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<p>Climate change is leading to global increases in frequency and severity of hurricanes and marine heatwaves, increasingly contributing to coral reef degradation. In 2024, Barbados was impacted by Hurricane Beryl in July and the most severe heating stress to date, reaching an unprecedented 24.2 degree heating weeks (DHW) in November. Here, we report on the fate of the largest known population of the foundational Caribbean reef building coral, <i>Acropora palmata</i>, in Barbados in the face of these climate-related disturbances. Between June 2024 and March 2025, we measured and monitored (biweekly to monthly) the health status of 53 tagged <i>A. palmata</i> colonies at Mullins Reef on Barbados’ west coast. More than a third (36%) of initially tagged colonies were dislodged and lost with the passage of Hurricane Beryl to the south of Barbados on July 1. Subsequently, tagged colonies began bleaching in mid-September and by mid-November bleaching-related mortality was evident. By mid-February 2025, all but one colony (98%) were dead. Follow-up reef-scale surveys in March 2025 confirmed the reef-wide thermal-induced mass mortality of this important <i>A. palmata</i> population on the west coast. Coupled with the devastating impact of Hurricane Beryl on the south coast of the island, where the second largest known population of <i>A. palmata</i> was completely eradicated, our results provide a stark warning that <i>A. palmata</i> might have now reached functional extinction in Barbados, abruptly ending two decades of slow <i>A. palmata</i> recovery.</p>

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Climate change-related disturbances in 2024 drive the largest known population of elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) in Barbados to the brink of extirpation

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月22日

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  • Henri Vallès,
  • Kristen Clarke,
  • Annabel J. Cox,
  • Robert Bourne,
  • Julian Walcott,
  • Hazel A. Oxenford

摘要

Climate change is leading to global increases in frequency and severity of hurricanes and marine heatwaves, increasingly contributing to coral reef degradation. In 2024, Barbados was impacted by Hurricane Beryl in July and the most severe heating stress to date, reaching an unprecedented 24.2 degree heating weeks (DHW) in November. Here, we report on the fate of the largest known population of the foundational Caribbean reef building coral, Acropora palmata, in Barbados in the face of these climate-related disturbances. Between June 2024 and March 2025, we measured and monitored (biweekly to monthly) the health status of 53 tagged A. palmata colonies at Mullins Reef on Barbados’ west coast. More than a third (36%) of initially tagged colonies were dislodged and lost with the passage of Hurricane Beryl to the south of Barbados on July 1. Subsequently, tagged colonies began bleaching in mid-September and by mid-November bleaching-related mortality was evident. By mid-February 2025, all but one colony (98%) were dead. Follow-up reef-scale surveys in March 2025 confirmed the reef-wide thermal-induced mass mortality of this important A. palmata population on the west coast. Coupled with the devastating impact of Hurricane Beryl on the south coast of the island, where the second largest known population of A. palmata was completely eradicated, our results provide a stark warning that A. palmata might have now reached functional extinction in Barbados, abruptly ending two decades of slow A. palmata recovery.