Kina Barren – Nordic Reef
An ecosystem in balance is marked by diversity and abundance. An ecosystem out of balance is a desert of monotony. Here at Nordic Reef, snapper populations have been depleted by overfishing, kina populations have exploded and devoured all the kelp, sponges and algae.
The lush and vibrant reef has become a wasteland, or as biologists refer to it, a ‘kina barren’.
It is a dead zone, and without weed for protection, few larvae will resettle successfully to repopulate it. Even if fishing stopped tomorrow, it may take a decade to recover.
