Ironborn
Contributor
The Sint Maarten Nature Foundation conducted an assessment of the damage that Hurricane Irma did to the terrestrial and aquatic environments of the island.
They did not have a chance to assess damage to the reefs, but they expect it to be "extensive and significant."
They estimated that 90% of the mature mangroves were destroyed. The storm also uprooted many seagrass beds in Simpson Bay and the Simpson Bay Lagoon.
There is a lot of debris in the water, including possibly as many as 120 sunken vessels.
There was also a lot of boat fuel spilled into the water, including 100,000 gallons just in Simpson Bay Lagoon.
There has been a lot of terrestrial run-off into the water, including beach erosion and raw sewage. Many fish have died in the Great Salt and Fresh Ponds because of the decline in water quality.
St. Martin News Network - Assessments of Environmental Damage Carried out Post Hurricane Irma by the Sint Maarten Nature Foundation.
http://smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-m...ma-by-the-sint-maarten-nature-foundation.html
Has anyone heard of similar initial assessments from other places that Hurricane Irma hit, such as Turks & Caicos or the Florida Keys?
They did not have a chance to assess damage to the reefs, but they expect it to be "extensive and significant."
They estimated that 90% of the mature mangroves were destroyed. The storm also uprooted many seagrass beds in Simpson Bay and the Simpson Bay Lagoon.
There is a lot of debris in the water, including possibly as many as 120 sunken vessels.
There was also a lot of boat fuel spilled into the water, including 100,000 gallons just in Simpson Bay Lagoon.
There has been a lot of terrestrial run-off into the water, including beach erosion and raw sewage. Many fish have died in the Great Salt and Fresh Ponds because of the decline in water quality.
St. Martin News Network - Assessments of Environmental Damage Carried out Post Hurricane Irma by the Sint Maarten Nature Foundation.
http://smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-m...ma-by-the-sint-maarten-nature-foundation.html
Has anyone heard of similar initial assessments from other places that Hurricane Irma hit, such as Turks & Caicos or the Florida Keys?
