20. Status of coral reefs and associated ecosystems in southern tropical America: Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panamá and Venezuela

Algae are the most abundant reef organisms in most of the countries; high coral cover occurs at numerous reef locations at the Caribbean (~70%) and Pacific (~95%) coasts;No major changes in live coral cover have been observed recently in the region; some localised decline and recovery trends are evident for each country;Coral reefs in the region experience many natural and human threats, and predictions suggest that nearly 50% of reefs are at very low risk of decline in 5-10 years, even considering global climate change, and around 40% of reefs could be under high risk of decline in the mid-long term (>10 years);Massive coral bleaching occurred in Southern Tropical America during 2005, but the severity varied across the region;Reef monitoring has increased, but there is low funding for monitoring programs in all countries; socioeconomic monitoring is restricted to Brazil;Information on reef fisheries from monitoring programs is scarce, however, the consensus is for depletion of coral reefs resources, particularly in the Caribbean;Seagrass and mangrove communities are mainly threatened by coastal development, sedimentation, pollution, and deforestation.