March 9, 2009 -- Coral reefs are healthiest in both the richest, most well developed areas and in the poorest, most under-developed ones, according to a new study based in Africa. Right in the middle of the socioeconomic spectrum is where corals suffer most. "At middle levels of development, people have enough infrastructure to be destructive, but they don't have enough infrastructure to have alternatives," said Tim McClanahan, an ecologist with the Wildlife Conservation Society in Kenya. "Most problems with coral reefs are human problems." Some experts have long argued that money and development can help free people from their reliance on fish, trees, and other basic natural resources. And those resources often suffer where population is densest. Related Content:
But the new study, published recently in the journal Current Biology, was the first to look at the effect on corals of not just an entire country's overall wealth or at the size of its population but also at whether individual communities had schools, hospitals, electricity, water and other types of infrastructure. After all, McClanahan said, money can be distributed unevenly, and even wealthy countries have slums. Instead of using national-level statistics available from the United Nations, McClanahan and colleagues collected their own data. They visited 19 communities in five African nations that represented a wide range of wealth, including Kenya, Mauritius and Madagascar. "We went to community leaders in each village and asked about things they had or didn't have," he said. They also surveyed offshore coral reefs for signs of health, including size and numbers of fish and the structure of corals. By far the strongest result of the study was the link between a community's infrastructure and the numbers of fish in its nearby reefs. The data spit out a U-shaped curve, with the most fish at either extreme and the least fish at moderate levels of development. Get More NewsSpiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates.Oldest Hebrew Writing Possibly FoundAncient inscriptions on a 3,000-year-old pottery shard could make history.Rare, Prehistoric-Age Reptile Found in N.Z.A tuatara has been spotted on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in 200 years.Iceman Has No Living RelativesOetzi, the 5,300 year-old frozen mummy, left no living genetic legacy.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.It's Official: People Are Warming the PolesHumans are conclusively to blame for polar warming, say scientists.Eight-Armed Animal Preceded DinosaursWhat may be one of Earth's first animals was no bigger than a coaster and had eight arms.Phoenicians Live on in People's GenesOne in 17 Mediterranean men may be descended from ancient Phoenicians.Pesticides, Fertilizers Linked to Frog DeclineA pesticide is found to promote parasites among amphibians.Hubble Telescope Taking Photos AgainThe Hubble Space Telescope is once again snapping stunning photos of the universe.Andean Mummy Hairs Show Hallucinogen UseScientists find direct evidence of hallucinogenic drug use among ancient Andeans.Opals on Mars Reveal Planet's Long Wet PastOpals found on Mars suggest the planet has been wet for much longer. |
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