“(Global warming)impacts on coral reefs through ocean acidification and increased sea surface temperatures, driving massive coral bleaching effects,” Wangunu said. But the more immediate causes of coral reef degradation are brought about by local economies and human-driven activities including coastal development, deforestation and unrestricted tourism. Human-driven activities are largely to blame for the loss of corals “Overfishing is a significant threat to reef systems in the Pacific,” Nicola Barnard, acting director of the International Coral Reef Action Network, said.
Great Barrier Reef found to have thriving deep water coral
<img src='http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121003025645-barrier-reef-1-horizontal-gallery.jpg' width='200px' alt='The image shows damage inflicted on Beaver Reef, part of the Great Barrier Reef, by the crown-of-thorns starfish, a species native to web link Australia which feeds on coral.’ style=’float:left;padding:5px’ />
In fact the most striking thing is the abundance of coral http://www.iamsport.org/pg/blog/alonsorawz/read/18329583/ocean-acidification-may-amplify-global-warming-up-to-09f on the deep reef. What has blown me away is to see that even 70 to 80 meters down, there are significant coral populations.” Great Barrier Reef’s virtual dive Earlier this month a report, by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and the University of Wollongong, revealed that the Great Barrier Reef had lost half its coral cover in the last 27 years .
The Knight Agency 
