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Miami’s Choice: Bigger Ships or Coral Reefs? | National Geographic


I think it’s kind of neat that right

I think it’s kind of neat that right here on the doorstep of this big

here on the doorstep of this big

here on the doorstep of this big metropolis in South Florida where

metropolis in South Florida where

metropolis in South Florida where everybody comes to see beautiful white

everybody comes to see beautiful white

everybody comes to see beautiful white sands and lie on the beach and enjoy the

sands and lie on the beach and enjoy the

sands and lie on the beach and enjoy the sunshine and you know within the city

sunshine and you know within the city

sunshine and you know within the city limits almost we have this fairly

limits almost we have this fairly

limits almost we have this fairly healthy population of coral these corals

healthy population of coral these corals

healthy population of coral these corals off of Miami Beach are survivors they’ve

off of Miami Beach are survivors they’ve

off of Miami Beach are survivors they’ve lived through pollution climate change

lived through pollution climate change

lived through pollution climate change ocean acidification water quality issues

ocean acidification water quality issues

ocean acidification water quality issues the individual coral colonies that have

the individual coral colonies that have

the individual coral colonies that have made it must have something in their

made it must have something in their

made it must have something in their genetic makeup or some fortune of

genetic makeup or some fortune of

genetic makeup or some fortune of circumstance that’s allowing them to

circumstance that’s allowing them to

circumstance that’s allowing them to survive and this pretty disturbed and

survive and this pretty disturbed and

survive and this pretty disturbed and certainly less than pristine environment

certainly less than pristine environment

certainly less than pristine environment where we’re seeing corals declining

where we’re seeing corals declining

where we’re seeing corals declining around the world these corals seem to be

around the world these corals seem to be

around the world these corals seem to be rebounding and they’re doing ok here

rebounding and they’re doing ok here

rebounding and they’re doing ok here they could be the seed population for

they could be the seed population for

they could be the seed population for repopulating Caribbean reefs but instead

repopulating Caribbean reefs but instead

repopulating Caribbean reefs but instead of protecting them and studying them we

of protecting them and studying them we

of protecting them and studying them we are actually burying them smothering

are actually burying them smothering

are actually burying them smothering them in sediment a lot of colonies have

them in sediment a lot of colonies have

them in sediment a lot of colonies have are just completely dead some some

are just completely dead some some

are just completely dead some some colonies that left two decades old we

colonies that left two decades old we

colonies that left two decades old we did have any living tissue on them at

did have any living tissue on them at

did have any living tissue on them at all

Pannalal canal is being deepened and

Pannalal canal is being deepened and widened to accommodate what we now refer

widened to accommodate what we now refer

widened to accommodate what we now refer to as post-panamax vessels and these are

to as post-panamax vessels and these are

to as post-panamax vessels and these are extremely large cargo vessels that up

extremely large cargo vessels that up

extremely large cargo vessels that up until now have not been able to access

until now have not been able to access

until now have not been able to access the Port of Miami because the channel

the Port of Miami because the channel

the Port of Miami because the channel was not deep enough because of that

was not deep enough because of that

was not deep enough because of that ports along the eastern seaboard are in

ports along the eastern seaboard are in

ports along the eastern seaboard are in a race to get their ports ready and

a race to get their ports ready and

a race to get their ports ready and deepened and widened to accommodate

deepened and widened to accommodate

deepened and widened to accommodate these shipping giants the dredging

these shipping giants the dredging

these shipping giants the dredging process generates sedimentation in the

process generates sedimentation in the

process generates sedimentation in the water and eventually that sedimentation

water and eventually that sedimentation

water and eventually that sedimentation will settle out and in this case it was

will settle out and in this case it was

will settle out and in this case it was settling on the reef the entire area

settling on the reef the entire area

settling on the reef the entire area looks like a moonscape and in my view

looks like a moonscape and in my view

looks like a moonscape and in my view probably will never come back

probably will never come back

probably will never come back corals are declining worldwide and we

corals are declining worldwide and we

corals are declining worldwide and we can’t just expect them to rebound like

can’t just expect them to rebound like

can’t just expect them to rebound like they might have in the past and this

they might have in the past and this

they might have in the past and this time if you kill these reefs they might

time if you kill these reefs they might

time if you kill these reefs they might not ever be coming back you know that’s

not ever be coming back you know that’s

not ever be coming back you know that’s a real tragedy for our city and for

a real tragedy for our city and for

a real tragedy for our city and for anybody who cares about reefs or bio

anybody who cares about reefs or bio

anybody who cares about reefs or bio diversity or any one of the number of

diversity or any one of the number of

diversity or any one of the number of services that coral reefs can provide

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