Caribbean Reefs Almost Wiped Out
Read Time:1 Minute, 31 Second
(AP Photo/Andy Bruckner, NOAA Fisheries, File)
Our world is dying all around us, from overfishing, careless hunting, slaughtering predators, air polluting industry, uncaring politicians, the religious believing ludicrous biblical passages such as Leviticus, and the list goes on and on.
Man has not been a good caretaker of his home and now his home is dying, and that same death will eventually reach all the way up the chain to man himself. Here’s the latest casualty:
(Newser) The coral reefs of the Caribbean are mostly wiped out, according to a new report from a major conservation group. Scientists have found that the reefs have about 8% of live coral coverage, down from about 50% to 60% in the 1970s, reports National Geographic. Some main culprits cited by the International Union for Conservation of Nature are overfishing, human sewage, and warming seas, notes NBC News. “It’s a dire picture,” says an IUCN official.
The downslide began in the 1970s, when scores of sea urchins got wiped out, likely from disease. The creatures are vital to coral because they eat algae and grasses that have now overwhelmed the reefs. Parrotfish and and surgeonfish also keep the vegetation in check, but overfishing has reduced their populations. Meanwhile, warmer waters have forced out beneficial algae that prevent the reefs from bleaching and dying. “The Caribbean system is one of first systems to experience collapse,” says a researcher. “It’s something that will happen across the globe if human use of coral reefs continues as it is.”
Follow MadMike’sAmerica on Facebook and Twitter, and don’t forget to visit our HOME PAGE.
If you liked our story please share it at REDDIT.COM and PINTEREST as well as TUMBLR.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0
Subscribe
Login
0 Comments
