Thursday, January 10, 2008

Human Activities Endangering Caribbean Coral Reefs

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Canada, January 9, 2008 (ENS) - Coral reefs in the Caribbean are being degraded by human activities - coastal development, fishing, pollution, and agricultural land use - according to a new study of 322 sites across 13 countries throughout the region.

"The continuing degradation of coral reefs may be soon beyond repair, if threats are not identified and rapidly controlled," said author Camilo Mora at Dalhousie University, Halifax. "In the Caribbean alone, these losses are endangering a large number of species, from corals to sharks, and jeopardizing over four billion dollars in services worth from fisheries, tourism and coastal protection."

"The future of coral reefs in the Caribbean and the services they provide to a growing human population depend on how soon countries in the region become seriously committed to regulating human threats," Mora said. More >>>




Healthy corals near Puerto
Rico (Photo courtesy CCRI)