e360 digest
08 Jul 2008:
Spread of Algae Farming
Takes a Toll on Coral Reefs in Pacific
The commercial cultivation of algae — used as a binder and fat substitute in ice cream and other foods — has led to the spread of two kinds of seaweed that are smothering coral reefs in the Philippines, Indonesia, and other parts of the Pacific. Ten countries in the Pacific have had the two varieties introduced, but fluctuating demand and lax cultivation have allowed the seaweeds to infest reefs in Tonga, Kiribati, the Solomon Islands, and other places, where they invade the habitat of reef fish and kill the coral, threatening the livelihoods of subsistence fishermen. Meanwhile, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports that nearly half of the coral reef ecosystems in the U.S. are in poor or fair condition, largely because of warming ocean waters. The report also said that roughly half of the Caribbean’s corals have been badly damaged or destroyed by rising sea temperatures.
Yale Environment 360 is
a publication of the
Yale School of Forestry
& Environmental Studies.
DEPARTMENTS
OpinionReports
Analysis
Interviews
e360 Digest
TOPICS
BiodiversityBusiness & Innovation
Climate
Energy
Forests
Oceans
Policy & Politics
Pollution & Health
Science & Technology
Sustainability
Water
REGIONS
Antarctica and the ArcticAfrica
Asia
Australia
Central & South America
Europe
Middle East
North America
ABOUT
About e360Contact
Submission Guidelines
Reprints
CONNECT
BookmarkEmail newsletter
Twitter: YaleE360
e360 on Facebook
Share e360
Subscribe to our feed:
Top Image: aerial view of Iceland. © Google & TerraMetrics.
OF INTEREST
