The Fading Glory and Restoration of Jamaica’s Coral Reefs

Long time ago, if yuh did ever have di chance fi dive deep dung inna di crystal waters roun’ Discovery Bay, yuh woulda think yuh walk straight inna one next world. Back inna di 1960s, Jamaica sea floor never look nuttin' like how it look today. It did full up wid life, color, and more fish dan yuh coulda count inna one lifetime. People used to call it di 'rainforest of di sea,' and trust mi, it never get dat name fi nuttin'. If yuh look at di old photos from dem times, yuh can see how di coral dem did big and tall like underwater skyscraper, reachin’ up to di sunlight like dem a praise di Creator.

Back den, Dr. Thomas Goreau did deh roun' a di North Coast a capture some imagery dat look like it come from a dream. Di coral reefs dem did thick and healthy, wid staghorn and elkhorn coral spreadin' out like giant fingers roun' di island. Di water was so clear yuh coulda see every single detail a di reef from miles away. It was a bashment underwater, man. Di fish dem did have plenty place fi hide and grow, and di whole ecosystem did inna perfect balance. It was a true paradise dat we never even realize coulda vanish so quick.

But as di elders always tell wi, nuttin' nuh last forever if yuh nuh tek care a it. By di time di 1980s roll roun', trouble start brew inna di Caribbean waters. Hurricane Allen come lick di island hard inna 1980, mashin' up di reef dem like glass. Den, a mysterious disease come sweep through and kill off almost all di black sea urchins—di same ones dat used fi clean di algae off di coral. Widout di urchins fi do dem wuk, di seaweed start grow wild and choke di life outa di reef. Add inna dat di rise in sea temperature and pollution from di land, and yuh start see di paradise slowly turn inna one graveyard.

Today, when yuh look at di same spots where Dr. Goreau did tek dem beautiful pictures, it heart-burnin' fi see di difference. A lot a di vibrant colors fade out, and di tall coral structures dem mostly gone, replaced by slime and seaweed. It stay like a duppy version a what used fi be deh. Many young people grow up now tinkin' dat di grey, quiet reefs dem see a di norm, but dem don't know di glory dat did exist just a few decades back. We lose a piece a our heritage beneath di waves, and it a cost wi heavy because di reef dem protect wi land from storm and feed our people.

But hope nuh dead yet, yuh zimme? Deh have some scientists and local fishermen roun' di island who a try dem best fi bring back di livity. Dem a set up coral nurseries, growin' small pieces a coral inna labs and den plantin' dem back out onna di reef like how farmer plant yam. It slow wuk, and it tek a whole heap a patience, but dem a try restore di 'rainforest' bit by bit. If we want di future generations fi see di underwater beauty we once had, we haffi start treat di ocean wid more respect. We haffi stop di overfishin' and di pollution, and realize dat if di sea dead, we inna real trouble too.