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http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2006-03-30-caribbean-coral_x.htm
Here is a link to a USA Today article that says, "Early conservative estimates from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands find that about one-third of the coral in official monitoring sites has recently died."
The article goes on to state, "If you want to see a coral reef, go now, because they just won't survive in their current state."
The article blames the warming of the ocean for the death of the coral.
I wouldn't charactorize myself as an overly green person. I've pretty much ignored global warming and the accompanying media hype.
However, I was on St. John for 2 weeks last August and I can tell you it was about 100 degrees at The Westin, and I've never felt the water as warm as it was at that time. You could snorkle all day long and not get cold. Normally you can snorkle for an hour or two and then you have to get out and warm up.
JFP
...and yet again a historically liberal newspaper puts a spin on a story that may or may not be correct. Yes, the reason for the coral dying is that the water temperatures were abnormally high for an elongated season. However, the coordinator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Coral Reef Watch said himself that "it's hard to point to global warming for just one season's high temperatures, but other scientists are convinced."
Clearly the USA Today and others are trying to link two events together that may or may not be the case. It's a theory. Point blank.
However, it is a shame! But let's not go off blaming our use of the internet or driving an SUV for the coral dying.
I love this board - - don't make me stop 🙂
It's interesting to me that you find USA Today to be a "historically liberal newspaper". What do you consider to be a mainstream paper?
