GCRA  OVERVIEW  FAQ  NEWS  ARTICLES  PHOTOS  REEF ISSUES  RESTORATION  PAPERS  LINKS 

           Baker's Bay Development Project, Guana Cay, Bahamas
 

These aerial photos were taken over Baker's Bay development at Guana Cay,
Bahamas in February 2007. They give a pretty clear view of what is happening there.
The photos were taken when the bulldozing of the mangroves and forests was just
starting. The vegetation has surely been cleared to a much greater extent by now.

The first photo show the island in 2005,before construction. 
Look how close the reefs come to the shore.

The second photo, shot in 2007, shows that clearing of vegetation has started.

The next shows that the sediment curtains, designed to hold back waste during
clearing, have completely failed to prevent sediment from washing into the reef habitat.

The last two photos show the bulldozed mangroves and forests.
Those mangroves were an essential juvenile fish habitat for the fishermen who live on the island.

A thin green buffer of vegetation around the rim of the cleared areas will be inadequate to absorb
the nutrients from the sewage treatment process. It will never absorb enough nutrients from
golf course fertilizers to prevent growth of weedy algae, which will inevitably smother and kill the coral reefs.

This is surely an environmentally irresponsible project. It is tragic that sound ecological principles
were not applied during design and construction. It will be difficult to undo the damage already
caused, even before marinas, golf courses, hotels and houses are put on this once lovely spot.

Thomas J. Goreau, President, GCRA,

These photos are the property of SGCR, Save Guana Cay Reef, http://www.saveguanacayreef.com/index.htm