Health of vast Mesoamerican Reef declines after years of improvement: study [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

FEBRUARY 13, 2020 / 7:23 PM / UPDATED 4 HOURS AGO

Gustavo Palencia
3 MIN READ

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - The condition of the world’s second-largest coral system, the Mesoamerican Reef stretching from Mexico to Central America, has taken a turn for the worse and faces further threats from climate change, according to a report by a group of scientists.

Extending nearly 1,000 km (620 miles) from the northern tip of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula toward the Bay Islands in northern Honduras, the Mesoamerican Reef is second in size only to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

Coral reefs develop over thousands of years and are vital to the survival and prosperity of countless marine species, but many, including the Great Barrier Reef, have been under pressure from global warming, scientists say.

The mosaic of coral reefs in the Western Hemisphere, also known as the Great Mayan Reef, experienced its first decline in overall health since 2006, according to a study of 286 coral reef sites in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras.

More:
https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-environment-coralreef/health-of-vast-mesoamerican-reef-declines-after-years-of-improvement-study-idUKKBN208057