Vast Mesoamerican Reef Declines After Years Of Improvement: Study

"TEGUCIGALPA - The condition of the world’s second-largest coral system, the Mesoamerican Reef stretching from Mexico to Central America, has taken a turn for the worse and faces further threats from climate change, according to a report by a group of scientists.

Extending nearly 1,000 km (620 miles) from the northern tip of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula toward the Bay Islands in northern Honduras, the Mesoamerican Reef is second in size only to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

Coral reefs develop over thousands of years and are vital to the survival and prosperity of countless marine species, but many, including the Great Barrier Reef, have been under pressure from global warming, scientists say."

Gustavo Palencia reports for Reuters February 13, 2020.