Hurricanes and storms limit the ability of corals in Belize to “recruit” new coral into their communities, according to an Earthwatch-supported study published in Marine Environmental Research.
“Increasing evidence now shows that storms are becoming more intense due to climate change,” said lead author and Earthwatch scientist Dr. James Crabbe from the University of Bedfordshire in the United Kingdom.
Coral reefs—which can grow to be thousands of years old—form and grow when free-swimming coral larvae in the ocean attach to rocks or other hard surfaces and begin to develop. Intense storms can wipe out this “recruitment” process.
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Artificial reefs should be used to provide habitat for homeless fish and safety for DNA transfer. If art is part of the reef, it becomes an eco-tourism asset.
Hi Ken,
Are you talking about tourism via diving? That would be a great idea. Do you know of any places that already do this?