Ocean Conservation: Less than 2% of Coral Reefs Protected

According to a report on Reuters/Planet Ark, "less than 2 percent of the world's tropical coral reefs are properly protected from illegal fishing, mining or pollution despite government promises of wider safeguards."

"The figures are depressing," said Camilo Mora, a scientist at Dalhousie University in Canada and lead author of the study, carried out in New Zealand by researchers from seven nations.

"Many countries create marine protected areas and then forget about them," he told Reuters of the findings, published in the journal Science.

Lack of protection may mean a further shrinking of reefs worldwide, from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean. Reefs are key spawning grounds, are home to species from clown fish to sharks, protect coasts from erosion and also draw scuba-diving tourists.

Read the article: Coral Reefs

Categories: conservation, ocean, coral_reefs, science