Fuller points out a barrier reef where the waves are breaking, which
continues for about 5 miles up the coast. In one of the recent hurri-
canes, though, the reef was badly battered. In certain sections where it
came almost to the surface, the reef dropped 5 feet. This has resulted in
more ocean swells passing over it than before, and thus an increase in
coastal erosion. Coral is a very delicate ecological structure, and Antigua
is already seeing 50 percent mortality among its reef systems. The
higher surface sea temperature rises, the greater the “bleaching” of
coral. According to a May 2001 report by the United Nations
Development Programme’s (UNDP) Climate Change Project, coral
reefs around Antigua and Barbuda are “currently growing precariously
close to their maximum temperature tolerance of 30° C [86° F].”
Nor is global warming the only factor. As we pause to go snorkeling
near the offshore Guiana Island, Fuller tells us about the parrotfish.
“They’re a very popular fish for cooking here. People deep-fry them with
lots of seasoning. You’ll see spear fishermen with 20 or 30 of them on
a string. But parrotfish eat the algae on the coral, preventing the algae
from taking over and wiping out the coral. So if you fish out thousands
of parrotfish, which is happening, your reef is severely affected.” This is
coupled with the disappearance of another algae-eater, the spiny sea
urchin, that suffered a mysterious mass die-off in 1985.
Antigua’s waters are prolific with other species of fish, but its fisher-
men are also experiencing the effects of climate change. During
Hurricane Luis, about 16 percent of the island’s fishing fleet was
destroyed or lost, another 18 percent damaged. The fishery is impacted,
too, by alterations to habitat, where juvenile fish customarily thrive in
mangroves and sea grass beds. The distribution of the latter is controlled
by water depth and salinity. Due to anticipated sea-level rise, the UNDP
report predicts, “There would be little or no mangroves in Antigua by
2075, since the coastal slopes of most areas do not allow for landward
retreat.” The study says the condition could be reached as early as 2030.
Sea levels across the Caribbean region are expected to rise between
11.8 and 19.7 inches over the next 50 years, higher than the predicted
global average of 1 foot. As we go ashore for lunch on Great Bird
Island—home to the planet’s rarest snake, the Antiguan racer—I ask
Fuller about what he has noticed over the years. “I think the water level
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