Oil Spills and Coral Reefs
As an oil and gas producing nation, Trinidad and Tobago must be prepared for rapid responses to spills. Dr Anjani Ganase, coral reef ecologist, looks at the response to the spill in Mauritius’s pristine coral reef. There is nothing more ominous than watching thick, black viscous oil invade transparent waters obliterating the bright colours and bustling life of a coral reef. These scenes have been observed by the Mauritians over the last month as the Japanese vessel, MV Wakashio, grounded itself on their reef. The ship carried a combination of diesel and a low sulfur grade fuel oil, which leaked up through a cracked hull. The distresses experienced by Mauritius over the last thirty days surrounding the vessel grounding are numerous. The location of the spill is along the coral barrier reef near Point d’Esny, which is part of a complex reef system with an outer barrier reef the shelters a shallow, calm lagoon system that is home to seagrass beds, brackish water environments and...