Report reveals improvement but
also details danger posed by tourist-generated pollution, oil extraction and
climate change
Nina Lakhani in
Laughing Bird Caye, Belize
Tuesday 22 August 2017 06.00 BSTLast
modified on Tuesday 22 August 2017 10.35 BST
Just below the surface of the
turquoise sea, coral flutters majestically amid schools of puffed up
porcupinefish and fluorescent blue and yellow angelfish.
The gangly staghorn and fanning
elkhorn corals are thriving in swimming distance of Laughing Bird Caye, a tiny
Caribbean sandy islet in southern Belize, thanks to a
restoration project that is yielding striking results.
More than 90,000 corals grown in
sea nurseries have been planted in shallow reefs, increasing coral cover in
these southern warm waters by 35%. Marine creatures are reproducing, and about
90% have survived natural and manmade pressures for almost a decade.
Hailed as the most impressive
coral reef restoration effort in the Caribbean, its success is linked to a
grassroots movement uniting fisherman, tour guides, scientists and
environmentalists working to conserve the 700-mile Mesoamerican Reef (MAR) –
the second largest barrier reef in the world.
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