The rate and extent of coral loss are greater than expected, American researchers have found. And the reduction of coral rapidly causes a decline in the abundance and diversity of reef fish.
The estimated annual rate of coral cover loss in the Caribbean is over three times the estimated net annual loss of global humid tropical rainforest.
Additionally, the patterns of coral reef degradation are very different from rainforest loss in that nearly all reefs have been affected; there are virtually no remaining pristine reefs and very few with coral cover close to the historical average…

Original post by consoleye and software by Elliott Back