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The Florida coastline.
© James Porter |
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Human contact damages reefs.
© Dan Wagner |
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Caribbean Reefs are Particularly at Risk
Caribbean reefs appear to be in worse condition than Pacific reefs. They naturally have lower levels of biodiversity, which makes them more vulnerable to structural change; they house significantly fewer species of fast-growing and reef-building corals; and diseases have affected the entire basin while the far greater size of the Pacific has tended to keep outbreaks reef-specific or regional.
The third largest barrier reef system in the world is located off the Florida Keys. Its recent decline has been attributed to multiple causes, almost all of which involve human activity.
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