Coral around the world is in decline, destroying the natural habitat of thousands of different species. But scientists might have revealed a dirty truth behind the problem: coral could have a bad case of herpes.
The world’s coral reefs are in trouble. Not just from localised over-fishing and habitat destruction, but worldwide climate change as well. The solution — electrified artificial reefs, of course.
This is what coral is supposed to look like. The bad news is that a bacteria from human sewage is killing coral in the Florida Keys and making it look like this.
Scientists have found dead and dying coral reefs 4,500 feet deep in the Gulf of Mexico. The dead coral means that oil from the BP oil spill is harming marine life in the deep ocean too.
It might look a bit creepy, but British artist Jason de Caires Taylor’s Mexican installation and reef conservation project is for a fine cause. Taylor has 350 statues in place – all cast from real people – that will eventually sprout coral.
