The Effects of Land Use on Water Quality and Coral Reef on the Island of Roatan, Honduras

A Research Project funded by Yale University’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies

Roatan is the largest of the Bay Islands, a cluster of islands located approximately 35 miles north of Honduras in the Caribbean Sea. The island's fringing coral reef make it a popular tourist and diver destination. Recent development on the island has been tremendous and may pose a threat to the marine ecosystem. In order to study the effect of development on the marine ecosystem, a group from Yale University has begun investigating land-use patterns on the island through satellite imagery analysis and aerial photography, measuring change in sedimentation rates by use of soil sampling, and monitoring changes in the reef through coral surveys. What follows is a summary of the work which has been carried out on the project to date, a methodology for those who will continue current projects, and suggestions for future projects.

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