jobi,
I don't know about the Bahamas, but here in Bermuda the reports from BIOS this summer was that our
reefs were in pretty good shape, with little of the
coral bleaching remaining from a few years ago.
The Bermuda platform, with an average
depth of about 20ft, is 200 sq mls, with only 19 above the surface.
I live right on the
water, with 300ft of waterfront that goes from drying out in our 4ft tide range, to a fall off of about 20ft
depth. Within that 300ft is everything from mangroves to rocky shore.
We have lots of turtle
grass, which is quite delicate in its ability to survive anchors and such, thru to a brown lettuce-looking bottom cover.
The number of sea urchins, both short and long spine, seems to go thru a 5 yr cycle, same thing with Spanish scallops.
At my
dock, lots of Sergeant-majors, doctor
fish, red squirrels, small spiny lobsters and grey snappers.
Lots of brain
coral,big sea fans and all sorts of soft corals in great numbers off the shore in slightly deeper waters
Don't
scuba dive any more (front brake lever in my right ear in a motocross
accident 50yrs ago put stop to that) but do snorkel a lot-take only pictures,leave only bubbles.
I think,environmentally, we are pretty up to date in our national outlook. We could do better, we don't use holding
tanks, our
boat concentration is relatively light, we dont have any industrial pollution, and of course, we owe a lot to the
Gulf Stream.
Come visit some time, we'll take Bluestocking and some cold ones, and go out in the
reefs.