"Coral reefs all over the world are in great peril, but coral reefs in Florida are suffering and near death, according to John Ogden, director of the Florida Institute of Oceanography, professor of biology at the University of South Florida (http://www.marine.usf.edu/FIO /) and co-author of a study published in the Mar. 18 issue of SCIENCE. The decline of coral reefs worldwide is not just an aesthetic issue but a serious environmental and economic issue, he said. “Coral reefs can provide ecosystem goods and services worth more than $375 billion to the global economy each year,” Ogden said. “Yet, our most degraded reefs are little more than rubble, seaweed and slime. Water quality is awful and almost no large animals survive.” Australians, said Ogeden, are proud of their Great Barrier Reef, and long ago took they steps to prevent over fishing by making one third of the reef a “no take zone” and enacting laws and policies with regard to pollution. “Closer to home,” said Ogden, “the Bahamas and Cuba, resource-challenged nations, have committed to conserving more than 20 percent of their coral reef ecosystem.” http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/510512/ "