El Nuevo Día recently (24 May 2025) published a photo-reportage piece with photographs by Edwin Hernández Delgado documenting the grim outlook for coral reefs in the Puerto Rican archipelago. The photos were taken mostly in the vicinities of the islands of Culebra (Reserva Natural Canal Luis Peña, Los Corchos reef) and Vieques (Ensenada Honda). One photo is from the Underwater Gardens Nature Reserve [Reserva Natural de los Jardines Submarinos] in the town of Vega Baja. Devastating, indeed!
The article underlines that “the outlook will be even grimmer by the 2030s if immediate action is not taken, according to a new analysis by the Marine Environment Society.”
The first photo (shown above) reads, “Restored colonies of staghorn coral (Acropora palmata) completely bleached and freshly dead during the 2024 mass bleaching event. Extreme temperatures can kill corals exposed to temperatures above their tolerance for extended periods. This species is protected under the federal Endangered Species Act.” Other photos feature examples of the severe bleaching of giant brain coral (Colpophyllia natans) and pillar coral (Dendrogyra cylindrus).
This post includes excerpts translated by Ivette Romero. For full article (in Spanish), see https://www.elnuevodia.com/ciencia-ambiente/cambio-climatico/fotogalerias/devastadora-escena-corales-muertos-en-puerto-rico-por-calor-extremo-y-blanqueamiento/
El Nuevo Día recently (24 May 2025) published a photo-reportage piece with photographs by Edwin Hernández Delgado documenting the grim outlook for coral reefs in the Puerto Rican archipelago. The photos were taken mostly in the vicinities of the islands of Culebra (Reserva Natural Canal Luis Peña, Los Corchos reef) and Vieques (Ensenada Honda). One
