CDNN :: Coral reefs face extinction, dive tourism primary cause of damagePowered by CDNN - CYBER DIVER News Network
by BRYAN WALSHA comprehensive survey by the Global Marine Species Assessment (GMSA) just published in Science
cites tourism — in the form of scuba diving and snorkeling — as one of the primary causes of damage to coral reefs. MIAMI, Florida (12 July 2008) — The causes of the coral's demise are manifold, but they all come back to one culprit: us. Overfishing — especially the kind that uses dynamite or poison to kill whole schools of fish — destroys the coral directly, while polluted runoff
from agriculture simply chokes them. Development in booming coastal economies from the Caribbean to Southeast Asia further threaten the delicate reefs. Tourism — in the form of diving and snorkeling — can also cause damage. As with so many other endangered species around the world, there doesn't seem to be enough space for healthy coral reefs and unchecked human development.. More >> | 
