Coral reefs in remote, uninhabited areas of the American Pacific are generally in good condition, while reefs in the regions that are closer to human populations show more signs of impacts, according to five status reports on reef ecosystems released today by NOAA.
Coral reefs in remote, uninhabited areas of the American Pacific are generally in good condition, while reefs in the regions that are closer to human populations show more signs of impacts, according to five status reports on reef ecosystems released today by NOAA.
The reports, which cover coral reef ecosystems in American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Hawaii, and the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, say that more remote areas have few water quality issues and are less affected by fishing and nearshore development.
However, these reefs are still vulnerable to the impacts of climate change such as warmer and more acidic water.
Read more at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Image Credit: NOAA
