NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program releases status reports for Atlantic and Caribbean U.S. states and territories, and the Gulf of Mexico.
The NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program has released status reports for coral reefs in the Atlantic and Caribbean U.S. states and territories - Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands; and Flower Garden Banks in the Gulf of Mexico.
The status reports provide an overall snapshot of coral reef ecosystem conditions based on four indicators: corals and algae, fish, climate, and human connections. They show that coral reefs near human population centers are moderately to critically impacted, which is likely due to water quality issues, impacts from fishing, as well as warming and more acidic water conditions.
Continue reading at NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program
Image via NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program
