Ancient Caribbean Tsunami Likely Altered Ecosystems A coastal
lagoon on the Caribbean island of Bonaire. CREDIT: Anja
Scheffers. Boka Bartol. An ancient tsunami caused dramatic long-
term ecological changes in the Caribbean more than 3,000 years
ago, new research suggests. Scientists investigated sediments
from a coastal lagoon on the Caribbean island of Bonaire about
50 miles (80 kilometers) north of the Venezuelan coast. The
Caribbean is highly vulnerable to coastal hazards such as
hurricanes, tsunamis, mudslides and floods. Bonaire has not
experienced a tsunami during the past 500 years of its recorded
history. However, analysis of the size of sediment grains found
on the island, the organic matter present in the sediment (such
as animal remains and carbonate minerals), as well as other
factors suggest that a devastating wave struck the island about
3,000 to 3,300 years ago. "We assume that the height of the
ancient tsunami along the coast was at least 8 to 9 meters [26
to 30 feet] as inferred from the size