Author Archives: David Patriquin

“TRADEWINDS: Canadian Navy goes underwater in reef research dive” – Barbados Today 12May2024

An article in Barbados Today highlights “a joint exercise between the non-profit Coral Reef Restoration Alliance (CORALL) Barbados and the Canadian Armed Forces” to map coral reefs on the West Coast of Barbabdos. Dr Elon Cadogan is the scientific leader … Continue reading

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AGRRA on New Caribbean Coral Restoration Efforts 3May2024

“New Caribbean Coral Restoration Efforts” was the subject of the Caribbean Cooperation Team Network Meeting on April 8, 2024. A webinar recording of the full proceedings is now available, courtesy of AGRRA (Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment). From a … Continue reading

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“Corals in danger, coastal protection chief warns” – Barbados Today 17Apr2024

“Barbados’ coral reefs are in serious trouble, even as officials try to restore their health and protect them from a deadly heat wave that has decimated them worldwide. “Director of the Coastal Zone Management Unit (CZMU) Leo Brewster said his … Continue reading

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Brain corals at Bath on Barbados east coast appear free of disease 31Mar2024

With the collaboration of Dr. Elon Cadogan of CORALL Barbados, on Mar 28, 2024, I made a brief visit to Bath around the Low Tide when wave action is minimal and underwater visibility highest. One objective I had was  to … Continue reading

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Healthy Pillar Coral colony on Vauxhall Reef 23Mar2024

It’s a rare day when I spend time at Vauxhall Reef and don’t find “something new” or get an especially good photo of a species I have been chasing for a while. Today’s (Mar 22, 2024) find was an entirely … Continue reading

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First diseased P.clivosa  on Reef Flat at Vauxhall observed 10Mar2024

Large mounds of Pseudodiploria clivosa are common on the Reef Flat and Diploria-Palytoa zones at Vauxhall and can assume some quite striking, even majestic, forms. I had not seen diseased Pseudodiploria clivosa amongst these big specimens  at Vauxhall until I … Continue reading

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On Vauxhall Reef (Barbados) Millepora complanata but not M. alcicornis succumb to 2023 coral bleaching

Tom Goreau cited the Acropora and Millepora species as tho reef-building species most affected by extreme warming in the fall of 2023. Both the “true” coral A prolifera and the coral-like hydrozoan  M. complanata occur, with the colonial  zoanthid  Palythoa caribeana, in the “A. … Continue reading

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Keep an eye out in Barbados for invasive “stoloniferous fire coral” 23Feb2024

As if Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease which took off in Barbados in 2023, followed by widespread coral bleaching associated with extreme warming  weren’t enough to challenge our reefs, now marine biologists in the Caribbean are on the lookout for … Continue reading

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Complete dieback of Acropora prolifera (hybrid acroporoid coral) on Vauxhall Reef, Barbados in 2023 16Feb2024

The photos at left illustrate two A colonies by a large Diploria clivosa on the Reef Flat at Vauxhall. In the top photo, taken on Mar. 30, 2023, both colonies are entirely healthy. In the bottom photo, taken on Jan … Continue reading

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Successful re-invigoration of staghorn coral and a lot else at the Oracabessa Bay Fishing Sanctuary in Jamaica 26Apr2020

View A BAY IN JAMAICA COMES BACK TO LIFE By UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME MARCH 16TH, 2020 ““We search for dying coral colonies. We take the best coral pieces to the undersea coral nursery, cut them in bits and hang them … Continue reading

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