(CNS): Coral reefs around Little Cayman that were devastated during a bleaching event three years ago are showing early, small signs of recovery, the Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI) found in its annual reef report. The summer of 2023 was the hottest on record and brought with it one of the most extensive global coral bleaching events.
CCMI’s 2024 report revealed the greatest reduction in coral around Little Cayman since monitoring began in 1998. Cover was as low as 9.8%, down from 26% before the 2023 marine heatwave.
As the Cayman Islands marks another Earth Day with its terrestrial and marine environment still under significant strain from ongoing threats, CCMI scientists said they had documented some early improvement in coral cover, from 9.8% to 13.4%.
Although not yet significant, the marine life experts said the upwards trend is a positive sign that recovery in Little Cayman is beginning. When analysed at a site-specific level, however, the picture is more complex.
Overall, coral cover increased by 3.6%, but cover varied between sites. 20% showed a significant increase in coral cover from 2024 to 2025, with an area known as Coral City showing high resilience to bleaching, exhibiting no significant loss and maintaining stable coral cover throughout the bleaching period.
In total, 30% of sites have either maintained pre-bleaching coral levels or demonstrated significant recovery this year, whereas the other 70% of sites either show minor, non-significant recovery (40%) or no recovery at all (30%).
But the researchers explained that coral recovery can rarely be measured over the course of one to two years. Corals are slow-growing animals, and it is not uncommon to see no signs of recovery on a reef for at least three years post disturbance, with recovery to pre-bleaching levels often taking a minimum of seven years, and up to nearly 30 years in some circumstances.
Therefore, early signs of recovery are reassuring and a testament to the conditions in Little Cayman, such as protections and minimal local disturbance, that are conducive to recovery and resilient reef systems.
Fish populations have thrived in recent years, showing consistent increases since 2016, and dramatic increase in density and biomass in 2024, which was maintained through 2025. Healthy fish populations are beneficial for overall reef resilience, as herbivores manage levels of macro-algae on reefs, which, if left unchecked, can outcompete corals for space on the reef and hinder coral growth.
The overall picture of Little Cayman’s reefs remains mixed, with an early increase in coral cover and some significant recovery at specific sites. This, along with continued thriving fish populations throughout 2024 and 2025, points to a picture of optimism, hope, and ecosystem resilience.
The marine ecosystem in Little Cayman is historically highly resilient and has demonstrated successful recovery stories, such as the Nassau grouper spawning aggregation, which recovered from as low as 1,000 individuals to almost 9,000 over a ten-year period. And these early signs of coral recovery could echo these stories of rebound.
Research and science-based actions are key at this crucial time to further understand the underlying ecological processes that contribute to reef resilience to inform management and protection. Continued protection, alongside research and active conservation, is critical in conserving this ecosystem.
CCMI said that during the 2023 bleaching event, its coral nursery suffered severe mortality, losing nearly 90% of corals. However, genetic research identified three resilient genotypes of staghorn coral that survived the nearly 20° heating weeks, and since 2023, these three genotypes in the nursery have recovered and increased from just 17 fragments to nearly 300 as of March.
CCMI’s nursery likely represents one of the last remaining populations of the critically endangered staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) in Little Cayman.
“There is no denying that the impact of the 2023 bleaching event was severe and that coral cover saw unprecedented decline in Little Cayman and globally. However, recovery of any kind this soon after such disturbance is optimistic, compounded further by sites that showed high resilience and maintained coral cover throughout and those with already significant rates of recovery,” the press release said.
While the future of coral reefs around the world remains uncertain, Hope Spots or pockets of resilience such as Little Cayman will play a crucial role in preserving marine biodiversity in the face of climate change. Such sites often serve as a source of larvae for neighbouring reefs, re-seeding less resilient and more damaged reefs, and providing benefits through ocean currents beyond the boundaries of Little Cayman.
Read the full report card here.
Find out more about the Healthy Reefs campaign here and in the video below.
