Status and Trends of Caribbean Coral Reefs: 1970-2012

Previous Caribbean assessments lumped data together into a single database regardless of geographic location, reef environment, depth, oceanographic conditions, etc. Data from shallow lagoons and back reef environments were combined with data from deep fore-reef environments and atolls. Geographic coverage was uneven, reflecting primarily the most studied sites with the most easily accessible data. Only total coral cover was recorded, with no attempt to assess the fates of different coral species. Nor was there any attempt to compile records of macroalgae, sea urchins, and fishes that are well known to have significant ecological interactions with corals