Human Impacts on Florida's Coral Reefs

The Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative (SEFCRI) established four areas of focus to
provide a clear way to identify and address human impacts on coral reefs: Fishing,
Diving and Other Uses; Maritime Industry and Coastal Construction Impacts; Land-Based
Sources of Pollution; and Awareness and Appreciation. (10)

Overfishing is a constant threat to Florida reefs as commercial fishing is one of the largest industries of South Florida and recreational fishing is a tourist staple. (11) The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) acknowledges that, "overfishing affects the ecological balance of coral reef communities, warping the food chain and causing effects far beyond the directly overfished population." (12) Along similar lines, careless damage is caused by commercial and recreational boating due to propeller contact or even boats completely running aground, which kills the coral instantly. (13)

Another damaging practice associated to maritime industry is the dropping of anchors on reefs, which crushes and kills the coral. Coastal construction, which is largely the result of population influx to the area and tourism, creates erosion that works its way into the ocean and essentially suffocates the coral as they are unable to receive the sunlight they need to live. (14)

Land-based sources of pollutions are having multiple adverse effects on Florida coral reefs. Reefs are being poisoned directly as waste is released from sewage systems or rain runoff that contains fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, petroleum products, and heavy metals enters the ocean. (15) If that wasn’t enough, some of the chemicals “increase the level of nitrogen in seawater, causing an overgrowth of algae, which 'smothers' reefs by cutting off their sunlight.” (16)