Evan T. Allard, CDNN - CYBER DIVER News Network 27 Aug 08;
DAHAB, Egypt (27 Aug 2008) — Dive tourism is a primary threat to coral reefs according to a new scientific study.
The study by H. Hasler and J. A. Ott compared reefs in Dahab, South Sinai, Egypt, one of the world's most popular scuba diving destinations, with coral reef sites in the same area that are not visited by recreational scuba divers.
The findings, which will be published in the August edition of the internationally esteemed Marine Pollution Bulletin, showed that areas visited by scuba divers had significantly higher levels of broken and damaged corals, and reduced levels of coral cover.
The study found that a staggering 95% of branching corals were broken at coral reef crest areas frequented by recreational scuba divers.
The authors said that although the alarming damage caused by scuba divers to coral reefs does not appear to have had an effect on the abundance of coral-eating fishes, they may be at risk if coral cover decline continued.
In addition to broken corals, the study found that sedimentation caused by scuba divers stirring up sand and other bottom detritus also damages reefs.
Hasler and Ott concluded from their research that the number of dives per reef per year must be limited, a conclusion shared by previous scientific studies of the damage recreational scuba divers cause to fragile coral reef ecosystems.
They also emphasized the importance of educating both the dive industry and dive travelers to adopt ecologically sustainable dive practices that actually work to conserve coral reefs.
