 years, in particular, parrotfish have shown a significant increase between 1999 and 2023. Densities of carnivorous fish are not increasing as dramatically as herbivores, but they are increasing in size.

Shortly after CCMI’s 2023 surveys, the world’s reefs experienced the fourth global coral bleaching event. These data and associated report card doesn’t reflect the impact of this bleaching event on Little Cayman’s reefs, but CCMI has monitored the event closely. The results of which can be found in the 2023/24 coral bleaching report card.

2023 Little Cayman Reef Report Card

2023 Coral Bleaching Report Card

We appreciate the support of our sponsors and partners who are making this World Ocean Day celebration possible:

World Ocean Day 2023

25 Years of Coral Reef Reseach

To celebrate World Ocean Day 2023, CCMI hosted a Reefs Go Live broadcast at the Camana Bay Cinema, released the 2022 Reef Report Card, and hosted a Reef Lecture to share what we have learned about coral reefs in Little Cayman from 25 years of coral monitoring surveys.

The focus for this year was 25 years of CCMI’s work for coral reefs.

World Ocean Day 2022

Restoring Healthy Reefs for the Future

To celebrate World Ocean Day 2022, CCMI hosted a Reefs Go Live broadcast at the Camana Bay Cinema, released our 2021 Reef Report Card, and hosted a Reef Lecture to announced the findings from our 2021 AGRRA coral monitoring surveys.

The focus for this year was Restoring Healthy Reefs for the Future, which encompasses our major research projects at CCMI as well as our annual Healthy Reefs campaign of public outreach programmes and events.

World Ocean Day 2021

Stand Up for Reefs

For World Ocean Day 2020, CCMI shared news of hope, resiliency and a clear pathway for corals reefs, when we announced that CCMI successfully championed Little Cayman as a Mission Blue Hope Spot! Building on that important designation, we planned our 2021 activity to promote taking action for coral reefs. Coral reefs make up less than 1% of the ocean, yet they are home to more than 25% of all marine life – more than 1 million species! Healthy coral reefs are critical to healthy oceans, and as we are all interconnected, it is time for everyone to stand up for coral reefs to ensure a healthy future for our blue planet.

In support of the message Stand Up for Reefs, we launched the Stand Up for Reefs podcast, held a Reefs Go Live broadcast at the Camana Bay Cinema, released our 2020 Reef Report Card, and hosted a Reef Lecture to announced the findings from our 2020 AGRRA coral monitoring surveys.

2021 World Ocean Day Virtual Art Exhibit

As a project in the fall of 2020, students in Ms. McDougall’s art class at the Cayman Islands Further Education Centre (CIFEC), were tasked with creating a two-dimensional piece of art to support CCMI’s Healthy Reefs campaign.

Students explored different art techniques while also learning about coral reefs, marine life, CCMI’s work and the important of healthy coral reefs to the Cayman Islands to create meaningful pieces that conveyed the campaign’s important messages.

We invite you to visit our Healthy Reefs Virtual Art Gallery and enjoy the beauty of the art and the talent of these students.

World Oceans Day 2020

Little Cayman Named a Mission Blue Hope Spot

On Saturday 6^th June 2020, CCMI shared news of hope, resiliency and a clear pathway for corals reefs. With the help of our Royal Patron, HRH The Earl of Wessex, and Dr Sylvia Earle of Mission Blue, CCMI announced that we have successfully championed Little Cayman as a Mission Blue Hope Spot! The island is now recognized as a Hope Spot because of the high abundance of threatened and endemic species found there – both on land and underwater. Just off the western point of Little Cayman is a site protected by the Cayman Islands Government that is one of the last remaining large spawning aggregation sites for the endangered Nassau grouper. Green, hawksbill and loggerhead sea turtles nest on Little Cayman’s beaches every year, and the coast is abundant with marine life, including seven species of sharks. Little Cayman’s coral reefs are also a vibrant contributor to the Island’s rich biodiversity.

2020 World Oceans Day Virtual Underwater Photography Exhibition

CCMI offered an online exhibition of underwater photography from some of our favourite photographers as part of a virtual World Oceans Day celebration in 2020! You can enjoy these beautiful photos again this year and learn more about each photographer in the virtual gallery.

We hope you enjoy this free exhibition of underwater photography, which was part of our effort to bring news of hope, resiliency and a clear pathway for corals reefs during a time of uncertainty amid the covid-19 pandemic in 2020.