The Caribbean Sea has almost 8,000 square miles (20,720 square kilometers) of coral reefs that protect coastlines by absorbing energy from waves, and Schaeffer noted the economies of tropical coastal communities are "directly dependent upon robust coral reef ecosystems."
But live coral coverage on Caribbean reefs is down to an average of just 8 percent, from 50 percent in the 1970s, the International Union for Conservation of Nature says.
Coral is a tiny polyp-like animal that builds a calcium-carbonate shell around itself and survives in a symbiotic relationship with algae. Each provides sustenance to the other, creating a reef.
In 2005 and 2010, the Caribbean was hit hard by major "bleaching" episodes, when unusually warm water caused the animals that make up coral to expel the colorful algae they live with, creating a bleached color. If the problem persists, the coral itself dies.
"Fortunately, bleaching in the Caribbean has been patchy for the last few years," Mark Eakin, a coral reef specialist at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said from the meeting.
The task force includes leaders of 12 U.S. agencies and several governors.
Eileen Sobeck, deputy assistant secretary for fish, wildlife and parks in the U.S. Interior Department, said the task force is working on a variety of land and watershed projects to diminish pollution, overfishing and other pressures.
"It is only by looking at a holistic system that we can save these coral," Sobeck said in an email.
___
David McFadden on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dmcfadd
