In this undated photo provided by Richard Appeldoorn, a professor at the University of Puerto Rico in Mayaguez, is seen newly discovered coral off the coast of Puerto Rico. (AP Photo/Hector Ruiz)
What does it take to elevate the common ant from picnic pest to…
Updated: Friday, 07 Sep 2012, 1:25 PM EDT
Published : Friday, 07 Sep 2012, 1:25 PM EDT
An international conservation organization is painting a grim picture of the Caribbean's iconic coral reefs.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature says the Caribbean's reefs are in sharp decline, with live coral coverage down to an average of just 8 percent. That's down from 50 percent in the 1970s. The non-governmental organization released a report Friday at an international environmental conference in Korea.
The causes include overfishing, pollution, disease and bleaching caused by rising global temperatures. The group says the situation is somewhat better in some places, including the Dutch islands of the southern Caribbean and the British territory of the Cayman Islands, with up to 30 percent cover in places.
But the union concludes that "time is running out" and new safeguards are urgently needed.
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