A 13-year study of coral reefs spontaneously recovering in the Cayman Islands offers hope of refuting often doomsday forecasts about the worldwide decline of the colorful marine habitat. <\/p>\n
By Barbara Liston <\/p>\n
ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - A 13-year study of coral reefs spontaneously recovering in the Cayman Islands offers hope of refuting often doomsday forecasts about the worldwide decline of the colorful marine habitat. <\/p>\n
Scientists monitoring the Cayman reefs noted a 40 percent decline in live coral cover between 1999 and 2004 during a period of warmer seas in the Caribbean. <\/p>\n
However, seven years later, the amount, size and density of the live coral had returned to 1999 levels as sea temperatures eased, according to Tom Frazer, professor of aquatic ecology at the University of Florida and part of the research team. <\/p>\n
\"People have said these systems don't have a chance,\" Frazer told Reuters. \"What we are saying is: 'Hey, this is evidence they do have a chance.'\" <\/p>\n
Coral reefs account for 0.01 percent of the marine environment. They harbor up to 25 percent of the different species of marine organisms and generate millions of dollars for the fishing and tourism industries, the report states. <\/p>\n
\"They're kind of like the rain forest of the sea,\" Frazer said. <\/p>\n
The reefs are dying around the world. In 2012, the Australian Institute of Marine Science reported that coral coverage of the Great Barrier Reef had declined by half over the previous 27 years. <\/p>\n
The Cayman Islands study, conducted with the Central Caribbean Marine Institute there, was published in the November online issue of the San Francisco-based Public Library of Science and highlighted in last month's issue of the Science journal. <\/p>\n
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Damaged Reefs Show Resiliency in Cayman Islands<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A 13-year study of coral reefs spontaneously recovering in the Cayman Islands offers hope of refuting often doomsday forecasts about the worldwide decline of the colorful marine habitat. By Barbara Liston ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - A 13-year study of coral reefs spontaneously recovering in the Cayman Islands offers hope of refuting often doomsday forecasts about the worldwide decline of the colorful marine habitat. Continue reading