Bonaire’s Coral Legacy: Balancing Restoration Success with New Threats

Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease in Biscayne National Park (Image credit: U.S. National Park Service)

Bonaire, a small Caribbean island, has long been a leader in coral conservation. Its Bonaire National Marine Park has protected reefs since the 1970s, and coral restoration efforts have helped marine life thrive. But a new threat has arrived—Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD). This fast-spreading disease affects brain, star, and maze corals, turning once-thriving reefs into lifeless skeletons. SCTLD was first detected in Florida in 2014 and has now spread to 22 countries in the Caribbean, reaching Bonaire in 2023. Scientists believe warmer ocean temperatures make corals more vulnerable to infection. Conservation teams are racing to slow the spread, using antibiotics and monitoring efforts to save as much of the reef as possible.